BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR MAR. 11-17, 2022 13
letters & comments
How do we know it
was racist graffi ti
and why is cover it?
To the Editor,
I would like to urge all my
Bronx neighbors (and neighbors
everywhere else) to
view the alleged racist graffi
ti in the two Riverdale area
parks with common sense.
First, we need to be very
clear that we do not know
the nature of whomever
scratched/wrote the hateful
graffi ti. Since we don’t know
the identity of the perpetrator,
we cannot conclude it
was racist.
Second, as hateful as the
n-word may be, it is covered
under freedom of speech. I
certainly wouldn’t recommend
anyone using the word
in public, and whomever
uses it should be prepared
for the consequences, but it
is covered under the First
Amendment. The minute
we censor speech, no matter
how ugly or hateful, we
begin down a very slippery
slope. There is a group called
the Black Israelite that set
up on the streets of Manhattan,
talking about how
the white man is the devil.
A man in my neighborhood
talks about how he doesn’t
mind “stealing from whitey
because whitey steals from
him.” The Black Israelites
and this man are entitled to
freedom of speech.
Third, who hasn’t heard
the word ending with the
letter “a” used, mostly by
young people, calling each
other “n**ga.” “Yeah, n**ga.”
“OK, n**ga,” etc. It rarely, if
ever, draws a second glance.
When ignorant white people
hear the word being bandied
back and forth, what conclusion
can they draw other
than it’s OK to use it?
Fourth, the 1964 presidential
candidate Barry
Goldwater once said you
cannot legislate what is in
mens’ hearts. It is a very noble
goal, but you will never
Security personnel paints over graffi ti. Photo | Adrian Childress
stamp out racism. Not until
we eliminate free will. It
doesn’t mean I approve of it.
Fifth, while I thank the
editors of this fi ne publication
for publishing my letters
and believe deeply in
freedom of the press, is it really
necessary for the fourth
estate to devote all this print
to this graffi ti? By giving it
all this coverage, the print
media is giving the perpetrator
the attention he/she
craves.
Our city, state and country
are facing some of the
greatest challenges in their
histories. Skyrocketing infl
ation; ballooning debt; war
in Europe. I could fi ll 10 of
these letters with our issues.
Is it really necessary to devote
all this ink to a racial
slur written in the dead of
the night in the dead of winter
in a park hardly anyone
uses at this time of year by
an as now unknown perpetrator?
Nat Weiner
Fired NYC employees
should be reinstated
To the Editor,
This week the Waterbury
LaSalle community and its
homeowners sent the following
open letter to all the members
of the New York City
Council in an effort to urge
them to tell the mayor to rehire
all city employees who
have lost their jobs due the
the vaccine mandates imposed
by the former mayor.
To All City Council members,
Now that some of the
mandates have been removed
in NYC, it’s time to
remove all the vaccine mandates
and allow all the city
employees to return to work;
teachers, cops, fi refi ghters
and nurses. These people
are professionals, these illegal
mandates have caused
them fi nancial harm. These
people have families and
mortgages, and daily bills.
It is unjust to deny them
their employment over these
mandates. You must know
by now the vaccine does not
cure and it does not prevent
the spread of the virus.
There are 1,291 different
adverse events associated
with the vaccine. These people
have suffered enough.
I urge you to stop everything
and tell the mayor to
let these people go back to
work now, with no strings
attached.
Andrew Chirico
To the Editor,
“(They) must be taken
out.” We’ve heard this many
times and know it to be a
threat to the targeted opposition.
Republican Sarah Palin
made this statement with
her crosshairs target map
aimed at Democratic lawmakers
(I spoke about this
in a prior writing). Republican
Donald Trump also said
this many times as part of
his ongoing violent rhetoric
toward his opposition and
critics. And now, Republican
Sen. Lindsy Graham made
this statement aimed at
Vladimir Putin — this is not
support nor defense of Putin.
But less than one month
prior to Graham’s comment
came a news report of a Democrat,
and staunch Trump
critic, having been arrested
for making the same statement
and rhetoric on social
media aimed at Trump.
That critic now faces criminal
charges of threatening
and jeopardizing the safety
and life of the highly controversial
former president. So
as that indicted Democrat
awaits trial, three Republicans
on record multiple
times collectively engaging
in the same rhetoric have
not been held accountable;
the fi rst two resulting in catastrophic
fatalities, the last
putting this nation in potential
jeopardy.
Does anyone else see
something wrong with this,
a clear case of two different
sets of rules with unequal
enforcement and unequal
accountability?
Michael Wilbekin
To the Editor,
The hard right columnist
has branded “environmental
extremists” as this
week’s bogeyman. In the
warped conservative canon,
those seeking to prevent
global extinction are viewed
with disdain. In typical fashion,
the author not only denies
science but also refuses
to acknowledge advances in
technology, while referencing
dubious “facts” without
attribution.
He disingenuously decries
the elimination of
oil leases in a “portion of
Alaska,” but fails to mention
that the land in question is
considered sacred by the
indigenous population and
part of the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, a protected
area that is home to vulnerable
animal populations
such as polar bears. Yet, the
columnist expresses concern
for the poor birds that
might be harmed by wind
farms. Apparently, wildlife
is deemed important only
when it can buttress conservative
talking points.
The right-wing extremist
limits his consideration
of fossil fuel replacements to
wind and solar, ignoring hydroelectric
and geothermal
energy sources that can be
tapped. Also ignored are retrofi
tting fossil fuel plants to
burn hydrogen and placing
wind farms at sea. The ideologue
writes that, “There is
no practical way under current
technology zero emissions
can be achieved,”
thereby dismissing the possibility
of scientifi c and
technological progress in
developing new solutions to
wean us off our planet-killing
fossil fuel addiction. One
example, among many, that
contradicts this belief is the
achievement of a MIT team
that has produced an ultralight
material that blocks
heat transfer and can generate
temperatures suitable
for heating water and indoor
spaces.
Despite the author’s misgivings,
we must make every
effort to address the fossil
fuel calamity. It will be diffi -
cult and we may not succeed,
but burying our heads in the
sand will ensure a disaster
of biblical proportions.
Perhaps the author should
research sites that are dedicated
to addressing the fossil
fuel crisis rather than relying
on the right wing echo
chamber’s obscure journals
and think tanks.
Pasqual Pelosi
LET US HEAR FROM YOU
Letters to the editor are welcome from all readers. They should be addressed
care of this newspaper to Laura Guerriero, Publisher, the Bronx Times Reporter,
3604 E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, NY 10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@cnglocal.com.
All letters, including those submitted via e-mail, MUST be signed and with a
verifi able address and telephone number included.
Note that the address and telephone number will NOT be published and the
name will be published or withheld upon request.
No unsigned letters can be accepted for publication. The editor reserves the
right to edit all submissions.
Mayor Eric Adams travels to Albany
to meet with lawmakers on Monday,
February 14. Michael Appleton/
Mayoral Photography Offi ce
Republicans and
Democrats play
by ‘different
sets of rules’
We can’t ignore
the fossil
fuel crisis
link
link