Helen Thomas' remarks on May 27th have outraged people of good conscience across the globe. My late husband Congressman Tom Lantos and I both lost family members in Europe during the horror of the Holocaust. It was the searing experiences of our youth that led us to our profound commitment to fight for human rights and justice. Through our work in Congress and now through the Lantos Foundation we have worked to shine a bright light on the lingering evils of bigotry, hatred, and anti-Semitism in the often dark corners of the world. I never imagined that same bright light would be shone on the center chair of the White House Press Corps. It is almost inconceivable that the “Dean” of this distinguished group of talented journalists could have made such offensive and profoundly ill-informed comments. Helen Thomas’ deplorable views do nothing to foster peace in the Middle East, but rather encourage the behavior that has caused such misery in the region. Unfortunately, her tepid and evasive apology cannot undo the far-reaching damage that her thoughtless words fuel.