Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on August 7, 2021

To the Editor:

Re Cuomo Urged to Quit After Damaging Report (front page, Aug. 4):

Here is my message to Gov. Andrew Cuomo: When the allegations of sexual misconduct came out, I agreed with your stance of not resigning and that we should let the investigation take place and see what the conclusions are.

Now that the investigation is done and the findings of the report have been shared, it is time to resign. This will not take away from your previous accomplishments as governor.

So, Governor Cuomo, do the right thing, apologize to all of these women and the citizens of New York and resign. The faster you do it, the better it will be for everyone.

Choosing to challenge the conclusions of the report will cause more pain, suffering and trauma to all involved as well as provide political instability should the New York State Assembly under Democratic leadership decide to impeach you.

Michael HadjiargyrouCenterport, N.Y.

To the Editor:

I am all for replacing Andrew Cuomo, but I consider him a good governor. We are dealing with a dangerous Republican opposition that is beholden to a psychological destroyer. So because the times are threatening our Republic and our nations health, to replace Mr. Cuomo at this time would be a tricky proposition.

Elliot KotlerPleasantville, N.Y.

To the Editor:

Apart from any political issues, if Gov. Andrew Cuomo did what he is accused of doing, he should resign. If he truly cant comprehend that even the behaviors he admitted to are inappropriate and meet the definition of sexual harassment, and that that is just not who I am is not a defense, then he should resign.

His relentless bullying of Mayor Bill de Blasio over the years makes it hard to believe his denial that he abused his power.

He is right about one thing: He lived his adult life in public view and we did see his behaviors. What he cant seem to accept is that they were not OK and that those behaviors meet the standard of sexual harassment.

Elaine EdelmanEast Brunswick, N.J.

To the Editor:

I do not think it is proper for President Biden to call for the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. I think it is up to the New York State Legislature, the members of the governors Democratic Party and, if necessary, the voters in New York, Democrats and Republicans, to make that choice.

The president should not use the prestige of his office to influence an issue that should be resolved in the state of New York.

John A. ViterittiLaurel, N.Y.

To the Editor:

I was born and raised in Albany, and when I was a child my father would take me to the governors mansion on New Years Day to shake hands with the current officeholder. I had a sense of history and pride about meeting these people who were chosen to lead New York State.

I met Gov. Averell Harriman and enjoyed the experience. Gov. Andrew Cuomos father, Mario, always struck me as an honorable and principled individual despite the obvious human flaws he carried with him like anyone else. His son Andrew accomplished many things I admired, but living in the shadow of his father he has sadly failed to complete his mission to improve the lives of New Yorkers.

This is a sad time for all New Yorkers.

Ray StarmanNiskayuna, N.Y.

To the Editor:

I hope my story will persuade more people to get the Covid vaccine.

When I was 6, I got polio and spent two weeks in a childrens hospital. Even my parents werent allowed to visit, except to talk with me through a window, and cry.

During those terrifying epidemic years when we didnt know how it was transmitted, anyone could get the virus, but it was called infantile paralysis because it hit young people hardest.

Although I was one of the lucky ones to walk out of the hospital, I saw many kids have trouble breathing, be placed in an iron lung, then disappear.

I made friends with some, but I was too young to realize how many were dying. At best, some went home to spend their lives in wheelchairs, on crutches or in braces.

A few years later, I lined up outside the school nurses office to get my shot. As I recall, we couldnt attend school without getting the Salk vaccine.

Heres the punchline: After a while, because of the vaccine, polio simply didnt exist. It was no longer in the news or even in casual conversation.

Please believe me: If everyone got one of the highly effective Covid vaccines, we would have no Covid variants; we would have no Covid.

Fred HeilerChester Springs, Pa.

To the Editor:

Re Vaccine Proof Needed to Dine Indoors in City (front page, Aug. 4):

Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that patrons of restaurants, gyms and theaters must show proof of vaccination. But he is not mandating the same protection in schools and is leaving children needlessly exposed to Covid.

Although teachers who are not vaccinated must be tested weekly, they can easily pass on the virus to children since testing can be too late to prevent transmittal. If a teacher does test positive, the entire class will be quarantined and sent home, forcing parents to miss work.

The mayor should revisit this policy immediately, before the reopening of schools. Our children have suffered greatly from a year of remote learning. It is time we treat the health and welfare of our children as a priority.

To the Editor:

Re Spains Reparations for Jews Become Elusive (news article, July 25):

While Spains 2015 pronouncement that it would confer citizenship on Sephardic Jews was commendable, its about-face is reprehensible.

When King Ferdinand callously ordered the expulsion of Spains Jews in 1492, it was a cataclysmic event and a truly dark moment in the annals of Jewish history. Tens of thousands of Jews were banished from Spain, leading to numerous deaths along their arduous journey and forcible conversions that robbed countless Jews of their heritage and faith.

After extending a proverbial olive branch and pledging to do the right thing for people of Sephardic Jewish descent, Spain sadly seems to have reneged.

The fact that Jews with legitimate claims to Spanish citizenship and duly completed applications would be treated so cavalierly, either being completely ignored or summarily rejected on fallacious grounds, is utterly shameful and an affront to their ancestors, whose lives were shattered when they were forcibly removed from the country they called home.

N. Aaron TroodlerBala Cynwyd, Pa.

We propose four different classifications for interactions between humans and sharks: a sighting (no injury), an encounter (bump, no injury), a shark bite (injury) and a fatal shark bite. These categories do not diminish the gravity, the terror or the tragedy that shark bites represent.

In fact, they acknowledge the fact that up to 38 percent of reported shark attacks have no injury.

This discussion is not intended to influence the way victims of sharks or their families talk about tragic incidents. The experience is theirs, not ours. I am happy to take the jokes from the media, but lets also remember that there are real lives at issue.

Christopher Pepin-NeffSydney, AustraliaThe writer is a senior lecturer in public policy at the University of Sydney.

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Opinion | The Cuomo Scandal: This Is a Sad Time for All New Yorkers - The New York Times

Category: Sephardic
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