To the editor,
Shavana Abruzzo’s ode to the U.S.A. was a beautiful, beautiful, article (“Happy Birthday, America,” A Britisher’s View, June 28).
It was well written, as if it were written by her heart, with all the skills of a seasoned pundit. It was a pleasure to read it.
She said it much better than I could.
Alan Magill
Midwood
True colors
To the editor,
On July 4, after waiting along the Hudson in the sweltering heat, I was treated to the Macy’s fireworks extravaganza. Sadly, the millions watching barely saw the fireworks with their own eyes. After the first colorful burst, it seemed as though every cell phone, iPhone, and iPad was whipped out and held above their heads to record the show. People seemed to be watching the fireworks on their screens!
In years gone by, when fireworks went off, the crowd responded with enthusiastic “oohs” and “aahs.” This crowd barely stopped talking, and as each shell exploded, the look on their faces was almost a blank stare.
Maybe I’m from an older generation that enjoyed a good, live fireworks display. Maybe these new generations are too jaded, and have truly lost the fire of patriotism. That seems to be the case.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Bottling Stanley
To the editor,
I swore I’d never write to Stanley Gershbein again (“It’s Only My Opinion”), after his scathing attacks on a previous letter of mine. But after reading his article about bottled water, I have to put my two cents in (“Stan tackles the bottled-water debate,” June 21).
I drink bottled water to avoid the fluoride that is added to our drinking water, without our consent. Fluoride is a poisonous, chemical byproduct of industrial waste.
Many European countries, recognizing the danger, have removed it from their drinking supply.
Judith Heller-Braff
Bay Ridge
David Storo-hasbeen
To the editor,
David Storobin touts his 11 days experience in the state Senate (“Storobin seeks GOP, Conservative line in race for Nelson’s seat,” online July 1).
His 11 days in office were a disaster. He submitted bills that had no chance of being passed, let alone discussed by the Senate and Assembly.
The Defense Of Marriage Act was ruled illegal, and two million people celebrated at the Gay Pride parade. What was Storobin’s position? Pass laws repealing same-sex marriage. He doesn’t represent Brooklyn’s future or progressive ideals.
I attempted to meet with him at his office on Avenue U, but he was “too busy.” Yet he had time to meet with financial supporters, when he was running for office, but defeated in November 2012.
Unfortunately, the Democrats running do not offer much in the way of progressive leadership. No candidate mentions the criminal justice system, where 66 percent of released inmates return to prison three years after their release. If Detroit made cars which failed to run 66 percent of the time, the public would be outraged. Remember, 95 percent of released inmates return to your neighborhood, upon release.
No treatment for mental disorders and no treatment for illegal drugs add up to recidivism and more crime in the future. Allan Feinblum
Midwood
The writer is a member of the
New York City Jails Action Coalition.
Fishy tale
To the editor,
I live on E. 59th Street, near the corner of Avenue U. I was walking to Kings Plaza with a friend, on the side of the water, near the area where ices were sold, before they recently moved to Avenue T.
The area reeked of dead fish, so we looked closer, on the side of where that ices store once stood. Yikes! We saw no fewer than six dead horseshoe crabs floating, other dead fish, plastic milk containers, and lots of debris — all stagnant in the non-flowing water.
That area is a true health hazard. The debris, dead fish, etc. must be cleaned up and out. It’s really disgusting, and unsafe, too, for the splintered wood poles that are holding up the ices building look like they’ll collapse if leaned on.
Whoever owns that area — government or private owner — should clean the garbage and dead fish from the water and remove the unsafe wood piles. The odor is nauseating.
I sometimes see swans swimming around the boats there. It’s unhealthy for them also. And I sometimes see folks fishing in the area, though a bit further out. The stagnant water with its bacteria surely must negatively affect their catch of the day.
Name withheld upon request
Boardwalk blues
To the editor,
Up until a few months ago, Brighton Second Street had a ramp going up to the Boardwalk. For many senior citizens, who either had to use a wheelchair, cane, or walker, it was a simple way to enjoy the Boardwalk.
Suddenly, someone came up with the bright idea to get rid of the ramp and build a new one. Why, I wonder?
Now it’s months later, and the space for the so-called new ramp stays empty. I walk by every day and still see the same empty space. The city seems good at knocking down things, but it lacks the desire to complete the task at hand.
How much will it cost for the cost over-runs, if and when this ramp is finally built? This is really a hardship that cannot last past the summer. But I think it will.Jerry Sattler
Brighton Beach
Pro-frisk
To the editor,
I wish people would stop burying the heads in the sports section and read the rest of the news.
This week alone, almost every story of a shooting, or robbery was done in a neighborhood that is predominately minority. The crimes are black-on-black crime. These are facts. These are my friends and family getting hurt.
Stopping stop-and-frisk will just cause more violent crimes to happen to us. Stop-and-frisk should continue, but it should also be done in a respectful, courteous, and professional way — as in the NYPD motto.
Read the paper, go online, listen to the news, go to neighborhood meetings, and face the facts. Don’t bury your head in the sand. We are killing each other, and I for one don’t want stop-and-frisk stopped.
If you have nothing to hide, don’t worry.Shanequa Johnson
Crown Heights
Flip-flop Bill
To the editor,
As a retired teacher and loyal member of the United Federation of Teachers, I shall not be stampeded into voting for Bill Thompson for mayor.
He seems to have changed his mind regarding stop-and-frisk. Previously, he wanted it modified, but during a recent debate, he was totally against it. Please be advised that ex-Sen. Al D’Amato is for Thompson, and that Thompson has taken huge sums of money from the real estate interests in this town.
While I certainly disagree with what Mayor Bloomberg has done to the school system, let’s face it, Mr. Thompson was an outright failure as president of the former Board of Education.
Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
‘Don’ Shelly
To the editor,
A majority of New Yorkers based upon a recent poll want state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to resign.
This has been echoed on the editorial pages of daily newspapers, yet this is easier said than done because Speaker Silver rules the State Assembly with an iron hand, as did Don Corleone.
Like the godfather, Silver has all the politicians (members of the Democratic Assembly caucus) in his pocket, keeping him in power. He controls whose bills come out of committee to a full vote, the “lu-lus” for chairing committees and subcommittees, the funding for member-item-pork-barrel projects, and the staffing, mailings, and district office budgets.
Silver also controls the Democratic State Assembly campaign committee, which provides funding to the handful of members, who — despite gerrymandered districts — have competitive races against Republican opponents.
Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Split vote
To the editor,
It is reprehensible that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by a 5-4 majority.
As Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg said in her dissent, “The sad irony lies in its utter failure to grasp why the V.R.A. has proven effective.” If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Now states like Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia will have an option to enact photo identification for voters and potential voters. I favor photo ID for subscribers of Medicare and Medicaid to help alleviate fraud, but it will cause racial unrest that the act alleviated.Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
