To the Editor,
Weren’t we all traumatized recently
by the deeds of a maniac on
the waterfront? (“Third man dies
after gruesome hammer attack at
Sheepshead Bay restaurant,” by
Kevin Duggan, online Jan. 24.) Now
that he’s receiving all the creature
comforts of the incarcerated in this
21st-century “sanctuary city” of the
enlightened “Brave New World”
(what a travesty!), the following was
an attempt at catharsis, which goes
greatly wanting today:
Horrible was news
few weeks before
favorite Chinese Buffet
near the shore
“Buffet Of The Bay”
not a bad name!
but it is “Seaport”
that was brought ill fame
not of itself
but by the will of another
with “ill health of the mind”
a headshrink might say
who hammer-slew one
out of blind hate
striking also two others
the very same way
who lasted only some days
never again to stay.
The man caught and now held
to account for his crimes:
deaths of chef, manager, owner
the end of their times …
So, here we are, on the 24th eating
at the Seaport again,
to support with sympathy
and comfort — why not?
Hate the Chinese?
Out of his mind!
Twisted! Sick! Morally blind!
Where’s justice in this case?
“Due Process?” sounds good
but in its right place.
Forget about a jury
it’s not their task;
and leave the deciding
to family and friends
for making what should be
a satisfying end!
Why must they wait
till his life sentence is done?
And a parole-board committee
judges fitness to be free
after being contained
under lock and key.
The family and friends
know better than the courts
to exact in fairness
the correct rewards.
“Mansons” need answers
not exacerbations
for cancers. J. J. Lauria
Sheepshead Bay
To the Editor,
Now, more so than at any time of
my life, I am feeling that the ethos of
the civilization that once was a thriving
United States is in rapid decline.
To my mind, economic factors and
then religious, racial tribalism (to
name only two), and the behaviors
fostered around them create a culture
predicated upon divisiveness —
highlighting what folks believe are
so very different between each other.
An alternative would be society intent
upon creating cohesiveness through
respect and caring that promotes all
we have in common, something far
greater than what differentiates us.
Is this a naïve idea? It isn’t to me,
but in relation to how things are
thought of and valued now, it sure
might sound like Pollyanna to some.
My alternative vision looks to a
culture based first upon humanness
driven more by an altruistic heart
in meeting the needs and wants of
people before commerce and profit
comes into play. And I believe that
the sought-after result of a thriving
economy should first be the things
that create and sustain a modest,
happy life for all; the basics.
Gross domestic product and other
Wall Street and economist values
should be replaced with measurements
that speak to quality of life issues
for all, such as healthcare, housing,
nourishment, and so on. I believe
a reset with a focus on quality of life
first, and in relation to economic decisions,
will get the country on track
and headed toward a peaceful, prosperous
society.
Here is a recent, clear example of
what exemplifies what is wrong:
This might seem silly, but this
came to mind early this morning
when I heard that the National Football
League and CBS-TV, which is
broadcasting the Super Bowl on Feb.
3, has strongly declined to air a commercial
for a company that is addressing
the apparent growing value
of medical marijuana.
Both the League and CBS-TV create
a lot of wealth for themselves by
COURIER L 38 IFE, FEB. 1–7, 2019 M B G
promoting a product — football —
which exemplifies violence. This
most surely has to have a profound
effect on society, right alongside the
violence that is too often a part of
“entertainment” movies and digital
games. Additionally, getting back to
the NFL, the game itself is extremely
harmful to the players, creating a life
of debilitating pain, as shown by the
many stories that have seen the light
of day with regard to brain injuries
and resulting premature deaths.
The hypocrisy that immediately
came to mind is this: both large economic
engines called the NFL and
CBS-TV are adamantly turning
down a commercial for medical marijuana
that is slowing proving to be
beneficial in many ways, while at the
same time airing commercials for alcohol,
that offer little to nothing positive
for society. I don’t believe there
are stories out there about people dying
from marijuana, but we are hearing
about a lot of research proving
its value as a medicine. We indeed do
hear far too many stories about people
dying from alcohol addiction and
innumerable examples of automobile
accidents caused by drunk drivers.
My hope, and I believe the only
hope for these no longer “united
states” (as exemplified by the current
state of affairs in Washington D.C.),
is that our electoral and political systems
are turned around in huge ways
so elected representatives solely and
fully represent the wants and needs
of “we the people.”
These positive adjustments won’t
come easy; they will absolutely require
that the people — and I mean
all of the people approaching and of
voting age — start getting informed
and involved and vote to support candidates
with the right vision; a vision
that is fully inclusive and equitable.
Will you, who are reading this
right now, whatever race, and economic
status, political or religious
affiliation, please begin your journey
to get informed, involved, and vote;
and encourage others you know to
do the same so that we can positively
change the divisiveness we are experiencing
into a cultural ethos that respects
and cares for all?
Please. Barry Brothers
Homecrest
To the Editor,
I sent the following letter to the
United Federation of Teachers newspaper
and hope that you shall print a
copy of the letter:
I applaud the work that paraprofessionals
and secretaries do in our
schools; nevertheless, I believe that
all groups should have their own separate
bargaining unit.
I was reading in the latest United
Federation of Teachers newspaper
that paras are exempt from cafeteria
duty. That’s great, but how about
teachers?
Don’t you think it’s time that
those with a divergent opinion be
granted writing space in the UFT paper?
All we ever see is the Unity line
describing how wonderful things are
in the system. The only time we ever
see anything from another group is
around election time.
We have a plethora of problems
in our schools, but as the years pass,
we don’t even see lip service paid to
them. I’m referring to the complete
lack of discipline in far too many
schools and the problem of class size.
I’ve been retired now for 17 years but
from what I hear, the latter two items
remain the same.
Let’s really practice democracy
and allow for all views to be published
in the paper. Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
To the Editor,
The modern-day conservative
movement’s founding father, late
Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican
presidential candidate Barry
Goldwater, would have been disappointed
in the recent Supreme
Court decision to uphold President
Trump’s position denying transgender
people the opportunity to serve
in our military.
Concerning gays in the military,
Goldwater said, “You don’t have to be
straight to be in the military; you just
have to be able to shoot straight.”
Diversity and tolerance is what
unites all Americans, regardless of
political views, age, religion, or sexual
orientation.
In today’s troubled world, I say
thank you to anyone who voluntarily
joins the military, be they straight,
gay, bisexual, or transgender. Serving
in the military is also a great path
to obtain citizenship for immigrants
who want to share in the American
dream. Intolerance toward others is
a sure recipe for defeat.
Larry Penner
Great Neck