24 The Courier sun • JUNE 5, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com editorial letters IT’S NOT THE TEACHERS – IT’S THE KIDS I’m still bewildered that education pundits refuse to see that it is not the schools; it’s not the teachers; it’s the kids coming to the schools with a corrupted sense of their responsibilities to be good learners. Today’s youngsters watch way too much television and spend too much time engaged with other “marvels” of modern technology. Newly arrived immigrants, especially those from Asian cultures, excel in school. They are attentive, and their parents are highly invested in seeing that their children live up to their scholastic duties as students. Perhaps if insidious politics, especially distorted political correctness today was not so prevalent, some of us would be able to focus on the real education culprits, the innocent victims of our high-tech entertainment/ celebrity culture, the “students” and their parents ... and the media, too! Dave Shlakman Howard Beach VA FAILURE I am writing to simply express sayonara - good riddance - to Eric Shinseki, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, upon his resignation over substandard timely care and false records covering up related timelines involving treatment of veterans in a number of Va. hospitals. There were incidents of the “seven-month waiting list” at 28 Va. facilities, one of which resulted in a Navy veteran dying after never getting follow-up “urgent” case. President Obama claimed he did not know of the Va. malfeasance, although the Government Accountability Office published a report in December 2012, “VA HEALTH CARE: Reliability of Reported Outpatient Medical Appointment Wait Times and Scheduling Oversight Need Improvement.” Virginia is an exemplar of the unaccountable bureaucracy of the socialist paradise of health care. I am proposing a new monument in Arlington Cemetery, Virginia: The Tomb of the Unknown Patient - to honor veterans who died awaiting treatment. Joseph N. Manago Briarwood IGNORING THE TEACHERS The Republicans have assembled a variety of experts to develop a viable alternative to what they consider the ruinous Affordable Health Care Act. Among the group is a large number of physicians whose participation they perceive is essential because the GOP recognizes the expertise that is a product of their training and experience. But when it comes to developing strategies for improving education, the GOP specifically excludes educators, who are to their profession the counterpart of doctors. Instead the Elephant Party craves members of the chambers of commerce, stock peddlers, media bunnies and business administration drones. Why? Ron Isaac Fresh Meadows MAYA ANGELOU R.I.P. Maya Angelou has left us but in body only because her relentless spirit lives on. She was a poet, civil-rights activist, playwright, actress, director, composer, singer and dancer. Maya reached out to the many with her long life at 86. Her tenacious and courageous spirit reached out to us with her thoughts and words with great passion. Her voice touched our very souls for those that were willing to listen and understand the struggle for equality, tolerance and peace. As such, let me say this, “Maya Angelou, we weep upon your demise but with a sigh we bid you a fond goodbye.” Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks VISIT sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan William J. Gorta Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola Angy Altamirano, Katrina Medoff, Eric Jankiewicz Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Demetra Plagakis Warren Susman Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Events Manager Senior Acc ount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 Sales fax: 718-631-3498 website: www.couriersun.com e-mail:editorial@queenscourier.com ads@queenscourier.com queenscourier@queenscourier.com Entire Contents Copyright 2014 by The Courier Sun All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Courier SUN and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is QueensCourier.com FOR MORE STORIES RAPIST TEACHERS Let us not mince words. Rape is rape. Far too often teachers who prey sexually on their students are labeled perverts instead of what they actually are: rapists. Again, we are horrified and dismayed at the allegations against Joy Morsi, who was charged with having a sexual relationship with one of her students. Movies and TV have for years played into the fancy of younger man/older woman relationships, but these fantasies in no way portray the pain and confusion inflicted on children by adults who are responsible for their education and welfare. While we in no way judge the guilt or innocence of Ms. Morsi, we are sure our readers share our revulsion at the nature of the allegations. And we urge our readers to remember that the allegations are toxic, not tawdry — and that rape is always rape. FREE LUNCH One of the great acts of kindness by this city’s government is the provision of free lunch for kids throughout the city. The Department of Education has for years been making sure that hungry children get fed even when school is not in session. We are pleased to see that the Queens Library will be participating in the program, providing bagged lunch at 22 locations throughout the borough. We salute everyone involved in this worthwhile endeavor. HELPFUL POLS Governments are famous for their red tape and many times even politicians can’t figure it out. We laud Comptroller Scott Stringer, Assemblyman Philip Goldfeder and state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. for their efforts to help the residents of Howard Beach and the surrounding communities maneuver through the Byzantine maze of regulations as they try to recover from flooding disasters. Stringer helped homeowners file claims against the city after a DEP screw-up left their homes flooded with rainwater and sewage. And Goldfeder and Addabbo are hosting Build It Back clinics in their offices so that homeowners affected by Sandy can get answers to their many questions. We are happy to note these prime examples of public service. LET’S GO RANGERS It’s a treat to see the city excited about hockey as the New York Rangers now compete for the Stanley Cup. During the last series, in which the Blueshirts defeated the Canadiens, one could hear the roar from bars and homes whenever the Rangers scored a goal. We can expect the equivalent of a sonic boom during the Stanley Cup Final. The best of luck to the Rangers and their fans.
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