I can appreciate the pressure of meeting a print deadline, but I was disappointed that Monday’s front-page editorial virtually ignored the shameless and crude racist “jokes” and outpouring of hate and insults that lasted more than six hours at Donald Trump’s rally on Sunday. at Madison Square Garden. And “A symbolic return to his old base for Trump” — is this the title you chose?

The event was indeed symbolic. pro-Nazi rally that was it Held at the same venue in New York on February 20, 1939 by the German American Bund, which was part of a movement aimed at fueling antisemitism and preventing European Jews from seeking refuge in the United States. Fritz Kuhn, leader of the Bund, said that America should be governed by white gentiles. More than 20,000 people attended, showing their support for Hitler.

85 years later, I have no doubt that Madison Square Garden was deliberately chosen as the venue for the MAGA rally in late October. Train of speakers before Trump vomited vitriol And insults; One after another, they were openly racist, sexist, rude and hateful. Then, of course, Trump continued his usual attacks. It was equally horrifying to see masses of young and old faces in red hats taking great pleasure in attacks on Americans.

I wish your top story had reported more than this and offered historical perspective.

Cynthia Poor

roslindale

The disgusting, hateful remarks about Latinos, Blacks, Jews and members of other groups heard at the rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Sunday clearly deserve great condemnation and need to be put into proper context. This constant, relentless disrespect and disdain for people who do not fit the mold of so-called traditional, white Americans is an integral part of a larger strategy aimed at dismantling democracy.

Across generations and continents, dehumanizing and marginalizing groups of people has been one of the strategies used by authoritarians to turn democracies into dictatorships. For many Latinos in particular, demonstrations like Sunday’s rally are disgusting and appalling because they follow tactics we have seen before in our countries of origin.

Another strategy used to undermine democracy has been to erode the norms and social structures necessary for a tolerant, well-functioning society. Therefore, we advise all media organizations not to belittle, normalize or explain away such rhetoric.

What we saw on Sunday is not just an extraordinary disgrace. It’s also another shocking example of what it’s like to lose a country to dictatorship. This should rightly horrify and horrify us, and encourage us all to align in our actions to save our democracy.

Marcela Aldaz, CEO of Arka HR Solutions

Carmen Arce, Chief Operating Officer, The Partnership

Eneida Roman, president and CEO of Amplify LatinX

Mary Skelton Roberts, CEO of Philanthropy Massachusetts

Boston