Letters to the Editor

Aug 15, 2008

Letter: A Closer Eye on the Police (New York Times)

Kudos to The New York Times for supporting fair hearings in police misconduct cases (“Fair Hearings on Police Misconduct,” editorial, Aug. 11). To stop the New York City Police Department from ignoring clear cases of officer misconduct, control over the prosecution of these cases must be shifted away from the department to the independent Civilian Complaint Review Board.... Read More

Jun 28, 2008

Letter: Abstinence-Only Programs Fail to Properly Educate Teens (Buffalo News)

A June 17 letter writer encourages parents to demand more abstinence-only programs. He may as well ask them to insist on more teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. That is what those programs deliver.... Read More

May 31, 2008

Letter: City BOE Should Reject Care Net Program (Little Falls Evening Times)

Your May 16 article, "Little Falls school board discusses character education program," omits that Care Net, the organization proposing the program, defines its mission as "presenting the gospel of our Lord to women with crisis pregnancies." In other words, its true mission is preventing abortion.... Read More

May 30, 2008

Letter: Dignity for All Students Act Must Become Law (Albany Times-Union)

The ethnic slur hurled at a 15-year-old high school student of Iraqi descent at Shenendehowa High School ("Shen's handling of anti-Arab slur upsets family," May 15), and the feeble response by school officials to the hateful taunt, demonstrate the crucial need to enact the Dignity for All Students Act.... Read More

May 08, 2008

Letter: Why Taking DNA Samples of Arrestees is Not a Good Idea (The Daily Gazette)

Your May 6 editorial, "Take DNA from arrestees, too," gives short shrift to the risks related to the expansion of the state's DNA databank.... Read More

Apr 21, 2008

Letter: ACLU Backs Police Review Legislation in Albany (Albany Times-Union)

The New York Civil Liberties Union Capital Region Chapter strongly supports the new legislation proposed by Dominick Calsolaro and Barbara Smith that would require city police to inform the Albany Citizens' Police Review Board when there are multiple complaints filed against an individual officer.... Read More

Apr 03, 2008

Letter: Protecting Freedoms, Not Destroying Them (Greece Post)

Doris Naundorf’s letter, “It’s your duty to speak up,” (published March 20) contains two troubling errors.... Read More

Feb 03, 2008

Letter: Protect Citizens by Rejecting 'Real ID' (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)

If Congressman Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County, is truly concerned about stopping the forgery of driver's licenses ("Security an issue as Real ID Act nears," Jan. 22), then he ought to withdraw his support of the Real ID Act, legislation that would make identity theft more profitable and more dangerous than ever before. ... Read More

Jan 22, 2008

Letter: The Battle Against HIV (New York Times)

Your editorial rightly expresses concern about the spike in H.I.V. among young gay men, but it does not mention the equally troubling increase in H.I.V. and AIDS among women, especially women of color.
... Read More

Dec 22, 2007

Letter: Reform of Rockefeller Drug Laws Long Overdue (Albany Times-Union)

The Supreme Court rulings on federal sentencing affirms an important principle: The authority to impose a criminal sentence ultimately lies with the judge. It is time for the state Legislature to embrace this principle and restore judicial discretion to judges in cases involving drug offenses. ... Read More