During the late springtime season of yearly festive graduations, celebrating important milestones in life for our family members and friends, we are further faced with shattering insults, verbal assaults and accusations on our very own soil, in the country we thought was a paradigm of true democratic ideals and values.

It is truly appalling how the student representative of the CUNY Law School graduation openly called to fight against capitalism, racism, imperialism and Zionism around the world. Please note the specific “proper” noun of Zionism, which was singled out and juxtaposed along with all the other common nouns depicting ideologies of hatred. To add insult to injury, the loud applause from the college’s administration was truly deafening. It was egregious how we can sit by and condone such hatred, discrimination and accusation of “empires of destruction.” New York City Mayor Eric Adams was vocal in expressing his dismay whereby Fatima Mohammed’s speech was not interrupted in the midst of blatant, vile public profiling, let alone that it ended with a gracious thank you to the speaker and resounding applause from fellow graduates, faculty and administrators.

Under the guise of our First Amendment rights of free speech, we still have limits, boundaries and responsibilities. One cannot falsely call out “Fire” in a theater with the intent to cause havoc and hysteria. Why was Mohammed given the platform to speak so viciously with the focus of perpetrating threats of violence and hatred? We all know that powerful groups (not to be spelled out here) would have nearly burned the house down as a reaction to outright discrimination. And, most probably, would have gotten away with it since they would be adamant that they are the victims.

I find it further puzzling that Mohammed included denouncement of the “fascist” police in her seditious speech, yet where is the Police Benevolent Association calling her to task? There is not enough outcry, and to be blunt, unfortunately, “she got her point across as she intended to do.”

For shame on all of us to endure such blatant lies, threats of violence and hatred. It is also outrageous that this has transpired on a government-funded campus, of all places.

Let’s fast forward in the midst of all the antisemitism and Israel-bashing we seem to be enduring endlessly, which is getting worse. Always on the alert, and now we are less than a year away for another CUNY Law School commencement whereby potentially this vitriolic hatred will spew from new speakers all over again in 2024. Now, isn’t that concerning as the saga moves on?

“Never Again” must continue to persevere on many levels to deter infectious condemnation of the Jewish state, our homeland, and our people.

Ruby Kaplan
Teaneck