To the editor,
I was thrilled to read John Snow’s letter, “Spare the Children” in the Bay News of June 29–July 5. Mr. Snow, you are a kindred spirit! I hope you have read the letters I have been sending to the Bay News about the tragic and shameful separation of immigrant children and their parents. I think all of us here in the United States need to unite to help these children and all of the so-called “aliens” seeking asylum who are, after all, human beings just like we are! I wonder if Donald Trump ever stops to think about where his relatives came from. Because his relatives had money, does that mean they should have been treated any differently than refugees who arrive with nothing but fear, hunger and pain? Don’t these refugees deserve shelter and safety too?
I also read Lenore Skenazy’s column, “Rhymes with Crazy” and strongly disagree with her about it being safe to leave a small child alone in a car, even if only for a few minutes. I think she has forgotten about a major problem we have here in the city, carjackers. I have seen many news stories about cars being stolen without the thief even knowing there was a child in the back seat. I have also seen stories about small children who get out of their car seats, climb over the back seat and try to drive the car. I understand, Ms. Skenazy, that you run an organization dedicated to helping children become more independent, but I think that parents living here in the city sometimes have to make tough choices between independence, protection and safety, because we and our children live surrounded by dangers including carjackers, sexual predators, gun violence, bullies, etc. I have read too many stories about children who were trained to go to school or day camp alone and never came home. I think that all children, ours and immigrant children alike, all need some degree of protection while they are learning to take care of themselves. Tragically, it seems like immigrant children even need protection from our own government, the organization that should be helping them the most.Elaine Kirsch
Gravesend
No place to retire
To the editor,
New York: The worst state in the country to be retired in.
A new report outlines the best and worst of the 50 states in which to retire in. New York is dead last, No. 50 in the list. What an achievement!
Not surprising that New York and New York City have the highest taxes in the land. Living expenses are through the roof and it has now been determined, even with all of our prestigious university hospitals and care centers, [that] health care for the elderly is all too costly and marginal at best.
Well done New York, and to all the retirees stuck here, you brought this upon yourselves. You voted the same crooked politicians in office, year after year, fully knowing that they were milking the system and draining your pockets. You fell for the mailings, part of the political “franking privileges” stating how much good the politicians did for you when in reality, the wool was pulled over your eyes and you were snookered.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Need less speed
To the editor,
In the letters about the speed camera issue, there is a letter, from Claire, who states that speed bumps are the answer to slowing down traffic.
I agree with her. My narrow street is the only one, from E. 19th Street and Avenue S, to Coney Island and Avenue S, that goes through to Avenue R and Kings Highway. We have become a truck route, the truckers are too lazy to go two short blocks to Coney Island Avenue, which is a large street.
When we come out of the garage in our apartment building, we have to inch our way out. The cars zoom down because if they don’t make the light at Avenue R there may never again be a green light. Even if we are halfway out, they fly by, sometimes giving us a dirty look as if to say, “How dare you want to come out here,” that is, if they look at us at all.
At each side of the driveway there are signs saying “No standing.” People park there all the time because they know that very rarely do the police, or anyone, give them a ticket. When there are large SUVs parked there, we cannot see anything coming down the street.
I have tried to work with Councilman Deutsch’s office but his staff is hopelessly inefficient. I have spoken to him directly, and he did succeed in cleaning up the bike rack under the subway on Kings Highway and 16th Street. Don’t bother calling the 61st Precinct. Either you will get an answering machine, or you won’t get any answer at all. I have let the phone ring 12 times, more than once, and finally gave up.
E. 14th Street, which goes away from the Highway, has, between Avenues S and T, not one, but two speed bumps, and one between T and U. E. 15th Street has speed bumps and that treet doesn’t go through to Avenue R or the Highway.
If anyone has a solution, I would love to hear it.Rowena Lachant
Homecrest
Not a Nixon fan
To the editor,
Not at all surprised that Cynthia Nixon was endorsed by former Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. How would the latter like it if BDS turned its back on Puerto Rico? She is nothing more than an ultra-leftist lunatic. Remember her support for FALN terrorists? Remember how she and Gale Brewer organized Ethel Rosenberg day? Mark-Viverito ought to try show business. She’d be great as the fiery Anita in “West Side Story,” or Pilar, the fiery revolutionary in Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.”
The election of this leftist will only exacerbate the welfare state we find ourselves in. Making America great again would necessitate removing many able-bodied people off welfare. These parasites are living off the fat of the land. They make little to no attempt to find work as it’s easier to sit on your rear end and collect those monthly welfare checks on the 15th of each month.
These so called progressives are all for this. Keep the parasites downtrodden so that they will have something to complain about when it comes to society. The problem is exacerbated by our refusal to provide more vocational training in the schools. This would help to lift people off welfare so the Left naturally does nothing to be an advocate for it. Politically, we have elected officials who have become entrenched in their positions and disregard the will of their constituents. A case in point, is 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley, who didn’t bother to show up for debates with his opponent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, thus enabling her to pull an upset victory. Cortez represents the so called Leftist position and has used Twitter to condemn Israel as well.
Why is nothing mentioned in the media about Cynthia Nixon’s connection to BDS? An organization that attempts to destroy our beloved Israel by economic boycotts? While Gov. Cuomo is not the ideal choice for governor, in comparison to Nixon, he is an angel.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Choose ‘blue’
To the editor,
Well, once again it’s another depressing story about gun violence. Five people killed at a newspaper and many wounded. When will this ever stop? Since the Republicans in Congress have no feeling for loss of life to pass gun legislation it should be up to the Democrats. If you are tired of a do-nothing Republican Congress then “Vote blue in the midterms.” Out with the old in with the young, that’s what Democrats need now. Fresh blood.
We can see this taken place in many specials where Democrats won when it seemed the odds were stacked against each and every one. Secondly, when a large amount of money is sent in to defeat Democrats it’s more like a scare tactic to frighten them, so [that] many vote.John Snow
Brighton Beach
So long, soccer
To the editor,
The Soccer World Cup is over and who would think Croatia would be in the finals against France? This is France’s second World Cup since 1998. I give Croatia credit for making a good run while second place would still be a win for this small country. Meanwhile Brazil, Spain, Uruguay, and Portugal were considered favorites, then Germany, who won the Cup four years ago, were all eliminated. What made these games interesting [could be] an error by the goalkeeper, or [an] own goal by a player [that] inspired the other team.
What surprised me [was how] the best players were silent when crunch time came. My feelings are [that] it’s time for new fresh players to take over and start a new era.
Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
