To the editor,
Enough is enough! Let Charlottesville be the last hate march. America must be free of hate groups.
Neo Nazi Supremists, the Ku Klux Klan, Black Lives Matter, the National Action Network and others like them are hate groups, regardless of their camouflage. They’re allowed to exist by a warped interpretation of the First Amendment. Is it logical to have laws against hate crimes, but not against hate groups? Surely, our lawmakers must have surmised that allowing hate groups to exist will undoubtedly lead to hate crimes and violence?
Ultimately, hate groups riot, and since the government knows as much, the logical conclusion must be that the government allows violence. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer were totally incompetent in their city’s preparation and handling of hate groups’ violence, while Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake and Ferguson Mayor James Knowles tethered law enforcement in their respective cities and allowed hate groups to operate unabated; the latter with the blessing of the Obama Administration.
Our founding fathers did not want people to have the freedom to kill and to destroy, yet hate groups exist and government officials balk at a solution. Our legislative branch must devise laws to stop hate groups in their tracks; the judicial branch must deem those laws Constitutional and the executive branch must enforce them. Our government must do their jobs: protect the citizenry and clarify logical interpretations of the Constitution.
The announced planning of hate groups to march will likely cause violent clashes. Officials should predict violence and be ready with the National Guard and SWAT teams. After the initial violence, a New York Times online headline read: “Police Brace for More White Nationalist Rallies, but Have Few Options.”
Why do police have few options? Why are they tethered? Let me give lawmakers some advice: Disruption is the key. When these groups assemble and even spit on the sidewalk, arrest them and charge them with “spitting on the sidewalk,” but first, install “Do Not Expectorate On Sidewalk” signs to provide legal standing.
Disrupt the American Civil Liberties Union by charging it with “depraved indifference toward violence,” and “interfering with law enforcements,” as starters. There is precedent. When the feds want a mafia criminal, they disrupt mafia activities — prostitution, gambling, drugs and the like — until they get what they want. Liberals disrupt campaigns of conservative candidates until those candidates drop out. The precedent is there, use it. Instead, we choose to fight hate groups with megaphones. As the late Robin Williams would say “Stop…or I’ll yell ‘stop’ again.”
Charlottesville Mayor Michael Signer is an activist himself who has called for the defiance of established laws; in other words, he prefers a lawless state, and, mind-bogglingly, voters put him in office. Well … you got your lawlessness, Mr. Mayor. How do you like it?
I do not suggest that Mayor Signer be blamed directly for the Charlottesville deaths, no more than I suggest that our Mayor DeBlasio be blamed directly for the deaths of three New York Police Department officers, but their misguided liberal philosophy created the atmosphere in which the violence occurred.
Be careful what you vote for; you might get it.Elio Valenti
Brooklyn
Give bus a chance
To the editor,
As many people in the community, I often ride the B82, a bus which serves close to 30,000 people per day on average (the weekday average was 27,959 last year, to be exact). It’s a bus with enormous delays, insane crowds, painful bus bunching, and one that forced me many times to just take the subway instead.
Thankfully the DOT and the MTA are willing to change that. They are willing to create a B82 SBS, which stands for select bus service. That would create a bus with three doors, more room, running on a special lane and where people purchase tickets in advance. In short, the SBS would tackle the issues of crowds, delays and traffic more effectively. The DOT has a specific plan for this, which was released and sent to the community boards, and they surveyed people in the area as well. The Select Bus Service has had great results in places all around the city already and these SBSs have been successfully implemented over the years in both the Bloomberg and DeBlasio administrations. The SBS is made around a concept of bus rapid transit which has been successfull all around the world.
However, some (not all, but some) local politicians and journalists are opposing it. One, Alan Maisel, opposed it because of a lost turn in Canarsie. Which makes me ask: why does he have to oppose the whole bus instead of just calling the Department of Transportation to come up with a compromise on that specific turn?
Others like Theresa Scavo (Community Board 15 chairwoman), Kalman Yager and Councilman Chaim Deutsch oppose it at the moment because of parking, which would be eliminated for the bus lane. They sadly ignore that parking on most vulnerable streets would only be eliminated one ONE side of the street, and that parking would be created on side streets, where available. The exchange would be very little parking lost for the fixing of a broken bus route.
Now, as I noted before, not everyone opposes it. City Council candidate Steve Saperstein tweeted his support, writing: “The B82 serves a diverse constituency and is awful right now. SBS plan cuts travel times, supports our local businesses and frees up congestion for seniors, students, and working class commuters.” That was not all, though. He also noted “pending review of the final plan with street re-design.” Which is exactly how it should be!
When the Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority want to help the community and create a great bus, instead of blindly opposing it because of a turn or parking being changed, why not actually talk with the DOT and MTA and figure out a good compromise for the final plan? That is the way things should go. I talked to a person who said that Kings Highway simply wasn’t ready for a normal bus. But that’s just not right. How come Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island can all get normal buses but South Brooklyn can’t? Why should we belittle ourselves and settle for less?
Yes, Kings Highway and the people of South Brooklyn deserve a normal bus! Yes, issues can be resolved and discussed with the Department of Transportation and obstruction is not the answer when the city actually wants to help.
Julianne Cuba from the Brooklyn Daily described the Select Bus Service as “Reject Bus Service.” I would urge her to get on the B82, look these elderly people and children in the eyes and say these same words out loud.
We have an opportunity here to help thousands of daily riders, out of them many elderly and younger students. Why not take advantage of that, bring the community together with the Department of Transportation and resolve the issues and come together in support of a better and brighter bus for our neighborhood? It shouldn’t be that difficult. We’re South Brooklyn. We’re not incompetent fools. We’re people who want to help improve life for everyone. Here’s a chance. Let’s do it.
Note: I contacted Chaim Deutsch and he considered to take a look at the plan again. Kalman Yager tweeted me that he believes traffic would be created with the SBS. The SBS, however, cuts traffic because the bus won’t have to compete with other cars and trucks. I sent him a detailed plan as well. He hasn’t responded to that. Please also note that I like and respect Councilman Maisel, Deutsch and Chairwoman Scavo and Mr. Yager and Ms. Cuba. I just have disagreements on their current positions and would love to see them come around on this project.
Martin Samoylov
Midwood
Trains need seats
To the editor,
The dumbest thing the Metropolitan Transit Authority decided several years ago was to remove trash cans from subway platforms. Now you see people leave trash by benches or throw it on the tracks.
Now the geniuses at the MTA want to remove the seats in subway cars. Welcome to the new subway where we will put you into cars until there is no more room so you have to stand up. Can’t move; boy, this sounds familiar (Nazi Germany 1941–44). Cattle cars for Jews and other undesirables. Who thought of this one?
Arnold Fine
Marine Park
Head
To the editor,
Members of the city council fanned out across the city to speak with riders on the subway, to hear their complaints and suggestions. They came back, after getting an ear-full; with a report saying that they “never knew” how serious the problems were underground.
Of course they wouldn’t know, as they are all happily traveling in their city issued vehicles, far from the masses that are forced to endure these deteriorating conditions, day after day. While they feigned deep interest and are demanding answers from the MTA, they will go back to the comfortable air-conditioned rides they have become accustomed to.
While accusations fly, I would think it is high time that everyone in city government should have vehicles taken away. These so called representatives would be forced to be out with their constituents on a daily basis, learning about their transit, police and other community concerns first hand. This way, when something serious arises, they have no excuse in saying “We Didn’t Know!”
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
