To the editor,
To the Mayor of Parkland, Fla: Especially as a former teacher, you are wrong to say that we failed the murderer of the 17 people. The system failed this recalcitrant. There were definite warning signs and nothing was done. There are far too many ticking time bombs sitting in classrooms throughout the country. Nothing is done when egregious behavior is reported. In fact, we give excuses for these people: socially maladjusted, economically disadvantaged, culturally deprived and all other ultra-liberal catch phrases. These students need immediate attention and removal from schools. In New York City, we had the “600 school” concept for the unruly and as soon as that was done away with, discipline in our schools deteriorated very badly.
This tragic incident along with others is proof in itself that we need more police involvement in the schools and that every school building have a metal detector. Instead, we have a mayor who wants fewer detectors, if any, and fewer suspensions for outrageous behavior in school.
I wish that our elected officials would come to the schools and see for themselves what is occurring. We have an epidemic of violence and with it all, they sit in their ivory towers and come up with asinine suggestions such as starting school later so that the darlings can sleep longer. Nonsense. Students do far better earlier in the school day. By the afternoon, the problem youngsters are literally climbing the walls.
You can also be rest assured that teachers who dared to speak out were accused by their supervisors of being unable to control their classrooms.
I am sure that all school districts have a Bureau of Child Guidance. What were the people doing there when complaints about Mr. Cruz were coming in? Were they just saying to the school that you have to talk to the child?
Our schools will continue to deteriorate until we take appropriate action. Bring back old fashioned discipline now. Just too bad for groups such as the ACLU that protects the rights of the unruly. They have no regard whatsoever for those who come to school in an orderly fashion ready to learn but cannot due to the teacher having to contend with unruly behavior.Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
…
To the editor,
More talk and yet nothing’s done!
Another school shooting and the pro and con talking heads are flooding the media. “We’ve got to do something” is the cry raised, yet with each proposal to increase the safety of our children, liberal policies are putting up roadblocks at every corner.
Place armed guards in the schools! We guard public officials, armored car money movements and passengers in major train stations around the city. Liberals like to point out that it makes the snowflake generation we are now raising, “uncomfortable” to be in the presence of gendarmes and their weapons.
Establish a list of those whom have been to psychiatrists to attend to personal issues. These lists along with the terrorist “do not fly” database would go a long way in stopping individuals from “legally” obtaining weapons of any type. If the psych clears the patient, that patient would be released from the list though; the burden is placed squarely on the psych’s shoulders. Liberals love to state that this violates the civil rights of these mal-adjusted individuals. Hell, what about the rights of the children and others on the muzzle side of the gun?
The NRA is a fine organization established to uphold the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Here too, it is high time to come to terms with the removal of automatic weapons, made for one purpose only — to kill masses of people.
There will, no doubt, be proposals up the ying-yang on how to solve the problem of mentally ill persons from obtaining guns; though I do believe that once Mr. Trump’s term is over, Americans will blindly vote in a permanent socialist government. Once in power, just watch how the clamps on gun ownership and purchases are applied across the board while constitutional rights on both sides will be eliminated.
Robert W. Lobenstein
Marine Park
Encourage youth
To the editor,
The vote is our only truly peaceful weapon.
Since the most horrible murder spree in Florida I have come to see and hear many young folks addressing the specific issue of guns, NRA, Washington D.C., and so on, and I am filled with grand visions of hope that this sad event will finally be the impetus for a solid youth movement that I believe is most necessary to instigate the changes so many of us want. They are clear about the problems, the cause, and the solutions.
My hope is that these young folks, and all others around these no-longer-united states, register to vote…and then vote.
In a recent article Bret Stephen suggested that “the true foundation of American exceptionalism should be our capacity for moral and constitutional renewal, not our instinct for self-destruction.” And long ago, The Beatles sang “We all want to change the world.” Substantive ideas lead to actions, leads to the onset of change.
Barry Brothers
Homecrest
Transit is rancid
To the editor,
Our subways and buses are crumbling. We have begun to slide down the slippery slope that resulted in the late ’70s transit crisis. Midtown traffic is declining but traffic congestion is increasing due to less street space for cars. Bicycling fatalities are rising as the numbers of bike riders increase due to the encouragement of cycling.
The city’s response is to propose additional bike lanes to further encourage cycling and add SBS routes. SBS is not working to speed buses or increase ridership and reliability as the New York City Comptroller’s report showed. Department of Transportation is proposing exclusive bus lanes on the wide portion of Kings Highway where they are not necessary. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is ignoring the many indirect and outdated bus routes that needed updating. MTA bus studies are focused on reducing operating costs, not improving the system. The MTA is incapable of even operating short bus routes on or near schedule. Instead of real community participation, controversial plans are dictated using sales pitches that only present the positives.
The state’s response to increased traffic congestion caused by the city’s reduction of travel lanes for cars and trucks and overdevelopment is to punish drivers with congestion pricing.
That would allow the inefficient MTA to waste more money if subway construction costs, which are triple what they are elsewhere, are not controlled. No government official commented on the New York Times’ recent groundbreaking transportation series revealing how waste and bad decisions for decades led to today’s current problems.
“Solutions” like a subway to Red Hook, the BQX light rail with an average speed of 12 mph, and the LaGuardia link which will not reduce travel times to Manhattan, will not reduce driving. These are designed to benefit the real estate industry and are mere distractions, while cost-efficient solutions such as reactivating unused or underused rail links remain stalled.
Transit fares are increasing every two years with no attention to rectifying fare inequities requiring bus riders needing three or more vehicles to pay a double fare. The governor vetoed a bill to reduce the number of double fares required.
The new MTA New York City Transit president has his work cut out for him. However, if it remains politics first to benefit the wealthy, and the city’s only interest is pedestrians and bicycles, the subway and bus system will continue to crumble.
Allan Rosen
Brooklyn
Some lien times
To the editor,
Drip, drip, drip; watch your tax dollars go down the drain. Have you also seen all the “Don’t Let Tax, Water, Or Repair Charges Come Between You and Your Property” full page ads in many neighborhood newspapers? Even worse was the recent supplement in the New York Daily News on Monday, Feb. 12. It lists the name of every New Yorker who owes real estate tax, water, sewer, emergency repair or other property–related charges in a “the City of New York may sell a lien on your property” advertisement. Is this the best way the Departments of Finance, Environmental Protection along with Housing Preservation and Development can spend taxpayers dollars?
Why can’t all three agencies compare their respective lists of people who owe money with those filing city and state tax returns? Surely the technology exists to place a lien on any tax refunds? You could also extend citizens the courtesy of a telephone call, letter or e-mail informing them of their overdue obligations.
What’s next, will the city send out marshals going door-to-door serving subpoenas?Larry Penner
Great Neck
