Opinion

With the horrific images of dead and starving Palestinian children now reaching mainstream U.S. media, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are speaking up, some now calling the 22-month old conflict in Gaza a genocide. To better understand the impact of this conflict on our local Jewish and Muslim communities, I  spoke separately with Rabbi Jonathan Kupetz, 55, from Pomona’s Temple Beth Israel, and Mahmoud Tarifi, 67, president of the Islamic Center of Claremont’s Board of Directors. Below is the full, unedited transcript of my July 30 interview with Tarifi. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

With the horrific images of dead and starving Palestinian children now reaching mainstream U.S. media, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are speaking up, some now calling the 22-month old conflict in Gaza a genocide. To better understand the impact of this conflict on our local Jewish and Muslim communities, I  spoke separately with Rabbi Jonathan Kupetz, 55, from Pomona’s Temple Beth Israel, and Mahmoud Tarifi, 67, president of the Islamic Center of Claremont’s Board of Directors. Below is the full, unedited transcript of my August 11 interview with Kupetz. Courier file photo

by David Andrews Claremont — the City of Trees and Ph.D.s — is blessed beyond measure. The city is beautiful, with rich infrastructure and deep traditions. The Colleges, the Village, and the natural beauty of the city’s setting all combine to magnificent effect. We have much to be thankful for. Amidst this abundance, however, many […]

“I’ve always liked alcohol’s tingly euphoria, and the (usually) slow ramp up to inebriation. Sometimes I’d get it right and my buzz would plateau somewhere near optimum. On those occasions I was fun, affable, high functioning. Other times I’d blow it, go too far, and wake up unable to recall periods of time from the night prior. That was rare, but it certainly happened, and I’m not proud.”

“The scale of the annual loss — $1.1 billion nationally — may simply be too large for some to absorb. Since the percentage of federal dollars varies from organization to organization, some will feel the cuts deeper than others. That said, cuts are coming, the question is exactly how big they will be locally. ‘We built a media system on the idea that public service was worth investing in,’ KPCC host Larry Mantle said in a statement. ‘Now that promise is being broken.’ For Claremont residents, it means more than just losing a favorite program. It’s about losing a resource that informs, educates, and connects.”

“Once burned, twice shy. That adage warning against duplicating past errors appears to have framed the U.S. Forest Service’s strategy fighting the July 21 Sugar Fire. If so, the agency made a mistake when it immediately suppressed the small outbreak rather than manage it to achieve key ecological benefits.”

by Char Miller | Special to the Courier The significance of the news that San Bernardino County has closed the Tesla Supercharger station in Upland is perfectly captured in the canvas sheaths that now cover nearly all 64 charging pedestals. The whole thing looks like a cemetery. As grave are the implications that Elon Musk […]

“In an era where headlines move faster than ever, trust in the institutions that deliver them is unraveling. Nowhere is this more evident than in the growing skepticism — and sometimes outright hostility — toward mainstream media. Once considered a cornerstone of democracy, the press is increasingly viewed with suspicion. Politicians, pundits, and even citizens themselves are working, knowingly or not, to discredit journalism at the exact moment it’s most needed.”

“On Saturday I managed to get my kids up and in the car ‘at the asscrack of dawn,’ as my daughter put it (8 a.m. to you and me), for a drive up to Tehachapi and a day of rural detective work. The aim was to locate the home my grandfather built — pretty much by himself — in the 1970s on the outskirts of the high desert town about 140 miles northwest of Claremont. That we made it up there in time for breakfast is a small miracle. With summer here, the ‘kids,’ 15, 19, and 23, are all sleeping well into the afternoon, so sitting down at Henry’s Cafe for chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy at 10:15 was a rare mid-morning victory.”

“The issue of immigration affects me on a personal level. My parents emigrated legally from Germany to America in 1958. I’m first generation American and was born at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in 1960. My parents went through the arduous process of submitting lengthy documents, finding a sponsor, providing proof that they would be able to financially support themselves without state assistance and then … they waited in line. After a long while they finally received that coveted green card. I wonder how today’s immigrants who follow the same process feel about those who simply stroll across the border.”

“It’s not every day you see Trump supporters demanding transparency about Jeffrey Epstein’s dark dealings. But this moment cuts to the heart of why the First Amendment matters — and why the truth shouldn’t depend on which side you’re on. Even in America, powerful forces try to hide uncomfortable facts, testing whether we still believe in the public’s right to know. The Epstein case is a reminder of how easily silence can protect the powerful, from presidents to business leaders, while victims and the public are left in the dark.”

“When we talk about free speech and the First Amendment, it’s easy to think of them as national issues — battles fought in Washington or on cable news. But the truth is, the fight for free speech happens right here, in Claremont, every single day. That’s why we say free speech is local news.”

“Us men get up on tall ladders to retrieve Frisbees off roofs. In the rain. We drink too much, and a little more, then fall down. For most of our teens until an undetermined age, possibly forever, we’re driven by primitive forces, unfettered by common sense, caution, or even reality, all in the service of attracting a mate. In short, we do dumb stuff.”

“‘We’re just trying to put energy into our frustration,’ said 71-year-old Patricia from Norco, who was carrying a handmade, quite well rendered ‘No Kings’ sign and declined to provide her last name. ‘The therapist tell you, ‘Take your grief and move with it.’ It’s kind of grieving the loss of your country, but you can’t completely give up hope.’ Indeed. Once again a protest, though modest, left me feeling hopeful, an emotion in short supply for many of us these days.”

“Life is a carnival,” as the old Band song goes. “Two bits a shot.” Or it’s a parade. Free for the looking. At least it is in Claremont on the Fourth of July.