WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JUNE 7, 2018 13
TRUMP DOESN’T
HAVE ‘DIVINE RIGHT’
IN AMERICA
On June 4, the president proclaimed
the right to pardon himself. This declaration
resembles a king asserting his
“divine right” to rule over the people.
That so many in Congress agree with
the president’s position speaks to how
far off the rails our representative
government fi nds itself. It’s not a game
the president is playing. It’s a sinister act
by a political fi gure systematically undermining
our democratic institutions
and the rule of law — a man who rose to
power with the sophisticated assistance
of an authoritarian government no less.
There will come a day when our children
and grandchildren ask what each
of us did in this dark moment of our
history. There is nothing more patriotic
than dissent in the name of liberty.
We have to keep on resisting this
alien national sickness affl icting our
nation.E
than Felder, Member of Queens
Community Board 6
TAKING ISSUE WITH
THE EDITOR’S NOTE
In the Letters and Comments Section
an editor, at the end of a letter, may correct
a writer’s misstatement, or claim
that the issue was indeed covered in
the newspaper, or whatever. In the last
issue (May 31), the editor used space
in which three or more letters could
have been printed to write a rebuttal
to the reader’s bemoaning the fact that
some professional football players do
not stand during the national anthem.
The editor’s opinion belonged on the
editorial page.
Any American can think of a serious
issue that needs correcting in our society.
The whole team could kneel, but
it doesn’t. Sporting events are not the
place for protests. When the anthem is
sung and the fl ag is fl ying, Americans
stand with respect and gratitude to
live in the United States of America —
with all its faults.
Carl Schurz, statesman and Union
general, said it best: “My country right
or wrong, if right, to be kept right; and
if wrong, to be set right.”
Karl Wilhelm, Ridgewood
Editor’s note: The editor’s note that
followed the letter in question sought to
dispel a common misconception among
the public: That the NFL players, in
kneeling during the national anthem,
were disrespecting the flag and the
nation’s military. In fact, the protesting
players themselves have gone on record
to state the opposite.
It would have been a disservice to the
readers to have published the letter without
mentioning that fact, and without
mentioning NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell’s similar remarks.
In an age when opinion is often
confused as fact, care must be taken to
ensure the accuracy of every published
item, including letters sent to the editor.
All letters from readers of every
persuasion, of course, are welcome.
Letter-writing is a lost art — and, in all
honesty, we could use more of them.
Robert Pozarycki, editor-in-chief
NO TIME (OR
MONEY) FOR MTA
TO WAIT
While Mayor Bill de Blasio and
Governor Andrew Cuomo continue
to fi ght over who is responsible for
management and funding of the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority,
Washington continues to be a reliable
fi nancial partner. Finding $38 billion
over ten years to fund NYC Transit
Andy Byford’s proposed recovery
plan will be a four way dance between
riders who pay at the fare box along
with funding from City Hall, Albany
and Washington.
Federal support for transportation
has remained consistent and growing
over past decades. When a crises occurred,
be it 9-11 in 2001 or Hurricane
Sandy in 2012 Washington was there
for us. Additional billions in assistance
above and beyond yearly formula
allocations from the Federal Transit
Administration was provided. In 2009,
the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act provided billions more.
Most federal transportation grants
require a 20 percent hard-cash local
share. In most cases, the Federal
Transit Administration accepted toll
credits instead of hard cash for the
local share. This saved the MTA over
$1 billion in the previous 2010-2014
Five Year Capital Program. The same
will be true with the 2015-2019 fi veyear
capital program. Washington
provided over $1.3 billion in 2017 Federal
Transit Administration formula
funding for the MTA which helps
pays for its capital program. There is
$1.4 billion more in federal funding
available in 2018.
The MTA can’t aff ord to wait for
both City Hall and Albany to step up
and help provide billions in additional
funding. Neither can transit riders
and taxpayers who are looking for
accountability, effi cient and timely
completion for both capital projects
and routine maintenance to assure
more reliable and safe on time service.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
A WISH THAT MORE
PEOPLE WOULD FLY
THE FLAG
This past Memorial Day, I was saddened
to see that on my block the only
American Flag fl ying was my own —
and on the next block again only one.
June 14 is Flag Day, and I hope many
more fl ags will be fl ying then.
The American fl ag was originally
adopted by a resolution by the Continental
Congress on June 14, 1777. Flag
Day wasn’t offi cially recognized until
proposed by Congress and signed into
law by President Harry Truman in
1949. The week of June 14 is designated
as National Flag week.
I therefore urge that the American
Flag be displayed outside homes,
apartments, offi ces, businesses and
stores throughout the United States.
We do this to honor all that our great
nation represents, which is freedom,
equality and justice for all. These principles
and ideas are embodied in the American
fl ag. We should do this also to show
honor and respect for all our brave men
and women who are serving our nation
in the military and in civilian life as police
offi cers and as fi refi ghters — and also
all those over the years, who gave their
lives to preserve our cherished freedoms.
By flying the American flag, we
can be reminded that we can prevail
against any adversity.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Glen Oaks Village
Email your letters to editorial@qns.
com (Subject: Letter to the Editor) or
leave a comment to any of our stories at
QNS.com. You can also send a letter by
regular mail to Letters to the Editor, 38-
15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All letters
are subject to editing. Names will be
withheld upon request, but anonymous
letters will not be considered for publication.
The views expressed in all letters
and comments are not necessarily those
of this publication or its staff .
LETTERS AND COMMENTS
Continuing from last
week’s graduation
theme, we present
another gem of a photo
from the Ridgewood
Times archives. This
group photos shows
the boys and girls who
graduated from P.S. 77 in
the spring of 1913. Send
us your historic photos
of Queens by email
to editorial@qns.com
(subject: A Look Back)
or mail printed pictures
to A Look Back, ℅ The
Queens Courier, 38-15
Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY
11361. All mailed pictures
will be carefully returned
to you.
A LOOK BACK
Ridgewood Times archives
link
