Atlantic Yards feud
To The Editor:
Stephen Witt’s article, “Daughtry slams Yards critics,” giving Atlantic Yards supporter the Rev. Herbert Daughtry a platform to argue unrebutted, is sloppy, irresponsible, and unfair.
While Rev. Daughtry claims elected officials, such as City Council Member Letitia James and State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, are “captured” by a small minority of anti−Atlantic Yards constituents, he ignores the fact that his longtime ally, City Council Member Charles Barron, has long opposed the project.
Witt quotes Daughtry as touting benefits from the project, including a health center and an intergenerational center. Neither acknowledge that developer Forest City Ratner has 12 years to build Phase 1, which would include the health center, and there’s no timetable for Phase 2, which would include the intergenerational center.
Witt quotes Daughtry as saying, to the best of his knowledge, I never contacted him to learn “his side.” Witt neither contacted me nor checked my blog to see if that was accurate. I’ve had ample opportunity to learn Daughtry’s “side,” and queried Daughtry in person after a forum in 2006; he wouldn’t answer a question about the source of funding for his Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance.
Witt disparages me by writing that “many media outlets utilize [my blog] for information without checking his facts,” but offers no evidence of errors in my work. Witt should be more careful about fact−checking himself.
For more of my response, go to bit.lyâ„10dTwS.
Norman Oder
Stephen Witt responds:
Mr. Oder,
Rev. Daughtry deserves his say. The fact that many longtime community people support the project has been largely ignored by almost all the media, including your highly speculative brand of “citizen journalism.” I do note that since my article came out that you and a few other media outlets that push the public agenda are beginning to include these views. I also don’t agree with journalists that buy into your view that Rev. Daughtry and other groups who signed the CBA are somehow tainted as sources because Ratner helped fund their non−profits. These groups represent thousands of people of all income levels. They are respected in the community and their points of view are just as valid as those who oppose the project. I suggest you take your “brutally weird” self down to the BUILD office and speak to those in the waiting room looking for work.
Racist garbage
To The Editor:
Re: A Britisher’s View by Shavana Abruzzo.
Your [sic] a racist paper. What a crock of racist crap this article is!!!
It’s kind of funny that Shavana Abruzzo seems to know more than the any [sic] judicial system in that not one Detainee [sic] as [sic] been charged with anything.
Half of them have been set free because guess what??? There’s no evidence connecting them.
Shavana Abruzzo is a muslim−hater, i [sic] have read most of hisâ„her pieces. Just google [sic] the name and you will see what i [sic] am talking about.
She wants all muslims [sic] in one big terrorist barrel and probably deported.
She is an agent of Israeli Propaganda [sic].
You truly are a racist paper by printing this garbage. I will let all the business owners know.
Dr. David Gomberg
Park Slope
Ovation for Obama
To The Editor:
I was appalled and saddened by Shavana Abruzzo’s hate−filled article towards President Obama and Muslims called, “Miranda rights for terrorists? Yuck!” [A Britisher’s View, 6−18 issue]. This is another example of narrow−minded Islamophobia and Muslim−bashing.
I am an American, who was born here and has lived here all my life. I am delighted with President Obama’s method of dealing with the problem of extremism. I am happy that he declared that we don’t use torture on human beings and that we follow the laws and principles of the US.
Ms. Abruzzo refers to President Obama’s, “romanticization of Muslims”, whatever that means. What he is actually doing is taking good Muslims, who some people see as less than human and simply humanizing them. She says that President Obama belittles America to the world. How is he doing that? Is is just because he is publicly saying that the US made mistakes, and that he wants to deal with Muslims and Islamic countries in a new way? She says that, “Obama crawled out from beneath his rock”. That’s just simply an ugly image and an inappropriate way to refer to the president! She guesses that his policies regarding how to handle extremists, or as she calls them, “jihadists,” is either fueled by a need to reconcile his Muslim roots, or plain denseness.
Who is this woman, Shavana Abruzzo, and what is she talking about?
Let’s stop hating.
Name Withheld
Upon Request
