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Raid, shooting show need for policy review
Our community should be appalled at the events that happened recently in Clifton Park. The situation only underlines the importance of no-knock warrants.
Hopefully, common sense tells us there is obvious danger to the officer in serving a warrant.
But what about the danger to the people in the residence that may be taken hostage once the target has time to realize the police are at their door? What about the danger to the criminal target themselves when they realize they have nothing left to lose?
In this case, fortunately, there were no hostages taken or third parties injured. But we cannot ignore the fact that two officers suffered life-threatening injuries because the target decided he had nothing to lose. One was saved by his equipment and the other was saved by life-saving training. Both are under constant budgetary scrutiny with the defund police political movement.
When people don’t feel safe, they move. We need to invest in public safety again, and that starts with supporting the officers who were shot on May 23 by making sure situations like this one are avoided at all costs.
We cannot ask law enforcement officers to apprehend violent targets without recognizing the critical importance of the element of surprise. In hindsight, we will never know if this tragedy was avoidable. But like any tragedy, we must study it and make policy decisions so that it doesn’t happen again.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
Rachael Ward
Schenectady
‘Good cause’ eviction is unfair to landlords
“Good cause eviction” is a misnamed housing proposal that will upend the rental market in the Capital Region and beyond. The current debate focuses on limiting rent increases. But more alarming is the legislation of a state-mandated tenancy-for-life program.
I hear that “good cause eviction” is akin to telling a restaurant they can only charge $10 for a steak, which would force most restaurants to close. Those able to remain open would serve lousy steaks in rundown buildings.
Imagine this restaurant also has the misfortune of a customer who regularly spits in other patrons’ food, demeans the waitstaff, breaks glasses, steals the silverware and often leaves without paying the bill. “Good cause eviction” is akin to New York state telling this restaurant they must serve this customer breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, forever, unless the restaurant hires an attorney and brings the matter to court.
The precedent that “good cause eviction” is attempting to set is the compulsion of a private business to do business with another individual against its will, beyond the expiration of a contract, which is obviously a slippery slope.
As a landlord, tenants are our customers, and like any business owner, we can succeed only by attracting, retaining and pleasing our customers. No business owner should be compelled for life to do business with someone that is hell-bent on sabotaging their business and ruining the experience for others. It shouldn’t be up to a court to decide what constitutes a “nuisance” to another individual’s business.
Ryan Vienneau
Albany
The writer is president of Veno Properties LLC.
Before spreading lies, get all the facts
Regarding his May 24 letter (“Democrats are destroying country,”) Wow! Let me guess, Mr. Edwards watches Fox News, maybe Newsmax?
A channel recently fined $787.5 million for broadcasting false claims and conspiracy?
Paying the fine to avoid a trial that would totally expose the most powerful voice in conservative news.
The evidence demonstrated that Fox News had acted with malice and reckless regard for the truth. It all led to the firing of Tucker Carlson, who continually spread lies and falsehoods on the air, yet in texts and emails admitted knowing they were false.
The writer made no mention of actual Trump facts — his many indictments; him being found guilty of sexual harassment, his paying off a porn star and admitting he signed the checks; 26 ongoing sexual harassment cases against him; and a current and upcoming case of influencing voter fraud in Georgia.
How many other presidents have had so many indictments and impeachments against him, and who led a violent insurrection against our nation’s Capitol trying to prevent a fair election? None.
I hope someday you will turn off the conspiracy-spreading channel that’s already proven to spread lies. All the while, you promote others with zero evidence. Find the truth. It’s out there. Take it from someone that’s voted over 40 years, yet never belonging to any party.
Randy Hayner
Schenectady
Hunting contests play a necessary role
Don’t ban hunting contests. I sincerely hope our legislators look at the facts as well as the traditions of our state and country.
Hunting, trapping and fishing provide recreation, supplement the table for many families and as a mechanism for much needed culling of species to help reduce the incidence of terrible and devastating diseases such as rabies distemper, mange and problems that come with overpopulation.
The very vocal and always on point state wildlife biologist Dr. Ward Stone, who has sadly passed away, realized hunting and trapping are essential in all areas of our great state. Dr. Stone established and promoted many hunting and trapping programs in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s to help curb the problems associated with increased wildlife density that is greatly exacerbated by suburban sprawl.
Dr. Stone, who was featured for a number of years with a program discussing wildlife and ecology on the Capital District public radio station, WAMC, continued to highlight the need for good and sound management, free from politics.
Limitations on and elimination of sportsman’s programs such as hunting contests directly contradict positive management of these resources in New York state.
John Van Patten
Glenville
Categories: Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Opinion, Schenectady, Scotia Glenville
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MR Hayner great letter hopefully Ms Ward will read it before pushing her defund the police nonsense
Here’s an interesting historical detail to keep in mind this Memorial Day. A little background first: did you ever notice the extraordinary number of old lilac plants that exist, especially around farms? When I was growing up, we had a huge one in our backyard. So did most of the neighbors. In fact, there were so many lilacs that you could smell their fragrance everywhere in springtime – even above the ever-present stench of the Mica Co. at one end of the neighborhood and the Varnish Co. at the other.
Here’s the reason. They were planted to commemorate the death of Abraham Lincoln. People were inspired to express their grief after reading “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” a long poem (over 200 lines) written by Walt Whitman as an elegy to President Lincoln. He wrote the poem in the summer of 1865 during a period of profound national mourning in the aftermath of the president’s assassination on April 14th of that year.
I was moved to comment about this historical fact to contrast the commitment of this great man – who pleaded with the nation at Gettysburg to dedicate itself to the great task the founders bestowed upon us and for which Lincoln “gave [his] last full measure of devotion” – with the divisiveness and anger that besets our country today. In other words, Lincoln gave his life – and I have no doubt that he expected to be assassinated – for the cause of keeping the states united.
So the next time you hear the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene call for civil war, don’t ignore her comments as mere hyperbole. She’s too commanding a voice in the Republican Party to be dismissed (just ask Kevin McCarthy). If we are to take Lincoln’s words seriously, she and her ilk need to be refuted – utterly, completely and finally.
Thank you for that, Wizard. We are the keepers of several very mature Lilac …trees? and knowing this adds to their value.