Dear Editor,

Two days after the Atlanta mass shooting, Josh Mandel appeared on NBC4 TV in an interview with veteran journalist Colleen Marshal where he whined and complained about how Twitter removed one of his racist tweets in which he used derogatory terms to describe Muslims and Mexicans.

When Miss Marshall grilled him for using religious and racial tactics in his Senate campaign for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the GOP’s Rob Portman, Mandel defended his practice by implying, he has the right under the law to go around insulting other minority groups without any consequences.

Mandel attacked our governor and Dr. Amy Acton for handling the pandemic. He referred to Governor DeWine as Rhino (Republican in name only) Governor and called Dr. Acton “Mini Fauci.”

If Mandel can defend Trump’s vile behavior and lies and wishes he could have a chance to vote to overturn the November election, then that means he was NOT denied the right to free speech.

It is ironic that Mandel brags about being endorsed by the “Tea Party Express.” They are the same group that the National Tea Party kicked out because they were TOO RACIST and OFFENSIVE for even them!

Mandel’s remarks about Mexicans and Muslims are hurtful and wrong.

He tells people what they want to hear and preys on their fears and bigotry. It is absolutely amazing that a Jew such as Mandel has such a short memory about where such prejudice leads.

If he is left unchallenged, Mandel might one day blame Muslims and Mexicans for the reason that six of Dr. Seuss’s books will no longer be published.

These are great examples of Josh Mandel showing Ohioans and the rest of the country who he is.

Is this really the kind of person we want representing our state in Washington?

I think not

Josh Mandel is right about one thing, though.

Everyone in America is entitled to the First Amendment’s protections even if his/her views are bigoted. In other words, Mandel did not break the law but he violates Twitter rules of “hateful conduct.” Simply put, he signed a contract to use Twitter and he broke it.

That said, as a Muslim veteran and proud Ohioan, I am sick and tired of Mandel’s racist and Islamophobic behavior.

He doesn’t deserve to serve the people of Ohio because he is not good for Ohio.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph

USAF retired veteran

Westerville, Ohio