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Try not to look too far ahead, but keep your eyes on the future.
NEWSDAY'S Letters to the Editor Mar. 9th 2004
NEWSDAY'S Letters to the Editor Tues Mar. 9th 2004
Number of Letters from the LEFT: 6
Number of Letters from the RIGHT: 3
Left Letters:
1) …State Department officials' testimony before Congress on the Bush administration's role in the ouster of Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide revealed a staggering arrogance on the part of those who conduct our foreign policy.
In the name of saving lives, the administration has shown a willful disregard for Haitian lives. The administration had an opportunity to achieve a peaceful political resolution if it had chosen to compel the opposition to accept the Caribbean community's action plan.
In choosing to remove a democratically elected head of state from office, our government further weakened Haiti's already fragile democracy. The administration's complicity in Haiti's 33rd coup d'etat has opened the door for drug dealers, coup plotters, torturers, murderers and thugs to dominate its political and economic life.
What is this adventure going to cost American taxpayers? What happens when the Marines leave in three months?
What Haiti needs most is long-term economic and humanitarian assistance from the United States and the international community. It needs the rule of law, an orderly constitutional process, and help in building democratic institutions. What the American people need is a thorough congressional investigation into the role of the U.S. government.-Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-Far Rockaway) Washington
Ok now people want us to send in the troops. A very large portion of the Haitian population wanted Aristide gone. He had been democratically elected in 1990 but his next election in 2000 was considered by the UN to be fraudulent. He become the wealthiest man in the country and many believe he does a great job aiding the drug monsters. So this is the guy that Americans should risk their lives. It’s not as if Haiti is a big proponent of democracy. This country has lots of problems and democracy is having a hard time planting roots. It will happen but only if the people believe in and trust the government. Aristide would have a ‘vote’ of no confidence IF the people and legislature could vote.
2) ...I worked as a poll inspector at the recent Democratic primary and have done so for at least 10 years. From the three districts in my polling place, with approximately 700 registered Democrats among them, only 60 people came out to vote. Inspectors I know at other polling places in Nassau County also had small turnouts. I can only shake my head and wonder why. Did the voters forget? Did everyone think that since Sen. John Kerry was so far ahead their votes weren't necessary? Whatever their reasoning, I hope that all registered Republicans and Democrats turn out for the November election. Those who do not vote do not have the "right" to complain about the next administration. -Kris Marasca Westbury
The reason for the small turnout is that Democrats don’t care for the people running for the nomination. They do have a dislike of the President so they will show up to vote against him but they won’t vote FOR someone. The Republicans went through the same thing with Dole v. Clinton. The results will probably be the same with the incumbent running.
3) … The terrible massacre of observant Shia Muslims in Iraq sadly underscored once again the emptiness of President George W. Bush's promises in his "War on Terrorism" ["Blasts kill at least 143," News, March 3].
He promised that the Iraqis would welcome our brave soldiers with open arms once the fighting ended, and what we have is more than 500 dead heroes. He declared "mission accomplished" and our soldiers still ride uneasily in their Humvees. He said Saddam Hussein's capture would deflate the remaining rebels but they are cockier than ever.
Please, President Bush, change what you're doing and bring our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers home before it's too late. -Bob Levinson Oceanside
Dear Bob, The removal of American, British, Polish troops, etc., will exactly what the enemy wants. The Iraqis are not the enemy. They want us to stay but not be so in control. That is why they asked the U.S. troops to stay away from their holy holiday festivities. And we did. And that’s why the enemy was able to attack the Iraqi Shiites. If we retreat then the deaths of the 500 dead heroes will be for naught.
4) …I read with interest the two letters referring to my congressman, Peter King ["Muslim Long Islanders feel betrayed by King's remarks," Letters, March 3]. In the three years since Rep. King (R-Seaford) has become my representative, I have been appalled by the arrogance, lack of respect and dismissiveness that King and some of his staff have shown to people who do not agree with the hard-right turn of the House of Representatives.
On one occasion, my husband called his office to take exception to statements he made on a cable news show in defense of the Bush administration's lies about the Iraq war. King fired back a sarcastic letter reiterating the lies and suggesting that my husband purchase a copy of the broadcast tape and watch it during the summer for "his enlightenment." This, on a matter as serious as taking our nation to war.
The citizens of his district and Long Island deserve some answers from him on the future of Social Security under a Republican administration. This issue cannot and will not be hidden until after the election. -Tuula Friedman Glen Cove
I’ll say it again. I don’t particular care for Rep. King. He always reminds me of our Senator Schumer. They seem smug, arrogant, and media hounds. The writer does not mention whether Rep. King was right or if they watched the tapes. It seems though that lately there have been many letters that Newsday is publishing against the congressman. I guess that the only Republican on Long Island is a thorn in their side.
5) ...Regarding the survey question "Costly Power: Is Electricity from clean sources worth more?" [Newsday.com, Feb. 24]: There are many facts worth considering as Long Islanders ponder the question.
Sources of renewable energy are abundant throughout the United States. Their utilization reduces our national dependence on foreign oil. Long Island is wind rich. Green energy is cleaner and safer than fossil fuel and nuclear energy. In addition to the waste disposal problems associated with nuclear energy, state and federal agencies have identified nuclear power plants as possible targets for terrorism.
Right now, wind energy may seem more expensive, but oil and gas prices do not reflect the real costs to our society from the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels. The public subsidizes fossil fuel production with more expensive health care, national security and environmental protection.
"Is electricity from clean sources worth more?" Of course it is. -Maureen Dolan Farmingdale
Editor's Note: The writer is program coordinator of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
I like the wind machines that generate power. Their pretty and pretty expensive. I think Americans would like to get their energy from the wind that is until they get their electric bills. Those that want it should be allowed to pay for it. Those that don’t want it shouldn’t have to pay to subsidize it. People like their environment but they love their pocketbooks. The gasoline at the pumps just got cleaner. And the prices just went up. Now people want the gas to get less clean and prices to get less. The CCE is a non-affiliated group I believe. But they are do have an agenda. The writer doesn’t state it. It’s for us to figure out.
6) …As a representative of the female heterosexual population, I can only say that Islip Town clerk's comparison of same-sex marriage to father/daugther, brother/sister marriage is the most stupid analogy I have ever heard ["Clamor on clerk's comments," News, March 5].- Julie Velocci Kings Park
I will say this again too. Once they start allowing gay marriages they will be confronted by people who want to marry a immediate family member and polygamists. It will happen.
Right Letters:
1) …The headline "Lack of jobs, war wither Bush's hopes" [News, March 3] for Jimmy Breslin's column is just plain silly. The opinion is even sillier.
First of all, if everybody with a job voted for George W. Bush, and all of the unemployed voted for John Kerry, the vote total would be something like 94.4 percent for the president and 5.6 percent for the senator (5.6 percent is the current unemployment rate). Regardless of how bad Breslin tries to make the rest of us feel for working, we do have jobs.
The idea that President Bush lost the last election by 500,000 votes is uninformed and ignores constitutional facts. Thanks to the Electoral College, the 2000 presidential election was saved.
More than three years after the election, Breslin and his liberal cohorts can't get over the fact that they lost. That's OK, though. They are setting themselves up to lose again. And four years from now, they still will be in denial. -Dennis Shand Centerport
True Jimmy Breslin’s column are silly whenever politics are around but I think calling someone’s opinion silly is also, um, silly. That said, there is a huge division here. The Elite Media will spotlight anything that will help Pres. Bush look bad while turning their backs and heads on almost anything that makes Sen. Kerry look bad. Look at Gov. Dean. The Elite Media didn’t focus on anything ‘crazy’ he said and let him have a free pass on all of the issues. What made them turn on him? The screaming! So his passion was a turnoff but his ideas weren’t? I’d say his passion was to be admired while his ideas should’ve been refused.
2) …The World War II generation funded their pensions and Social Security by having enough children to pay into the fund.
Their children aren't having enough children to do that. When the Baby Boomers retire, the payroll tax may not be able to fund the ever-expanding benefit pool. Expanding the fund by allowing us to invest part of it in the stock market would only delay the inevitable. Life expectancy may be over 90 years soon.
Yes, benefits will have to be cut, and their start delayed until the recipients are older. But the ultimate answer will be a lifestyle shift. Boomers will not be able to stop working and retire like their parents did. They will end up alternating jobs and sabbaticals for the rest of their lives because their pensions will not turn out to be as generous as they hoped. And they will change their lifestyle because when Boomers are in their 80s, a labor pool very short of young workers will be glad to hire more elderly people for their experience and their flexibility. -Bill Crawford Massapequa
The Soc Security system is in disarray. Is there any way to fix something that was only meant to exist for a short period of time? People deserve the money they are putting into it but there are problems. One of them is that there are not enough workers to fund the retirees. We can’t cut the funding for the people who receive it and don’t need it because they worked hard to earn it. I don’t know the answer except that the answer may be very hard and difficult for the nation. Socialism doesn’t work in the long run.
3) …I am upset that Newsday would compare New Paltz Mayor Jason West to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. ["Arraigned, unbowed," News, March 4]. Such a comparison is a slap in the face to all who had to undergo struggles for equality.
When was the last time West and his followers had dogs sent after them? Where are the signs saying "straights only"?
West is doing this for the national attention because homosexuality is hip and trendy.
King, despite his possible private failings, publicly stood for morality, justice and equality no matter what it took. -Todd M. Brenneman Bethpage
Amen. MLK was fighting to restore the rights that all people had legally had for a century. These rights were constitutionally fulfilled (and morally and ethically and spiritually correct). Homosexual marriage licenses have never been given constitutionally.
Number of Letters from the LEFT: 6
Number of Letters from the RIGHT: 3
Left Letters:
1) …State Department officials' testimony before Congress on the Bush administration's role in the ouster of Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide revealed a staggering arrogance on the part of those who conduct our foreign policy.
In the name of saving lives, the administration has shown a willful disregard for Haitian lives. The administration had an opportunity to achieve a peaceful political resolution if it had chosen to compel the opposition to accept the Caribbean community's action plan.
In choosing to remove a democratically elected head of state from office, our government further weakened Haiti's already fragile democracy. The administration's complicity in Haiti's 33rd coup d'etat has opened the door for drug dealers, coup plotters, torturers, murderers and thugs to dominate its political and economic life.
What is this adventure going to cost American taxpayers? What happens when the Marines leave in three months?
What Haiti needs most is long-term economic and humanitarian assistance from the United States and the international community. It needs the rule of law, an orderly constitutional process, and help in building democratic institutions. What the American people need is a thorough congressional investigation into the role of the U.S. government.-Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-Far Rockaway) Washington
Ok now people want us to send in the troops. A very large portion of the Haitian population wanted Aristide gone. He had been democratically elected in 1990 but his next election in 2000 was considered by the UN to be fraudulent. He become the wealthiest man in the country and many believe he does a great job aiding the drug monsters. So this is the guy that Americans should risk their lives. It’s not as if Haiti is a big proponent of democracy. This country has lots of problems and democracy is having a hard time planting roots. It will happen but only if the people believe in and trust the government. Aristide would have a ‘vote’ of no confidence IF the people and legislature could vote.
2) ...I worked as a poll inspector at the recent Democratic primary and have done so for at least 10 years. From the three districts in my polling place, with approximately 700 registered Democrats among them, only 60 people came out to vote. Inspectors I know at other polling places in Nassau County also had small turnouts. I can only shake my head and wonder why. Did the voters forget? Did everyone think that since Sen. John Kerry was so far ahead their votes weren't necessary? Whatever their reasoning, I hope that all registered Republicans and Democrats turn out for the November election. Those who do not vote do not have the "right" to complain about the next administration. -Kris Marasca Westbury
The reason for the small turnout is that Democrats don’t care for the people running for the nomination. They do have a dislike of the President so they will show up to vote against him but they won’t vote FOR someone. The Republicans went through the same thing with Dole v. Clinton. The results will probably be the same with the incumbent running.
3) … The terrible massacre of observant Shia Muslims in Iraq sadly underscored once again the emptiness of President George W. Bush's promises in his "War on Terrorism" ["Blasts kill at least 143," News, March 3].
He promised that the Iraqis would welcome our brave soldiers with open arms once the fighting ended, and what we have is more than 500 dead heroes. He declared "mission accomplished" and our soldiers still ride uneasily in their Humvees. He said Saddam Hussein's capture would deflate the remaining rebels but they are cockier than ever.
Please, President Bush, change what you're doing and bring our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers home before it's too late. -Bob Levinson Oceanside
Dear Bob, The removal of American, British, Polish troops, etc., will exactly what the enemy wants. The Iraqis are not the enemy. They want us to stay but not be so in control. That is why they asked the U.S. troops to stay away from their holy holiday festivities. And we did. And that’s why the enemy was able to attack the Iraqi Shiites. If we retreat then the deaths of the 500 dead heroes will be for naught.
4) …I read with interest the two letters referring to my congressman, Peter King ["Muslim Long Islanders feel betrayed by King's remarks," Letters, March 3]. In the three years since Rep. King (R-Seaford) has become my representative, I have been appalled by the arrogance, lack of respect and dismissiveness that King and some of his staff have shown to people who do not agree with the hard-right turn of the House of Representatives.
On one occasion, my husband called his office to take exception to statements he made on a cable news show in defense of the Bush administration's lies about the Iraq war. King fired back a sarcastic letter reiterating the lies and suggesting that my husband purchase a copy of the broadcast tape and watch it during the summer for "his enlightenment." This, on a matter as serious as taking our nation to war.
The citizens of his district and Long Island deserve some answers from him on the future of Social Security under a Republican administration. This issue cannot and will not be hidden until after the election. -Tuula Friedman Glen Cove
I’ll say it again. I don’t particular care for Rep. King. He always reminds me of our Senator Schumer. They seem smug, arrogant, and media hounds. The writer does not mention whether Rep. King was right or if they watched the tapes. It seems though that lately there have been many letters that Newsday is publishing against the congressman. I guess that the only Republican on Long Island is a thorn in their side.
5) ...Regarding the survey question "Costly Power: Is Electricity from clean sources worth more?" [Newsday.com, Feb. 24]: There are many facts worth considering as Long Islanders ponder the question.
Sources of renewable energy are abundant throughout the United States. Their utilization reduces our national dependence on foreign oil. Long Island is wind rich. Green energy is cleaner and safer than fossil fuel and nuclear energy. In addition to the waste disposal problems associated with nuclear energy, state and federal agencies have identified nuclear power plants as possible targets for terrorism.
Right now, wind energy may seem more expensive, but oil and gas prices do not reflect the real costs to our society from the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels. The public subsidizes fossil fuel production with more expensive health care, national security and environmental protection.
"Is electricity from clean sources worth more?" Of course it is. -Maureen Dolan Farmingdale
Editor's Note: The writer is program coordinator of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
I like the wind machines that generate power. Their pretty and pretty expensive. I think Americans would like to get their energy from the wind that is until they get their electric bills. Those that want it should be allowed to pay for it. Those that don’t want it shouldn’t have to pay to subsidize it. People like their environment but they love their pocketbooks. The gasoline at the pumps just got cleaner. And the prices just went up. Now people want the gas to get less clean and prices to get less. The CCE is a non-affiliated group I believe. But they are do have an agenda. The writer doesn’t state it. It’s for us to figure out.
6) …As a representative of the female heterosexual population, I can only say that Islip Town clerk's comparison of same-sex marriage to father/daugther, brother/sister marriage is the most stupid analogy I have ever heard ["Clamor on clerk's comments," News, March 5].- Julie Velocci Kings Park
I will say this again too. Once they start allowing gay marriages they will be confronted by people who want to marry a immediate family member and polygamists. It will happen.
Right Letters:
1) …The headline "Lack of jobs, war wither Bush's hopes" [News, March 3] for Jimmy Breslin's column is just plain silly. The opinion is even sillier.
First of all, if everybody with a job voted for George W. Bush, and all of the unemployed voted for John Kerry, the vote total would be something like 94.4 percent for the president and 5.6 percent for the senator (5.6 percent is the current unemployment rate). Regardless of how bad Breslin tries to make the rest of us feel for working, we do have jobs.
The idea that President Bush lost the last election by 500,000 votes is uninformed and ignores constitutional facts. Thanks to the Electoral College, the 2000 presidential election was saved.
More than three years after the election, Breslin and his liberal cohorts can't get over the fact that they lost. That's OK, though. They are setting themselves up to lose again. And four years from now, they still will be in denial. -Dennis Shand Centerport
True Jimmy Breslin’s column are silly whenever politics are around but I think calling someone’s opinion silly is also, um, silly. That said, there is a huge division here. The Elite Media will spotlight anything that will help Pres. Bush look bad while turning their backs and heads on almost anything that makes Sen. Kerry look bad. Look at Gov. Dean. The Elite Media didn’t focus on anything ‘crazy’ he said and let him have a free pass on all of the issues. What made them turn on him? The screaming! So his passion was a turnoff but his ideas weren’t? I’d say his passion was to be admired while his ideas should’ve been refused.
2) …The World War II generation funded their pensions and Social Security by having enough children to pay into the fund.
Their children aren't having enough children to do that. When the Baby Boomers retire, the payroll tax may not be able to fund the ever-expanding benefit pool. Expanding the fund by allowing us to invest part of it in the stock market would only delay the inevitable. Life expectancy may be over 90 years soon.
Yes, benefits will have to be cut, and their start delayed until the recipients are older. But the ultimate answer will be a lifestyle shift. Boomers will not be able to stop working and retire like their parents did. They will end up alternating jobs and sabbaticals for the rest of their lives because their pensions will not turn out to be as generous as they hoped. And they will change their lifestyle because when Boomers are in their 80s, a labor pool very short of young workers will be glad to hire more elderly people for their experience and their flexibility. -Bill Crawford Massapequa
The Soc Security system is in disarray. Is there any way to fix something that was only meant to exist for a short period of time? People deserve the money they are putting into it but there are problems. One of them is that there are not enough workers to fund the retirees. We can’t cut the funding for the people who receive it and don’t need it because they worked hard to earn it. I don’t know the answer except that the answer may be very hard and difficult for the nation. Socialism doesn’t work in the long run.
3) …I am upset that Newsday would compare New Paltz Mayor Jason West to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. ["Arraigned, unbowed," News, March 4]. Such a comparison is a slap in the face to all who had to undergo struggles for equality.
When was the last time West and his followers had dogs sent after them? Where are the signs saying "straights only"?
West is doing this for the national attention because homosexuality is hip and trendy.
King, despite his possible private failings, publicly stood for morality, justice and equality no matter what it took. -Todd M. Brenneman Bethpage
Amen. MLK was fighting to restore the rights that all people had legally had for a century. These rights were constitutionally fulfilled (and morally and ethically and spiritually correct). Homosexual marriage licenses have never been given constitutionally.
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