The complimentary letters by Irl Solomon and Herbert Shapiro on Martin Rochester’s Feb. 14 commentary, “Why my dislike of the left trumps my dislike of the president,” undermines rational conversation.

Calling critics of Trump and Rochester “insufferably arrogant and biased leftist college professors” (Shapiro) is red baiting and matches Rochester’s claim that the two leading candidates (nameless) of the Democratic party are socialists (socialism is left undefined).

Solomon says Trump should ignore the “noise” and applauds Trump’s accomplishments.

Foreign policy experts like Max Boot and Richard Hasse fear the US is withdrawing from world leadership (TPP and Paris Climate Accord) and undermining the vital role of the US as the leader of the free world.

The long term success of the tax cut remains to be seen and has been undercut by the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

In their support of the tax cut and the timing of the decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, Shapiro, Rochester and Solomon ignore what will matter most to our grandchildren and the future of the US: the impact of Trump’s appeal to racial division and xenophobia and his unending assaults on essential institutions and democratic values

These daily attacks are the major concern of Jewish conservative writers like Bret Stephens, David Frum, and David Brooks. Trump’s behavior, policies and decision making are not just noise (Solomon) and occasional unpresidential behavior (Shapiro) Trump’s irrational criticism of independent checks on presidential power (the media, the courts, the FBI and CIA, universities, and much more) are severing the fragile bonds of our citizens and sending a message to our youth that America is a weak country that needs a strong man to return to greatness (this should sound familiar to students of German history in the 1930s).

Jews with a sense of history should be grateful for these institutional checks on presidential power.

Finally, 2017 studies and surveys by Education Week, Teaching Tolerance and and UCLA show a significant uptick of tension in our schools because of Trump. This includes bullying, racial slurs, and the difficulties of having rational discussions in some of our classrooms

Rochester, Solomon and Shapiro dangerously overlook what matters most in a diverse democracy where our people have thrived.

Dennis Lubeck, History Education Consultant