Letters to the Editor: Was it right for Nezza to sing the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium?
To the editor: I am honored to hear the national anthem in Spanish, just like I was honored to hear a great Black musician, Jimi Hendrix, play his rock-infused version at Woodstock ('Nezza says she sang national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium against team's wishes,' June 15).
I'm proud that minorities and immigrants wish to come to America and contribute by working hard and raising good families. Those are certainly more Christian values than those espoused by some U.S. citizens, including the person accused of shooting two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers.
My Sicilian and Slovak ancestors entered the U.S. via Ellis Island in the early 1900s. I am proud of Nezza and hope she will sing the national anthem in Spanish again.
Jay Ross, West Los Angeles
..
To the editor: I hope the Los Angeles Dodgers never invite Nezza back to sing our national anthem. She was told it would be sung in English and then proceeded to openly defy the Dodger organization by singing it in Spanish. The Dodgers were honoring the Hispanic community by having a Latina sing the anthem, and then she brags that she did what she wanted in spite of their instructions.
As someone of Mexican descent, I am proud of my grandparents for bringing their children here to have a better life and more opportunities. They became naturalized American citizens and their descendants are grateful.
The national anthem should be sung in English as the composer of the words, Francis Scott Key, wrote it.
Lynda Martinez, San Jose
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Atlantic
18 minutes ago
- Atlantic
The Minnesota Suspect's Radical Spiritual World
With the suspect accused of killing Minnesota's Democratic house leader and her husband now in custody, investigators will have a long list of questions to ask about what the alleged shooter believes. The emerging biography of Vance Boelter suggests a partial answer, one that involves his contact with a charismatic Christian movement whose leaders speak of spiritual warfare, an army of God, and demon-possessed politicians, and which has already proved, during the January 6 insurrection, its ability to mobilize followers to act. Reporting so far describes Boelter, the 57-year-old man now facing murder charges, as a married father of five who worked in the food industry for decades, managed a gas station in St. Paul and a 7-Eleven in Minneapolis, and recently began working for funeral-service companies as he struggled financially. At the same time, Boelter had an active, even grandiose, spiritual life long before he allegedly carried out what authorities describe as a 'political assassination' and texted his family afterward, 'Dad went to war last night.' To some degree, the roots of Boelter's beliefs can be traced to a Bible college he attended in Dallas called Christ for the Nations Institute. A school official confirmed to me that Boelter graduated in 1990 with a diploma in practical theology. Little known to outsiders, the college is a prominent training institution for charismatic Christians. It was co-founded in 1970 by a Pentecostal evangelist named James Gordon Lindsay, a disciple of the New Order of the Latter Rain, one of many revivalist movements that took hold around the country after World War II. Followers believed that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit was under way, raising up new apostles and prophets and a global End Times army to battle Satanic forces and establish God's kingdom on Earth. Although Pentecostal churches at the time rejected Latter Rain ideas as unscriptural, the concepts lived on at Christ for the Nations, which has become a hub for the modern incarnation of the movement, known as the New Apostolic Reformation. NAR ideas have spread far and wide through megachurches, global networks of apostles and prophets, and a media ecosystem of online ministries, books, and podcasts, becoming a grassroots engine of the Christian Right. Many prominent NAR leaders have connections to the school. These include Dutch Sheets, a graduate who taught there around the time Boelter was a student, and who went on to become an influential apostle who used his YouTube platform to mobilize many of his hundreds of thousands of followers to the U.S. Capitol on January 6. More recently, Sheets suggested on his podcast that certain unnamed judges—'including Supreme Court justices,' he said—oppose God and 'disrespect your word and ways,' and he prayed for God to 'arise and scatter your enemies.' Cindy Jacobs, an influential prophet who is an adviser and frequent lecturer at the school, was also in D.C. on January 6, praying for rioters climbing the Capitol steps. During his time at the school, Boelter would have been exposed to the beliefs that motivate these movement leaders. He would have been taught to see the world as a great spiritual battleground between God and Satan, and to consider himself a kind of spiritual warrior. He would have been told that actual demonic forces can take hold of culture, political leaders, and entire territories, and thwart God's kingdom. He would have been exposed to versions of courses currently offered, such as one that explains how 'the World is in an era of serious warfare' and how 'the body of Christ must remember that Jesus has already won this war.' He may have heard the founder's slogan that 'every Christian should pray at least one violent prayer a day.' On Saturday, Christ for the Nations Institute issued a statement that read, in part, 'We are absolutely aghast and horrified that a CFNI alumnus is the suspect. This is not who we are,' and 'CFNI unequivocally rejects, denounces and condemns any and all forms of violence and extremism, be it politically, racially, religiously or otherwise motivated.' The school clarified that the slogan refers to the founder's belief that prayer should be 'intense, fervent, and passionate, not passive and lukewarm, considering that spiritual forces of darkness are focused on attacking life, identity in God, purpose, peace, love, joy, truth, health, and other good things.' Precisely what Boelter absorbed or rejected from the school remains to be seen. On an archived website, Boelter claims that he was 'ordained' in 1993. Tax documents from 2008 to 2010 show him as president of something called Revoformation Ministries. He claimed to be writing a book called Original Ability, promising readers 'a different paradigm on the nature of man' and warning that it 'may change the way you see yourself, other people, and God.' Boelter claimed that before the September 11 terrorist attacks, he had gone to Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank to 'share the gospel' with militant Islamists. In recent years, Boelter traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where videos show him delivering guest sermons at a large church, chastising Christians who don't fight abortion and homosexuality, and saying that 'God is going to raise up apostles and prophets in America' who will 'correct his church.' As law enforcement searched for the suspect across rural Minnesota on Saturday, a childhood friend of Boelter's told reporters that Boelter had texted him that he had 'made some choices.' Minnesota authorities said that they'd found 'voluminous writings' in the suspect's vehicle and at his home, and that he'd kept a notebook that mentioned about 70 potential targets, including politicians, civic leaders, and Planned Parenthood centers. Boelter is now facing federal murder charges for the fatal shooting of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. State prosecutors have also charged Boelter with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for allegedly shooting and wounding State Senator John A. Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. If Boelter's beliefs were a factor in the shootings, the question is not exactly what radicalized him, Frederick Clarkson, a senior analyst with Political Research Associates who has been tracking the NAR movement for years, told me: The worldview that Boelter appeared to embrace was radical, he said. 'Everyone brings faith to their life and the things they do—the question is, in what ways does your faith inform your actions and your decision making?' he told me. 'Without knowing exactly what motivated the shooter, we can say that being oriented into this kind of NAR thinking, to my mind, it's just a matter of time before an individual or group of individuals take some kind of action against the enemies of God and the demons in their midst.'
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral election update: Lander arrested by ICE; Sanders endorses Mamdani
The Brief The New York City primaries are officially one week away. On Tuesday, mayoral candidate and NYC comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by ICE. Also Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Zohran Mamdani, calling him the "best choice for mayor" NEW YORK CITY - Tuesday is officially one week until the 2025 New York City primary elections – and the race to unseat incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is heating up. JUMP TO: TRACKING ELECTION RESULTS | NYC MAYOR POLLS | WHO'S RUNNING FOR MAYOR? Here's a look at the top headlines in the race for mayor, plus the latest polls, candidate profiles and voter information: NYC comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was arrested by ICE in immigration court Tuesday. A video posted on X shows Lander walking alongside a man whose immigration case had just been dismissed, attempting to escort him out of court to avoid ICE detention, according to the tweet. Agents still arrested the man outside. Follow developments here. What they're saying In a post on X, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said: "At this dangerous moment in history, status quo politics isn't good enough. We need new leadership that is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests & fight for the working class. @ZohranKMamdani is providing that vision. He is the best choice for NYC mayor." MORE: Full list of major NYC mayoral candidate endorsements On Monday, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani and former Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake cross-endorsed one another. It comes after the New York Times editorial board decided not to back any of the candidates running for mayor. Meanwhile, early voting shows strong participation across all five boroughs. According to unofficial data from the NYC Board of Elections, as of the close of polls on day three (Monday) of early voting, a total of 94,112 voters had checked in. The breakdown by borough is as follows: Manhattan: 31,036 Brooklyn: 33,185 Queens: 19,186 The Bronx: 7,551 Staten Island: 3,154 Now through Sunday, June 22: Last day to vote early. Early voting hours may vary. Tuesday, June 24: Primary Election Day. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can check your registration status online HERE. To find your local poll site, click HERE. ***Note: Voter registration for the 2025 NYC primary elections - in person and online - is now closed. Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill survey: According to a May survey, Cuomo was at 35%, followed by Mamdani at 22% and Lander at 10%. The survey was conducted May 23-26. Marist College: According to a poll conducted in May, Cuomo was at 44%, followed by Mamdani at 22% and Adams at 11%. The survey of 3,383 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted from May 1-8. Siena College: An April poll had Cuomo at 34%, followed by Mamdani at 16%. The poll surveyed 811 registered voters, with a specific focus on 556 Democratic voters. Betting Odds: According to the overseas online prediction market PredictIt, Cuomo's odds of success stand at 70%, with Mamdani's at 29%. Democratic socialist faces hurdles with Black, Latino voters in NYC mayoral race (Politico) New York mayor's race emerges as proxy war for Democrats' future (The Hill) What do NYC teens think of the mayoral candidates? (Chalkbeat) What you can do Bookmark FOX 5 NY's election results page to track results in real time when polls close on Tuesday, June 24. This year, NYC will use ranked choice voting in primary and special elections for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president, and City Council; a system approved by voters in 2019. On Election Night, results will only show first-choice votes from early voting, in-person voting and processed absentee ballots, accounting for most of the votes. If a candidate is projected to win 50% of first-choice votes, then the Associated Press will declare a projected winner on Election Night. READ MORE: Ranked choice voting explained If no one gets a majority, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and those votes go to the next choice on each ballot. This process continues until two candidates remain; whoever has the most votes then wins. If no candidate has 50% of first-choice votes, the Board of Elections will release an unofficial report on the preliminary elimination rounds on Tuesday, July 1. The BOE plans to certify the results on July 15. NYC Mayor Eric Adams, 64, announced that he would run as an independent, forgoing the Democratic primary for mayor. Jim Walden, 59, a longtime NYC lawyer, is also running as an independent in the 2025 mayoral race. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, has focused his 2025 mayoral campaign on what he describes as a city in crisis. Zohran Mamdani, 33, is a self-declared socialist focused on rent freezes, free bus rides and no-cost childcare. Scott Stringer, 64, former NYC comptroller, is focused on transparency and good governance. Zellnor Myrie, 38, is a Brooklyn native focused on affordable housing and electoral reform. Whitney Tilson, 58, is an investor and lifelong Democrat who has emphasized the need for a city that is safe, affordable and prosperous, criticizing career politicians for failing to address key issues. State Sen. Jessica Ramos, 39, announced that she would be running for NYC mayor amid calls for Eric Adams to resign. Brad Lander, 55, is the current NYC comptroller and a progressive who advocates for police reform, affordable housing, and better management of the migrant crisis. Adrienne Adams, 64, jumped in as a contender to enter the race, directly after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Michael Blake, 42, a former Bronx assemblyman and vice chair of the DNC, is known for his focus on economic equity and social justice. Read more about other races, including public advocate, comptroller and City Council, here. Watch interviews with mayoral candidates here. Ranked choice voting Early voting What's on the ballot?
New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
Accused Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter extracted eyeballs from corpses for a living
Accused Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter's most recent job was extracting eyeballs from corpses at a funeral home, according to a pal. Boelter — a 57-year-old married dad who allegedly murdered Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded another Minnesota pol and his wife early Saturday — was carrying out his gruesome extraction work as part of an organ donation program, said the friend and sometime roommate David Carlson. 'I knocked on his door, and I said, 'Hey Vance, are you there?' ' Carlson recalled of his interaction with the accused killer around 7 p.m. Friday — just hours before Boelter unleashed his carnage. Advertisement 3 Alleged Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter extracted eyeballs from corpses for a living. HANDOUT/RAMSEY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 'He goes, 'Yeah, I'm in bed, and I'm trying to get some rest for work,'' Carlson said from the home in north Minneapolis where Boelter rented a room from him. 'He'd always said, 'I need rest for work so I'm sharp' because he was extracting eyeballs. You gotta be sharp for that,' Carlson said. Advertisement It wasn't unusual for Boelter — who once worked in the food industry and also as a manager at a 7-Eleven — to go to bed so early so he could be on call for work. Boelter was on call for 12 hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. on the night he allegedly murdered the Hortmans at their Brooklyn Park home and tried to assassinate Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in nearby Champlin. 3 Boelter is accused of murdering Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/AFP via Getty Images The alleged assassin had taken courses in mortuary science in 2023 and 2024 at an Iowa community college, a rep for Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) told Local 5. Advertisement Follow the latest on the arrest of suspected Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter: It isn't known whether Boelter carried out the mortuary science courses in person or online. Both are offered by DMACC, the representative said, citing federal privacy laws. Advertisement 3 Hortman was killed in her Brooklyn Park home along with her husband. Minnesota House HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Boelter has not been a student at DMACC since 2024, the rep added. He was working for a funeral home in Savage, a southern suburb of Minneapolis, before leaving his job voluntarily in February, his former employer said, without elaborating. 'We would like to extend our thoughts and condolences to the families of Rep. Hortman and Sen. Hoffman,' Metro First Call funeral home said in a statement to KARE 11 after Boelter's arrest. 'This is devastating news for all involved. As far as Vance Boelter is concerned, he worked for our company from August 28, 2023, until he voluntarily left on February 20, 2025,'
