FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JUNE 16, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 33 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JUNE 16, 2016 • TIMES 13 oped oped Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @queenscourier or by emailing editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps). SUPPORT CUNY AND letters & comments NO GOD WOULD HAVE PERMITTED THE ORLANDO Orlando was attacked by Omar Mateen, a supposed ISIS recruit. He attacked a gay nightclub and killed 49 people and wounded 53, and the count could still rise to more. This was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history as reported by the media. I am greatly saddened and horrifi ed by this nefarious and egregious acts of pure evil. I guess he did what he did because he thought he was doing the will of his higher power. Well, I don’t believe he was doing the will of God but of a more sinister power. I believe God loves gays, straights, black, white, and all nationalities and religious faiths. I believe God loves us all regardless of our human failings. I do believe he hates those random acts of violence against our fellow human beings, for he has created us all to love one another. My heartfelt prayers go out to all who were killed, the wounded and whose families are grieving now. America mourns this day of a most horrifi c violence. Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village NRA AND Five months ago, President Obama had asked Congress for $1.9 billion to fi ght against the spread of the Zika virus. The Republican Congress must have thought it over and said, “Well since we’ve said no for eight years to everything Obama has asked for, why stop now?” That’s right, better to have a plague than give Obama a “win.” And here’s something for the global warming deniers to chew on — Charles Beard, an insect-borne disease expert, said that ”rising temperatures are speeding up the whole reproductive cycle of the mosquitoes, you get larger populations, more generations and they go further north.” Then Trump supporter Mitch McConnell said it’s important that Trump picks a great vice presidential candidate because “it’s pretty obvious that he doesn’t know a lot about the issues.” House Speaker Paul Ryan says Trump’s remark about a judge of Mexican heritage presiding on the Trump University case is the “textbook defi nition of racism,” yet he still supports Trump. He’s all yours, Republicans. Nice job. P.S. Congratulations to the NRA for continuing the fi ght against banning assault weapons and background checks. Orlando loves you. Robert LaRosa, Whitestone MIXED ON SUSPECTED ROBBER SHOT IN WHITESTONE Regarding the retired cop who shot a robber in Whitestone: The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. I feel sorry for the family of Andrew McClean for losing a son, my prayers go out to the family. This is something that should have been avoided. If McClean has a problem with drugs then his family should have sent him to rehab. It’s never to late to get help. QNS user Erick Espinoza Andrew was a dear friend’s son who sadly was unable to destroy his addiction. His parents never abandoned him. QNS user Felshamboy SUPPORT CUNY AND BY JAMES MILLIKEN We have just gone through the commencement season, which is a time of hope and promise at universities, but at The City University of New York (CUNY) it has very special meaning. We are the largest urban public university system in the country and we serve a unique population in this very cosmopolitan city of ours. About 40 percent of our students are the fi rst in their families to attend college, and nearly 40 percent are immigrants. So when those thousands of students receive their diplomas at CUNY they are being handed the keys to opportunity and the middle class. It is the kind of advancement that affects not just those individual graduates, but entire families, entire generations. CUNY has fulfi lled this dream for nearly 170 years, providing an affordable, high-quality education for students who may have grown up without many advantages but are bursting with talent and drive. They want to succeed, and CUNY gives them the tools. That has always been a challenging but very worthwhile mission. Just consider the City College student Orubba Almansouri. She grew up in Yemen, then emigrated with her family to Brooklyn. Traditionally, in her tribe, women attended, as she says, “the University of Kitchen.” But she struggled to persuade her father how much education meant to her and, fi nally, she was given permission to attend City College. Not only did she just graduate as salutatorian of her class, a wonderful achievement, she has persuaded her family to allow its other young women to obtain an education. In her commencement speech she told her story and it was lovely to hear her express her thanks, in Arabic, to her mother, who speaks no English. It was a powerful moment, fi lled with passion and dreams, that defi ned exactly the kinds of students we educate and what CUNY contributes to New York. That experience is just one reason why I believe we are in a time of great promise for the entire CUNY system. Graduation rates are rising and we are instituting programs to get them higher still. Students and faculty are winning numerous prestigious awards. We recently announced the appointment of two new college presidents and a new dean at our law school, which was ranked the number one public interest law program in the nation. We are developing a new strategic framework that will provide a blueprint for future improvements. CUNY graduates make New York City the most exciting and prosperous city in the country. They play leadership roles in government, the arts, business, fi nance and education. Our communities and families depend on the university as a gateway to satisfying careers. I hope all of New Yorkers will join me in supporting the CUNY dream machine and helping ensure that it runs smoothly for the next generation. James Milliken is chancellor of the City University of New York. oped ITS INTERNATIONAL CLASS OF STUDENTS SNAPS QUEENS RAINBOW IN QUEENS // PHOTO BY JEFFREY PFLAUM ITS INTERNATIONAL CLASS OF STUDENTS NO GOD WOULD HAVE THE ORLANDO MASSACRE ON ZIKA, TRUMP, THE NRA AND REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTION MIXED EMOTIONS ON SUSPECTED ROBBER SHOT IN WHITESTONE
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