Letters to the Editor Sunday, Nov. 22

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History must be viewed in context

The attack to diminish the Founding Fathers of this great nation continues. One must not place 21st century culture attitudes on 18th century life.
How many realize that all 18th century English colonies were involved in slave property? The Dutch initiated the slave trade in New York in 1626, forty years before the English pushed the Dutch out.
A brief review of history finds that more than 42% of New York City households held slaves by 1703. In 1799 New York state passed a law that eventually would eliminate the slave trade. The last slave was freed in 1827, but New York did not abolish slavery until passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.
The anger expressed by the uninformed and those that have been taught to hate this great country over its slavery history, is totally unjustified.
Fast forward two centuries. Will people look back into the 20th and 21st centuries and ask, “How could laws support the barbaric killing of unborn babies and call it women’s health care?” Think about that fact in the current culture.
History must be understood in context of the times, not ignored or canceled, or social improvement cannot occur.
Russ Wege
Glenville

Divest retirement fund from fossil fuels

There are widely accepted and undeniable facts surrounding climate change.
Wildfires continue to burn out West and Iota has become the record setting 30th named hurricane of the season demonstrating we are in the midst of a climate crisis.
The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change. Only those connected to fossil fuels or those in deep denial about climate change refute these facts usually using baseless claims.
The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS), overseen by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, is one of the 10 largest public pension funds in the nation. Currently, the fund has roughly $4 billion -$5 billion invested in fossil fuel companies. It is time for Mr. DiNapoli to move on from fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels have been the worst performing financial sector over the past decade.
Additionally, NYSTRS pension funds’ fossil fuel investments are estimated to have lost half their value since the pandemic.
Divesting from fossil fuels will reduce funding from a dying industry and free up money that can be invested in the growing industries of renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal.
As teachers, we impressed on our students to always do the right thing. As retirees, we encourage Mr. DiNapoli to do the same.
It is morally right and financially sound to divest from fossil fuels.
Caroline and Bill Brooks
Glenville
The writers are retired New York state public teachers.

College protesters show their hypocrisy

Last month in October, when temperatures were conducive to Saratoga Springs residents and visitors sitting outside at sidewalk cafes enjoying the respite before winter’s sudden entry, some enterprising students from Skidmore College decided to use a Saturday to march in protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
All well and good, cited the condoning members of the college administration. “They have the right to peacefully protest.”
That is true. The Constitution does guarantee us certain rights.
However, when the ‘peaceful’ demonstrators encountered citizens and visitors to the city taking coffee at outdoor tables along the route of the protest, the BLM supporters verbally harassed the coffee takers by haranguing restaurant patrons, calling them, ‘privileged.’ Huh?
These student marchers, whose parents are shelling out more than $60,000 a year for tuition, room and board at this prestigious school, are calling restaurant goers ‘privileged?’
That sort of hypocrisy is called, “psychological projection,” and it is better defined in the proverbial idiom — the pot is calling the kettle black. Kids, get back in the classroom.
Allen R. Remaley
Saratoga Springs

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Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion