Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald editor Sept. 23, 2010

Invest in our teens with the Youth Council

To the Editor:

Thank you so much for your editorial “What can we do with our free range teens?” (Aug 26-Sept. 1). It provided the necessary acknowledgement of the reckless and dangerous ways some teens choose to spend their time.

Unfortunately, many adults and parents deem their children’s illegal activities, such as drug use and underage drinking, as “harmless” and a “phase that we all went through.”

Your editorial was correct in recognizing that teens need alternative activities to enjoy. I am proud to say that the Rockville Centre Youth Council has been and is currently working to provide the teens of our community with positive, safe and fun events.

As described in numerous Herald articles, the Youth Council is a 510c(3) nonprofit organization that consists of concerned and motivated parents, community residents and, most importantly, teens from the community. It is a living example of your editorial’s assertion that the solutions must originate from teens themselves.

Just two weeks ago, the Youth Council executive board, a majority of whose members are teens, met for over four hours to discuss and plan exciting events for the school year that just started. Bowling nights, yoga events, open mike nights and even a screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” around Halloween are on our schedule.

Our ultimate goal is to establish a Rockville Centre teen center designed by teens, with an atmosphere and activities planned by the teens, where they can connect in a fun and safe manner.

To grow the organization and ensure its future existence, we encourage all interested students to get involved. Come to our next meeting on Oct. 18 at 7:30 in the Recreation Center. We welcome all teens from any high school — South Side, Regis, Xavier, Sacred Heart, Kellenberg, Holy Trinity, Chaminade, to name just a few. Come check out what we’re about or join one of our committees and have your ideas heard and acted on. We also hope everyone will come to our next midnight bowling event, coming soon.

To make these ambitious goals a reality, we need and welcome any businesses or community members and leaders with ideas or resources to come to our meetings or contact us at info@rvcyouthcouncil.org.

We believe that teens are one of our community’s great resources, and together we can positively invest in them.

Deanna Davoudiasl

President, Rockville Centre Youth Council

Where’s our water rebate?

The following is an open letter to the Rockville Centre Water Department.

I just received my water bill, and it was a doozy. It’s not that I didn’t expect it, with so little rain and of course the 50 percent raise we had the past two years. I’m wondering when to expect my rebate. The rate hike that was inflicted on us last fall was because we had had so much rain and water use was so low last summer that income fell far short of expectations. By that reasoning, with so much water use this summer, you guys must be rolling in dough.

Just to let the board know, I’ll be right outside the Front Street Bakers with my signs when elections roll around to remind people of the four board members who voted for that 50 percent raise. By the way, thank you, Mr. Glynn.

Michael Davey

Rockville Centre

America’s upper echelon wages class warfare

To the Editor:

Alfonse D’Amato’s latest column, “The president should stop the class warfare” (Sept. 16-22), resorts to a well-worn shibboleth while instructing us that “we shouldn’t be raising taxes on any person or on corporations [because] this is counterproductive and class warfare.”

Time and again, conservative Republicans like D’Amato attempt to cower the public and intimidate critics by warning that to view matters through the lens of class is patently un-American. What he, of course, would never acknowledge is that a powerful upper echelon has, especially in recent times, waged “class warfare” on the rest of us.

CEO pay packages have soared (particularly in those corporations that have laid off the most workers) while real wages have slumped, and poverty levels reach new highs. Wall Street thrives while Main Street stumbles. Income and wealth inequalities grow ever more glaring. Jobs move overseas just as unemployment benefits are phased out for millions. Corporate contractors harvest billions from military operations overseas, while the privilege of going into battle for the U.S. is largely reserved for

ordinary folk.

The rich and powerful are not inherently evil. They are simply strategically embedded in our system so as to enhance and protect their privileged positions at the expense of the rest of us. And that they do — with remarkable success. So, rather than retreat in the face of “class warfare” charges, let us recognize the diversionary smokescreen

that it is.

Richard Skolnik

Rockville Centre

They’re illegal aliens, not day laborers

To The Editor:

After reading the letter “Day laborer site needs a hand” (Sept. 9-15), I felt compelled to attempt to address some of Liz O’Shaughnessy’s statements.

O’Shaughnessy writes, “these men are wonderful people with a tremendous work ethic.” I’ve heard of numerous instances of women being harassed in Home Depot parking lots by these men. I’m sure those women would disagree with O’Shaughnessy about how wonderful those men are.

O’Shaughnessy also states that she believes the problem many people have with these men stem from “fear and, for lack of a better word, ignorance.”

That is ignorant in and of itself. I can only speak for myself, but I couldn’t disagree with O’Shaughnessy’s choice of words more.

If there is any ignorance involved, I believe it is her reference to these men as “day laborers.” They are illegal immigrants. These men and their families are in this country illegally. They send most of the money they make back to their native countries and add little to our economy. They pay no taxes and have become a drain on our school and hospital systems.

Maybe O’Shaughnessy could start another nonprofit organization that will help legal residents of our country who have lost their jobs and are struggling to support their families in this tough economy. These people still have to pay their taxes, unlike the men she calls “day laborers.”

Warren Healey

Rockville Centre

Muslims need to support America, denounce terrorism

To the Editor:

I’m writing in response to Scott Brinton’s bleeding-heart liberal and Pollyanna column “When perception is reality in the Muslim world” (Sept. 16-22), asking us to get to know Muslims better. My first reaction is that he has nerve to have that published in the issue of the Herald just after the ninth anniversary of Sept. 11, considering that Rockville Centre lost so many residents that day who left behind so many family members and friends. How about some of the sensitivity Brinton asks from us in his column?

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates work for a president who, although not Muslim himself, is certainly a Muslim sympathizer. To keep their jobs, they have to get involved against wacky Florida preachers. Space prohibits me from listing the many ways Barack Obama has bent over backwards for Islam since he became president, but the media has reported more of his expressions of concern about the Koran than about any other sacred books or symbols.

For example, as the junior senator from Illinois, he voted against Sen. Orrin Hatch’s proposed amendment to ban flag-burning, explaining on July 4, 2006, to the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star that he voted against the amendment because it is difficult “to find more than a few instances of flag-burning each year.” But he sure responded to one random threat to burn a Koran from some inane Florida pastor.

Although I do not question the statistics Brinton cited, I would like to know how many of those 78 percent of American Muslims have spoken out publicly against terrorism, denounced Hamas or Hezbollah or as much as publicly expressed embarrassment, outrage, remorse or sympathy about the Sept. 11 attacks. Their silence has been deafening.

We continue to live in fear of the next terrorist attack. All the while, the 78 percent of American Muslims who “reject religious extremism” in anonymous polls have yet to speak out publicly; rather, they use a controversial and hurtful mosque to play the victim, as always. I would like to turn on the nightly news and see a massive rally of Muslims at ground zero praising and supporting America and denouncing terrorism. But who can imagine such a sight in 2010?

Rich LePetri

Rockville Centre

Rockville Centre