Post reader decries bigotry at Ag Reserve's growth workshop | Letters

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Bigotry raises its ugly head

It turned my stomach to see your coverage

of white supremacist vigilantes massing outside the [Palm Beach County] Commission hearing on the proposed Islamic Center in the Ag Reserve. Is it any accident that they appear in our county four weeks before our primary election? I hope that all of us who believe in democracy ― even those who are opposed to the Islamic Center’s location ― will step up if we see our Muslim neighbors harassed or intimidated near the polls.

I hope our law enforcement officers are geared up to protect our early voting locations. United States citizens come in in all colors, in hijabs, huipils, yarmulkes, dashikis and djellabas. It is the job of the poll workers to certify their right to vote. It is the job of all of us to help them get there safely.

H. Joan Waitkevicz, West Palm Beach

Delray Beach on Oct. 2, 2026. Many residents were there to urge not just preservation but also rejection of a proposed Islamic Center there." id="92054940007">

Taxpayer Trump ads are fraud and waste

Every time I see one of those Trump commercials paid for by the U.S. Government, I wonder whatever happened to those DOGE folks. If this doesn't fall into the "waste" part of their fraud, waste and abuse mandate, what does? While we're at it, isn't the new White House ballroom, the one that only one person wants, wasteful? And, the proposed Arc de Trump and snipers' nest? Sure, we're only talking tens of millions here, and tens of millions there, but it does seem to be adding up. Maybe these projects are being paid for by the savings from denying food benefits to poor people.  I'd hate to think that it's just adding to the growing deficits — our increased borrowing should just be used for major expenses like unnecessary wars. There's only one way out of this mess, and that's to vote the President's enablers out of office.

John Gallagher, Boca Raton

Cornell case shows what 'consent' should mean

The news coming out of Cornell University should make all of us stop and think — not because Cornell is unique, but because it forces us to confront a difficult truth: Sexual violence is a community and cultural issue. Every person has the right to bodily autonomy, safety and dignity.

Recent allegations involving a former Cornell student and members of the Chi Phi fraternity have prompted renewed investigation. We must respect due process and allow investigators and courts to do their jobs. An allegation is not a conviction, but respecting due process does not require silence about the larger issue.

At the YWCA of Palm Beach County, we see why these conversations matter. Through Harmony House, we stand alongside survivors and their children as they seek safety and rebuild their lives. Consent is not the absence of a “no.” It is an active, voluntary and informed “yes.” We must teach this, challenge victim-blaming, empower bystanders and hold institutions accountable.

Palm Beach County, we all have a role. Talk with children about consent and healthy relationships. Challenge behavior that normalizes sexual violence. Listen without judgment when someone asks for help. We cannot simply react after violence occurs. Our goal must be to create a culture in which fewer people are harmed in the first place. That is the work of prevention — and the responsibility of every one of us.

Mary G. Hart is CEO of YWCA Palm Beach County

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Post reader decries bigotry at Ag Reserve's growth workshop | Letters