Support Cong. Crowley’s vote on Stupak-Pitts
Dear editor,
The audacity of an all male club to wantonly erode away women’s hard earned rights. This is a throw back to the yesteryears of women being second class citizens. The women’s and civil rights activist Florence Kennedy said that “If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.”
I applaud representatives Joseph Crowley and Patrick Kennedy for courageously supporting women’s rights over their own bodies. Hooray for Congressman Crowley in voting no on the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the Health Care bill which would have prohibited federal funding of abortion and federal subsidies for insurance coverage of abortion. However, I chastise for voting yes for the flawed and ill conceived Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962).
The foundation of our government calls for a separation of church and state. I question whether religious groups have over stepped this separation when they attempt to force their religious based beliefs onto others through legislation. This becomes even more worrisome when religious groups intimidate elected public officials with religious punitive sanctions if they do not vote according to the religious groups’ dictates and values rather than according to the wishes of the official’s majority constituency. Although religious leaders imply that they speak for all those within their specific faith, this is not the case. They may be speaking on behalf of their official church per se, but not necessarily for all members of their congregation. There are untold parishioners within any faith who have views on issues that are contrary to their church’s doctrine.
Some religious groups try to forcibly impose their beliefs on society through terrorism and the violent overthrow of government while others try to accomplish the same goals, but through passage of laws reflective of their religious doctrines. In either case society loses, and individual choices, rights and freedoms are lost. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsburg said that “A woman’s right to choose an abortion is something central to a woman’s life, to her dignity…”
Abortion should be left to the individual conscience.
Alwin H. Warfel, Ph.D.
Klein’s votes for same-sex marriage
Dear editor,
Recently, some men of the cloth wrote a letter to Congressman Joseph Crowley, expressing their disappointment with Mr. Crowley voting against an anti-abortion provision in the so-called health-care bill being debated in Congress; that letter was printed in the Bronx Times Reporter. And now there’s another issue that these clergymen should be upset over: Senator Jeffrey Klein’s yes vote on so-called same-sex marriage.
Mr. Klein represents a senate district with a large Roman Catholic population, in addition to other Christian denominations. Yet that didn’t stop him from not only voting for “same-sex marriage,” but being one of 18 Democrat senators to urge its passage from the senate floor.WCBStv.com on December 2nd quoted Mr. Klein’s exhortation:” We owe it to the entire gay community around the state of New York to pass this legislation.” Senator Diaz was the only senator who voted no on the bill to speak against it from the senate floor. Even though he was outnumbered 18-1,the bill was defeated,38-24.Sen.Diaz’s courage is quite admirable.
Ken Reynolds
Live for the seasons
Dear editor,
As the years fly by and we struggle during economic changes in our lives, how many of us stop to think about the traditional holiday? The holidays of years gone by?
Let’s take a moment to reflect back to the days when we were growing up. The excitement of not only the holidays themselves but the gathering of family and friends that come together to celebrate. Waking up at the crack of dawn listening to our cultural music playing in the distance, preparing to help grandma do her holiday food shopping.
Remember the hustle and bustle of the shoppers running around, stopping to greet neighbors or friends they haven’t seen since last year? Everyone seemed to be so gleeful regardless of the stress of crowds, parking and preparations hours before. Store owners running around but somehow always managing to take the time to greet every single one of their customers with holiday cheer. The aroma of baking and cooking bellowing from homes, stores and restaurants.
I remember thinking “ what insanity” that all was -until now. What little it would take just to think back about how wonderful life was, regardless of any hardships we all endured then or now. It’s free to smile, greet your neighbor, hug someone who is sad or welcome that person who is alone to join you for the holiday season. Bring back the days when holiday time was special because of people, not only the festivities.
Our children and grandchildren are missing out on the moments we cherish as “fond memories,” memories of the good ole days and memories we rarely are able to associate with. Times have changed, technology has changed, life itself is fast paced. A senior once asked me while I was running my chores, looking stressed, “Do you live by the clock or by the seasons? At first I looked at her in confusion but took a second to stop and think about that unusual unexpected question she just asked. She turned to me before walking away and said “ My dear, live by the seasons, stop and take time to see the beauty that surrounds you, your children, the sun, people, etc.” Life will be much more beautiful and time will move slower. I watched her walk away never even knowing her name. I bent down, kissed my children and started to look at life in a whole different way.
To all of our readers – enjoy your life and have the “Happiest Holidays Ever.
Janet Ventricelli
God bless you, Bill
Dear editor,
A few weeks ago I wrote regarding a luncheon for the USS New York Marines hosted by the Korony American Legion Post at Michel’s Waterfront Dining, American Turners of New York. One thing I did not mention was that the luncheon was in celebration of the USMC birthday on November 10. At this ceremony it is customary that the oldest and the youngest Marines present cut a large cake with the sword like you see in their recruitment advertising, “The few, the proud, the Marines.” They called for the youngest Marine who was born on April 23, 1990 and the oldest Marine who was born on July 4, 1928. The senior Marine was William “Bill” Wolf who proudly cut the cake with the sword. Bill graduated on Saturday, December 5. He’s on his way to the next step in his universal career. He goes in search of the very spark that brought him to live 81 years ago, the very spark that is the universal Father of all! May God bless you, Bill!
Tom Hansen
More failed meters
Dear editor,
Kudos to Councilman Jimmy Vacca for co-sponsoring the three bills to avert thousands of “gotcha” parking tickets.
In the past when there were so many “failed” meters in our neighborhood I wrote to the mayor requesting the rational behind issuing tickets to the public who were parked over an hour in a “failed” meter, when the onus was on the city for not repairing them. My letter was forwarded to another department and their response was negative. It’s amazing how quick the city was in converting the meters to an increase yet the “failed” meters still exist.
Emma Damm
