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FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com NOVEMBER 3, 2016 • THE COURIER SUN 25 oped  oped WHITESTONE SUNSET // PHOTO BY MADELYN DUPRE 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).  letters & comments DIVERSITY TRUMPS IGNORANCE IN QUEENS It is ironic that with hard-won inclusiveness of the American dream Queens County has trumped Donald Trump in making the dream come true for a participatory sharing. Compassion and justice are the keynote to the creation of a community in which each individual can realize himself or herself not by brashly talking loudly but by the quiet voice of community. Donald Trump, will you listen? The miracle of Queens is contained in the harmonious life of its residents who have come here from the four corners of the Earth. They live a peaceful life here, in spirited celebration of their harmonious existence with their fellow travelers to this country. Most of these arrivals are the fi rst or second generation of their families to this country. They share a common experience of life being expanded by the old world values that underlie the reason for their exodus and the enhancement of their entry. Together they represent a new America premised upon respect for the freedom of their individual lives at the same time as they are living as members of groups from all parts of the world who benefi t from the American Dream. This dream provides the recognition of the success of our country in uniting the whole world within its borders and must serve as a guidepost to the world. It is the American vision that the entire world must pursue to create a state of being which provides to each individual respect for all other individuals. Sigmund R. Balka, Forest Hills TIME TO REFORM HOUSING COURT The City Council is weighing legislation that would pay lawyers to represent indigent men, women and children threatened with eviction in housing court. It’s about time. But the major fl aw with housing court is that it exists; it is a forum where society treats hapless tenants like criminals, and that won’t change if the Council’s bill becomes law. Rent disputes should be removed altogether from the court system. However, the problems confronting individuals trapped in housing court surpass their judicial travails. As matters now stand, housing court is just one shameful element in a grotesque and devious phenomenon that I call Welfare World. I don’t have the space to discuss in detail my own experiences in Welfare World. Taxpayer money and charitable donations are being squandered on the current system; what is desperately needed is a new approach to those facing eviction and poverty. Howard Schneider, Rego Park CITY SHOULD FOCUS ON THE REAL PROBLEMS Recently several members of our elected City Council proposed legislation that would ban the use of “wild and exotic animals” for shows (circuses, etc). In addition several members proposed to change the name of several NYCHA Facilities which were named after our founding fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, etc) since they were slave owners. Meanwhile the Administration for Children Services (ACS) often fails to protect innocent, defenseless children, sometimes the consequences are tragic, injury or worse ( death). In addition, the City has a homeless population of at least 60,000 according to published reports. The policies proposed by the de Blasio administration are being protested by middle class, hardworking homeowners in neighborhoods throughout the city including in Queens. When will these elected offi cials stop with their feel good activism and start addressing the real problems which exists? Thomas Murawski, Glendale The Sun recommends... We’re less than a week away from an election most people want to forget — but the one thing you shouldn’t forget to do is to vote this Tuesday, Nov. 8. Election Day gives everyone the same power to dictate the course of their government’s future, whether it’s in Washington, D.C., or in the confi nes of the State Capitol in Albany. This is the most important opportunity you have to truly speak out on what you want your government to do in the choices you make at the ballot box. It’s easy to think of the entire election coming down to the presidential race at the top of the ballot. You should know, however, that there are a number of local legislative races down-ballot that are just as important to your state’s future, your community’s future, your future. Before heading to the polling place on Election Day, take the time to learn about who’s running in your election district. Check their websites and read articles about them in the media to get as much information as you can about these candidates so you can make the most informed decision possible. Every race is important! In covering these local elections, we’ve learned much about the candidates on the ballot, and we have two running in the Sun’s coverage area whom we believe are worthy of your votes. 15th State Senate District: State Senator Joe Addabbo Throughout his eight years in the state Senate (and prior to that, eight years in the City Council), Joe Addabbo has lived by the credo of the late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill: “All politics is local.” Whether it’s holding events honoring veterans to rallying against proposed homeless shelters, Addabbo is always there front and center for his constituents. His opponent, Michael Conigliaro, is a honorable man looking to make change in Albany and the district at large. It’s easy to be dissatisfi ed at the way things operate in Albany, but Addabbo is part of the solution, not the problem. 23rd Assembly District: Stacey Pheffer-Amato It’s going to be hard for anyone to fi ll the shoes of the outgoing Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, a lawmaker who worked as hard as anyone in New York state to meet the needs of his constituents the last fi ve years. But Goldfeder decided to seek a different path, and the district needs someone just as passionate about the job and the community to be their voice in Albany. Stacey Pheffer-Amato is that someone, having served as an advocate for public schools in the Rockaways over the last several years. She’ll be a strong advocate not only for education but also for the Rockaways as it continues to rebuild from Hurricane Sandy, now four years gone. We have confi dence that she’ll serve in the honorable tradition of Goldfeder as well as her mother, former Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, who previously held the seat. The choice is yours, Queens. Go vote on Tuesday, Nov. 8! SNAPS QUEENS


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