Letters to the Editor Saturday, Dec. 24

Need coordinated safety in schools

The Saratoga Springs City School District wants to hire a couple of school resource officers (SROs), but some residents have voiced skepticism and suggested that aides and mental health specialists are better suited for handling school safety matters.
Parents need to know that there are really no substitutes for professionally trained law enforcement officers and other first responders in the event of active shooters and disasters.
The fact is that today we live in a very violent world and school police, like members of the U.S. Secret Service must be ready to give up their lives to protect students in a confrontation with a perpetrator of mass violence.
They also must be experts in crowd control at the numerous school shows, sporting and traveling events, held weekly by schools.
Moreover, it is essential that any officer assigned to a school is dedicated and permanently assigned to their school.
When school is not in session, it is important that all school safety or police officers not be re-assigned or used to cover regular town police shifts.
Instead, these officers could be working/training with school administrators, local police, fire, EMS and Homeland Security and related emergency teams in order to ensure a coordinated response should incidents arise.
Finally, the need for a holistic approach to school safety is needed so that anything that is present in the school environment that poses a risk to the safety of students and staff can be quickly dealt with.
Martin Alan Greenberg
Niskayuna

Ranked choice may improve our politics

I keep hearing that our political system is broken from hyperventilating pundits, and that perhaps now is the time to at least try ranked choice voting.
The two party system we have is corrupted by billions of dollars being poured in by special interests on both sides.
The two parties have become clearinghouses for one-issue groups, and compromise has become a dirty word.
The vast majority of Americans want sensible government where things get done.
Political primaries are a joke;  the extreme fringes get to pick candidates that the rest of us have to hold our nose to vote for.
Special interests love the status quo as they only have to drop cash in two buckets to get access to the party elites.
Ranked choice would be a way of moderating the process, and diluting the special interest influence on elections so that the person with the loudest megaphone doesn’t necessarily get elected.
We’ve been on that course for a few decades, and what have we to show for it? Disenchanted citizens who feel that their voices are drowned out by the one issue voters guiding the process with the all-important political lifeblood infusion of money.
I believe that this would also ease rancor between those with differing opinions on how to best conduct the workings of our democracy.
Let’s try it. The path we’re on keeps getting darker.
Thomas Benson
Niskayuna

World needs another Christmas Truce

Let’s have another Christmas Truce, as the front line soldiers did in 1914.  This was created by the real people, the folks who saw and paid the cost of war.  They lowered their  weapons, conversed, shared drinks, smokes, food and even played soccer.
If those soldiers could do it,  perhaps we the people can push the oligarchs, the military, industrial, congressional, billionaire complex that President Eisenhower warned against.
President Biden, declare a cease fire and negotiate a settlement, end the brutal killing of real people.
Imagine, then create, a 2022 Christmas Truce for the people, Now.
Peter Looker
Glenville

Think Trump lied? How about Biden?

All during President Trump’s administration. I read weekly a count of how many lies he had told. I don’t remember the count, was it 5,000,10,000, 20,000,000?
I am wondering if you faithful Democrat hacks are keeping count of Biden’s whoppers.
I’m not talking about being in the top of his law school class when in fact he was 76th out of a class of 84, I’m talking about his current whoppers. You know, the border is secure, we inherited a broken border, inflation is transitory. One of my favorites is “gasoline was $5/gallon when I took office.”
Biden has said he was raised in a Puerto Rican community, an Italian community and maybe by a pack of wolves.
Don’t forget the fact inflation is so high because of Putin. Inflation was 6%-plus before Putin got anywhere near the border of Ukraine.
Under President Trump, the southern border was secure, inflation was less than 2%, the GDP grew 4% the last quarter of 2020, and Ukraine was still a sovereign nation. Biden has always been a national joke. Now he is an international joke.
Dave Edwards
Halfmoon

Hope we’ve learned lessons from Jan. 6

I wish to applaud Marc Duquette, USN (retired) for his heartfelt thoughts in his Dec. 19 letter (“Military deserves better than Trump”) on the plight of any member of our military, active or retired, to have served under the former president.
Not only was he unable to properly perform in the office of the president, but he was truly unfit to be Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces.
Our military is sworn to preserve and protect the Constitution of the United States, a sacred duty for which far too many have died.
To think that a president would suggest vacating the U.S. Constitution is truly unfathomable.
As a retired member of the military I was truly appalled at the behavior of some American citizens on Jan. 6 when they sought to destroy our American government.
Hopefully all of America has learned from these despicable acts. I fear that only time will tell.
Bruce Castka
COL USA (Retired)
Cobleskill

Offer safe spaces to practice free speech

As members of a local community, it is essential that we have a space where we can exercise our freedom of speech and feel a sense of safety and connection.
This not only allows us to express ourselves freely and share our thoughts and ideas, but it also fosters a sense of community and belonging.
Furthermore, having a space where we can access tools and resources for personal development is crucial for the growth and success of our community.
These resources can range from educational programs and workshops to networking events and mentorship opportunities.
By providing access to these resources, we can support each other in our personal and professional growth, and ultimately create a stronger and more vibrant community. In addition to these benefits, having a space for free speech and personal development also promotes diversity and inclusion.
By providing a safe and inclusive space, we can encourage members of our community from all backgrounds and experiences to share their unique perspectives and contribute to the collective dialogue.
This not only enriches our community, but it also helps to foster understanding and empathy among its members.
In conclusion, it is crucial for our local community to offer its members a space for free speech, safety, and connection, as well as tools and resources for personal development.
By doing so, we can support each other in our growth and success, promote diversity and inclusion, and ultimately create a stronger and more vibrant community.
Roberto Morado
Schenectady

Help poor pet owners by donating food

Anyone who owns a pet(s) knows how expensive it is to feed and care for them.
Prices on food have skyrocketed and some people are having to turn their beloved pets in to the shelter because they can’t afford to feed them.
Can you afford an extra bag of dry food or a box of canned food to help your local animal shelter give pet food out to those in need?
Can you imagine having to give your pet up because you can’t afford to feed it?
Please help if you can. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Lorraine VanDerWerken
Rotterdam

Bad decision to run false political cartoon

I am very disappointed with The Daily Gazette editors who decided to run the political cartoon on Dec. 17 (“How the Democrats stole the election”) which supports Donald Trump’s big lie.
Political cartoons should represent all views and political parties, but the decision to run this particular cartoon demonstrated a blatant disregard for the basic element of truth.
Political cartoons are designed to inform and insight a dialog among all readers.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, political cartoons must also adhere to certain standards, these include: “Although a drawing reflects a cartoonist’s judgment and point of view and the visual commentary often exaggerates circumstances, responsible editorial standards do not allow the artist to alter facts.”
As the Select Committee provided its final report on the Jan. 6 insurrection earlier this week, I cannot think of a poorer example of an editorial decision from this newspaper.
Jean Taylor
Alplaus

Church must make pensioners whole

Regarding Andrew Waite’s article (“St. Clare’s pensioners’ plea is straight from the heart”) in the Dec. 18 Gazette, my family was very close to St. Clare’s while I was growing up in Guilderland.
My father, Alexander J. Arony MD, was a practicing physician in the area for almost 40 years.
He had admitting privileges at St. Clare’s beginning about 1953, was one of the co-founders of the Family Practice Residency Program there in the early 70s and was chief of staff for several years.
My three sisters were born there and later two of them worked in the hospital, one as a candy striper and the other in the admitting office.
I spent the summer after high school graduation in 1966 working in the kitchen washing pots and pans.
My mother died at St. Clare’s in 1967 after being treated there for breast cancer over five years.
When Mary Hartshorne said “she felt like a member of the St. Clare’s family from her first days there in 1968” it truly resonated with me. So were we, although none of us could claim a pension.
What has happened to those who were and are pensioners is nothing less than a travesty.
It is yet another example of the Roman Catholic hierarchy abrogating its responsibilities to the faithful.
It is my earnest hope that those loyal and hard-working St. Clare’s employees are made whole by the state of New York in whatever form that may take.
And may it happen before the Church has a chance to watch them all go to their graves.
Merry Christmas indeed.
Phil Arony
Charlton

Residents welcome to fire district forums

The Rotterdam Fire District 7 Commissioner and the Dec. 13 vote for a $275,000 bond resolution to purchase a new fire truck failed by a vote of 55 to 38.
While I was not running for commissioner, I would like to thank those who wrote my name in as a candidate on your ballot.
Having lost as a write-in candidate by 11 votes out of 90 plus votes for commissioner, I find myself very humble and thankful for your support and confidence.
The support I received from the community was far beyond anything I could have imagined. Thank you.
Our work as taxpayers is not done.
In order to improve confidence that decisions are being made in the best interest of the community and fire district, frequent communications need to be established between the community and the Board of Commissioners.
The official district monthly meeting night is every third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the fire house. This meeting is open to the public and all are welcome.
I hope many of the residents will join me in attending district meetings to better understand how and why decisions are made on our behalf as taxpayers.
Paul Bahrmann
Rotterdam

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Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Opinion