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Brooklyn Daily
To the editor,
Thanks so much Shavana Abruzzo (A Britisher’s View) for always taking the words right out of my mouth (“Rioting disgraces Kiki’s death,” March 22).
I don’t have to pick up a pen and write to voice my opinion — you do it for me.
I can just sit back, and have you do all the work for me.
I appreciate the assistance!
Thanks again for your dedication, and for writing about important things around town, and the world.Sue Cava
Bensonhurst
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To the editor,
I find Shavana Abruzzo’s remarks about Kimani Gray’s cop-shooting death not only offensive and disrespectful to the black community, but also to the president of the U.S. (“Rioting disgraces Kiki’s death,” March 22).
The mere fact that so many blacks are incarcerated raises a red flag. No post-school activities are stationed in neighborhoods.
Also, why not focus on rabbis and priests who molest young children? Shame on you, Shavana!
He who is without sin should cast the first stone.Elena Gadd
Canarsie
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To the editor,
I would like to express my opinion to Shavana Abruzzo about her column, “Rioting disgraces Kiki’s death” (A Britisher’s View, March 22).
To insinuate that President Obama supports black “role models” like Jay-Z is akin to Queen Elizabeth dubbing Mick Jagger or Elton John to knighthood.
All of us have a past, but it does not bode well to continue regurgitating the past for personal reasons.
Bertha Husband
Sheepshead Bay
Same-sex rights
To the editor,
I enjoyed Joanna DelBuono’s column — “Saying ‘I do’ shouldn’t be up to the pols” (Not for Nuthin’, March 29) — and to a certain degree I agree with her.
However, there are certain problems same-sex couples have to deal with that can only be solved by the Supreme Court and the government.
Unfortunately, state governments and federal law dictate who is entitled to whose Social Security benefits, death benefits, inheritance and health benefits, and, most importantly, who gets to make the decisions about health care, life-and-death, and finances when one partner in a same-sex relationship becomes disabled. Also, in our courts, spouses cannot be compelled to testify against one-another.
Same-sex couples do not have this protection. Therefore, it is necessary for same-sex marriage to be legalized by the courts. This is a government matter.
I have been friends with, and worked with, several same-sex couples who have been together with love and loyalty for 20, 30, even 40 years. It seems to me unfair that until recently these couples have not been allowed to get married, while a heterosexual person is allowed to get married, divorced, and re-married as many times to as many different spouses as he or she wants.
Should there be a limit on how many times a heterosexual person is allowed to marry?
I was brought up in a time when Cinderella and the handsome prince lived happily ever after. Cinderella did not sign a pre-nup. Whatever happened to the idea of marrying someone because you loved him or her, and made a life-time commitment to make your marriage work?
Now many heterosexual couples sign prenuptial agreements and hope for the best. If these couples are allowed to marry, why shouldn’t same-sex couples who have lived together and loved each other for many years be allowed to be legally married in the eyes of the government and the world?Elaine Kirsch
Gravesend
Landlord louses
To the editor,
It was very distressing to read about Andrea Dunetz’s sad housing crisis (“Tenant sees scam in delayed repairs to rent-stabilized apartment,” online March 21).
Unscrupulous landlords have been using fraud and deceit in cheating tenants out of their rightful dwellings since Manhattan Island was bought by the Dutch in 1624.
These landlords who steal the rights of tenants by lies and chicanery are just as much criminals as those who use violence to rob and steal. There should be heavy fines and jail time for landlords who think they have a license to steal.Keith Kalvoda
Borough Park
DOT pedalgogue
To the editor,
Allen Bortnick’s portrayal of our so-called Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan is right on (“City plans narrower thoroughfare to stop speeders,” online March 25).
Her official title should be “bicycle commissioner.” Since she was appointed, she has cast a reign of terror on drivers.
Her solution to any traffic problem that occurs is to create more congestion. She seems to have no knowledge of traffic control, and is slowing down already-clogged streets further with her infamous bike lanes, mid-block stop signs on some of the most congested streets, and narrowing of major streets to cause less lanes and more congestion.
Her bikes-for-rent plan scheduled to begin operation soon will put thousands of more unskilled, law-breaking bicyclists on our roads. Bicyclists apparently do no wrong, it’s always the cars’ fault.
I am not saying there are no dangerous and lousy drivers out there — believe me, I see them everyday and they should be dealt with.
I think this anti-car thing began when Mayor “Gloomberg” and Sadik-Khan didn’t get their way with congestion pricing, and this is their way of payback.
Sadik-Khan makes me long for the days of her predecessor Iris Weinshall!
I hope when the mayor finally leaves office, he takes Janette Sadik-Kahn with him, and they both ride off into the congested skies on a bicycle built for two!
Richard Hecht
Bay Ridge
Hard lessons
To the editor,
Memo to Gov. Cuomo — after a day of teaching in many of our city schools, teachers first need a bar to cool off.
Instead of making a difficult situation even worse, why doesn’t our governor and other so-called educational experts come up with a plan to remove chronically disruptive pupils from the classroom?
The situation has deteriorated to such a point that even Mr. Chips and Miss Dove would be judged ineffective today for their inability to control out-of-control students.
Why not ask teachers who have left the system, or opted for early retirement, why they have left? It is due to the complete lack of discipline in far too many schools, in addition to no support from principals, many of whom never taught to begin with.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Ed fan
To the editor,
Reader Ed Greenspan refers to a 15-year-old who punched a conductor and sent him to the hospital (“Class lesson,” Letters to the editor, March 22).
Is it possible that the charges were trumped up against this student?
Mr. Greenspan should realize that very often other teachers and principals have their pets and their pet peeves. With all due respect to Mr. Greenspan, he is not a judge, jury, or the prosecutor.
He should realize that if a principal likes a student, he may advise the teacher to give that student a higher grade, and if he does not like a particular one, he may press the teacher to give him a lower grade, or not grant the teacher a sabbatical — or give the teacher a hard time about other things, justified or not.
Elliott Abosh
Brighton Beach
Elected oaf-icials
To the editor,
Along with many other New Yorkers, my condolences go out to the family and friends of Williamsburg hit-and-run victims Raizel and Nachman Glauber, and their baby.
However, why after all these years do Assemblyman David Weprin (D–Queens) and state Sen. Eric Adams (D–Flatbush) call for tougher penalties for hit-and-run drivers? Hundreds of other New Yorkers from all walks of life have passed on without a word from either Weprin or Adams.
If Weprin and Adams were truly compassionate, they would have pushed for harsher legislation changing the misdemeanor charge for leaving the scene of an accident to a class C felony years earlier. Some politicians appear willing do or say anything for a headline. This is a real crime.Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/BritShavana