differences, we can build a bond of unity that would be stronger than the inevitable conflicts that accompany life in a complex society. Yes, it does require conviction, effort and even some humility to be willing to make oneself vulnerable enough to invest in a relationship with someone previously unknown. The alternative of continued and worsening hatred and violence makes such a risk extremely worthwhile for all parties involved. We, the American people, are not enemies, and we certainly do not need to continue to try to tear one another down, especially when groups like the Islamic State are trying to destroy us. Our fractured relationships simply make their job easier. We must be able to look ahead and see the big picture of strength that results from a united front and peace that is derived through cultivating friendships. Ben S. Carson is professor emeritus of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book “One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America's Future” (Sentinel). Choosing The Challenging Road To Reconciliation A few days ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Edward Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York Police Department, to discuss potential ways to improve community-police relationships. He has been working with outstanding community leaders such as Pastor A.R. Bernard, and they sincerely want to achieve a highly successful outcome to a problem of trust that has spread throughout the nation. One of their proposals involves the establishment of policesponsored athletic leagues throughout the city. There would be friendly competition between the teams, which would be composed of community residents and police. This would, of course, allow both sides to get a chance to know each other and form a relationship that is not adversarial. Most of human societal progress is accomplished through relationships. People who are traditional adversaries can rapidly become friends when they work together, get to know each other and develop positive relationships. This opens the doors to communication, and people tend to give each other the benefit of the doubt when they know them. On the other hand, when communication breaks down, as it frequently does before divorce, the two previously friendly partners often become bitter enemies. I have no doubt that solutions like this one and others proposed by Mullins would be very helpful not only in New York City, but also across the nation. Unfortunately, there are those in our society who will continue to endeavor to stir up strife and fuel hatred. These individuals wish to create dissatisfaction in almost all MMAAUURREEEENN EE. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS..........................................PPuubblisshheerr && EEdditoorr JJOOHHNN TT.. WWAALLTTHHEERRSS................................................................................................PPuubblliisshheerr EEmmeerriittuuss RROOBBEERRT POOZZAARRYYCCKI.................................................MMaanaaging EEdditorr JJOOSEE VVAARRGAAS.............................................Prrodducction//Saaleess MMaanaageerr DDEEBBOORRAAHH CCUUSSICCKK..............................................CClaassssiffieedd MMaannaaggeerr MMAARRLLEENNEE RRUUIZZ............................................AAssssisst. CClaassssifieedd MMaanaageerr TTIIMMEESS NNEEWWSSWWEEEEKKLLYY IIss LLiisstteedd WWiitthh TThhee SSttaannddaarrdd RRaattee && DDaattaa AAnndd IIss AA MMeemmbbeerr OOff TThhee NNeeww YYoorrkk PPrreessss AAssssoocciiaattiioonn TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 • 4 BEN CARSON News & Opinion Times Newsweekly EEDDIITTOORRIIAALL Tarnished Yet Again Times Newsweekly Established In 1908 As Ridgewood Times PPhhootoo SSuubbmmissssioonnss AAnndd RReeqquueesstss Photographs submitted to the Times Newsweekly/Ridgewood Times should be in electronic high resolution (300dpi) JPEG (.jpg) or TIFF (.tif) formats. Sharp and clear non-Polaroid photo prints in color or black and white are also acceptable. Photographs submitted will become the property of this newspaper, with the exception of photos or other materials sent for use by The Old Timer and photos which are part of paid announcements. 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It is the responsibility of the advertiser to make sure copy does not contravene the Consumer Protection Law or any other requirement. CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT 22001155 RRIIDDGGEEWWOOOODD TTIIMMEESS PPRRIINNTTIINNGG && PPUUBBLLIISSHHIINNGG CCOO., IINNCC. 60-71 Woodbine St., Ridgewood, N.Y. 11385 General Pub. Office: P.O. Box 863299 Ridgewood, N.Y. 11386-0299 Periodicals Postage Paid At Flushing, N.Y. (USPS 465-940) TTEELEEPHHOONEE: 11--771188--882211--77550000/77550011/77550022/77550033 FFAAXX: 11--771188--445566--00112200 EE-MMAAIILL: iinnffoo@@ttiimmeessnneewwsswweeeekkllyy..ccoomm WWEEBB SSITTEE: www.timessnnewssweekklyy.ccoom OON TTWWITTTTEER @@timessnnewssweekklyy PPUUBBLLIISSHHEEDD EEVVEERRYY TTHHUURRSSDDAAYY FFOORR OOVVEERR 110066 YYEEAARRSS areas of American life. Thus, we have a war on women, age wars, income wars, race wars and religious wars. If it appears that our society is falling apart at the seams, it creates more fertile ground for a fundamental change. This divide-and-conquer strategy has proved effective for many groups wishing to topple a prevailing culture over the years. It also will be effective in creating chaos and anarchy in our society if we do not begin to more carefully analyze and control our emotional reactions. If, like Mullins and Bernard, we are willing to sit down and rationally discuss solutions to our Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Assn. ©Times Newsweekly - 2015 - RIDGPROP On Thursday, February 5th, 2015 @ 7:00 PM At The Ridgewood Presbyterian Church 59-14 70th Avenue Between Forest Ave and 60th Street (ground floor entrance, limited parking) for the Installation of Officers by Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan The Assemblywoman will make a presentation on The 2015 Albany Agenda There will be an Opportunity for Questions Also Ms. Robin Washington From The Department of Finance Will be available to assist you with questions concerning your most recent tax assessment. Refreshments served, new members are always welcome It was a sight that few New Yorkers thought they would see: Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the state’s most prolific power broker, shackled in a federal agent’s cruiser, the latest New York politician accused of using his office for personal profit. For 20 years, Silver was the longest-tenured member of the perpetually reviled, yet reform-resistant “three men in the room” system of government that has long dominated New York State politics. For two decades, almost every decision about state policy and procedure went through him, gaining him seemingly unquestioning loyalty from his Assembly colleagues and tremendous power for a legislative leader. Silver seemed an unstoppable juggernaut, a Teflon don of New York politics. Ethics questions surrounded him in recent years, such as during the sex scandal surrounding former Brooklyn Assemblyman and power broker Vito Lopez. But Silver seemed to be above it all. He even helped convince Gov. Andrew Cuomo to kill a commission designed to root out corruption in state government in exchange for budget concessions. But as we’ve seen before, hubris and greed eventually catch up to anyone who exhibits such traits. It finally caught up to Silver last week through the efforts of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who’s locked up enough crooked government officials in recent years to run an entire city of ex-cons. Why would one of the state’s longest-tenured politicians and most powerful lawmakers risk his stature for money? Bharara had the answer for that in a speech he made last Friday, Jan. 23, at the New York Law School, one day after Silver was froglegged into federal court. “You get swept up in the power and the trappings, because you were never challenged and because you can easily forget who put you there in the first place,” Bharara said of Silver and of the “three men in the room” governmental concept. “And so I ask again: What kind of a system is that?” Bharara said previously that Albany is rooted in a “show me the money” culture. We’ve long known that it’s rotten to the core. Perhaps President Ronald Reagan had this rancid culture in mind when he uttered that famous quote about government not being the solution to a problem, but government being the problem. We are told that not every politician in Albany is corrupt, that only a few rotten apples make the entire bunch seem rotten. We do not doubt this to be true. But if there was ever a time for the honest politicians in Albany to stand up and finally declare their independence from their corrupt colleagues, this is it. It starts with the Assembly. Silver reportedly agreed to resign the speakership, but he’ll remain in power until (and if) he’s convicted of the charges against him. Well, that’s not enough. Silver should resign from office immediately. The Assembly must elect an honest, open and transparent politician to take his place. It continues with enacting a state constitutional amendment that will forever prohibit state lawmakers from having second jobs while serving the people. From the time they are elected until the time they leave office, every Assembly member and State Senator should have just one job: representing the people of their districts and the state. No politician can serve two masters. Either they serve the people while in office, or they serve their own interests out of it. There are no exceptions. Finally, it ends by going back to a basic tenet of our indirect democracy—that committees of multiple lawmakers, not three people in a room, hammer out agreements on laws, budgets and other business before them. The speaker, Senate leader and governor can each set their own agendas, but in the end, the committees must get the job done together, free of any internal political retribution. New York State government must get serious about reform, but until then, it’s not a matter of if Bharara will lock up another disgraced politician, but when it will happen—and who it will be. So who’s next?
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