A matter of life and death
MIn August of 1932, I was born on a kitchen table. My family lived in a four-story apartment house, on the third floor. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was our town. I lived there for 12 years before we moved to Bensonhurst. What I remember about those 12 years was that we had Chinese, blacks, Italians, Jewish, Irish, Greeks, all living in harmony. Racism was not in our vocabulary. The smell of all different foods cooking as we went up the stairs to our apartment was so heavenly.
School was fun. Our teachers were very patient with us all. We felt safe in school. The only time we heard of anything bad happening was when the Mafia had to take somebody out from a different family. One thing about the Mafia: They never missed the target. Not like today, when innocent people, including children, get shot by gangs shooting at each other. Children are getting killed in schools for no reason at all. Things like this never happened in the old days. Parents never worried about their children in school. It was fun, happy and safe growing up in those days. Did mention we had the death penalty then?
Looking up
Long Island City: I liked what I read in the June 9 Daily News about the new Marilyn Monroe statue in Stamford, Conn. (“Marilyn mon-whoa!” June 9). I hope some new artist makes a statue of a short man or boy, like the girl near Wall St., and puts it between the legs of the Monroe statue, looking up.
Brotherly love
Brooklyn: To ex-firefighter Daniel Rivera (“Cruelest of the Bravest,” June 7): Traditionally, breaking chops builds a stronger camaraderie amongst the brothers.
Lay off the lovers
Bronx: To Voicer Fran Bocignone: You have some nerve saying Prince Harry’s bride comes from a “lowlife” family. The only lowlife is in your mirror! They chose each other, to share their lives in love and in happiness, and people like you (racists) don’t even enter their thoughts. Get a life!
No wonder
Long Island City: The latest statistics show an increase in youngsters taking their lives, particularly among blacks. It’s as if they’ve given up hope as they watch countless illegals encouraged by our governor and mayor overpopulate our already crowded cities. Put yourself in their place and think of the problems these poor kids will have to face as the numbers go up and their job opportunities fade.
Come hither
Oakland Gardens: Kudos to Voicer Joe Fusco for his insights concerning Mayor de Blasio’s proposal to open safe drug-injection sites. He’s right on the money when he says that when word gets out to the other 49 states, it will be a clarion call to drug addicts that all should come enjoy our hospitality. Never mind, as he points out, that it would tend to increase our homeless population. We’re a big-hearted progressive city! We can take it! We’ve been welcoming many outsiders to the city for years after they found out we have no residency requirement for welfare. And they wonder why New York is losing its middle class!
Sorry excuse
Bronx: Kudos to sports columnist Bob Raissman for exposing Mike Francesa’s ridiculous claim that he only decided to come back because he didn’t appreciate the smear campaign launched against him (“Mike Francesa’s WFAN return a pathetic, shortsighted move by station brass,” Apr. 25). Really? Give me a freakin’ break! Raissman hit the nail on the head with his one-word description of Francesa: “pathetic”!
One language
Manhattan: Whatever the language may be, in public shopping, entertainment, travel and business, employees should not speak to each other in any language other than English. Often workers will speak in other languages because they know the general public won’t understand what they are saying. It is also disrespectful to do the foreign-language talking in front of the primarily English-speaking public, as well as exclusionary. Workers can speak whatever language they choose on their time off.
Strike force
Flushing: For 13 months, 1,800 Spectrum workers have been on strike — that’s 56 weeks without a paycheck. But I’m not worried, because each time we hold a rally the almighty, all-powerful Gov. Cuomo is there saying this is a union town and he has our backs. So I guess I should be grateful because without his backing, who knows how long we’d be on strike. And if we’re still on strike in November, the next letter is for you, Gov. Nixon.
Girls gone bad
Herkimer, N.Y.: I believe Voicer Larissa Kane is wrong in her statement that the girls involved in the subway incident were a “disappointment” to their parents. Quite the contrary, I bet that the parents were all very proud of their darling offsprings’ behavior. Uncivilized (which is what their behavior was, not rude) behavior is learned in the home from the earliest age. These girls were taught to act like that and speak like that.
Something to live for
Bronx: If you have a problem with life, get help; don’t harm yourself. I worked at 33rd St. and 10th Ave. I could not live any longer. I would wake up in the morning with two big bags of weights on my shoulders and one on my chest. My mind was completely blank. One day I could not take it any longer. I would walk to
RHONA WISE / AFP/GETTY IMAGES the river and jump in. No more problems. Then I thought about my parents, looking down on me at the morgue. My father would be shaking his head. My mother would be “Sicario mio.” My poor parents who never did anything wrong are burying their son. I was free. I removed my burden and passed it on to others, being selfish.
Eject the judge
South Ozone Park: Federal Judge Alison Nathan, who’s presiding over the Pablo Villavicencio deportation case, is a Manhattan political hack. This person is supposed to uphold current immigration laws but thinks that the law is “Do as I say,” not laws on the books to be enforced. He is not King Solomon and should enforce the U.S.A.’s laws as they are written.
We have a winner
Long Island City: I want to thank the Daily News for its coverage of the 143rd Preakness Stakes. With the help of The News, my pals Deuce Bruce and Lucky Larry and I had winning smiles going home! Yes, we had Justify and the exacta. Thank you, Daily News.