Honor stepfathers on Father’s Day
University Park, Ill.: There are many men helping to raise children who aren’t their biological kids. These men change diapers, help with science projects, drop off and pick up kids from school, attend recitals, baseball games and are the voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic world. Some of these men even help put kids through college, and teach them a thing or two about remodeling a bathroom, fixing a leaky faucet and changing a car tire. It’s the little things that these men, better known as stepfathers, do that sometimes go unnoticed but are appreciated by their children. We shouldn’t forget about all the things stepfathers do everyday to help make their children’s lives more enjoyable.
Stepfathers are men who have accepted the responsibility of being a parent to children who are not theirs, but love them just the same. They may not have asked to be fathers, but they have embraced fatherhood and all the joy, inconvenience and laughter that comes with it. They love and support their spouse’s kids as their own. And while any man can essentially conceive a child, let’s be especially thankful for all the stepfathers who have stepped up and shown us what it truly takes to be a great dad!
Ormond Beach, Fla.: Every June I am reminded of what the great baseball player Harmon Killebrew said about his father: “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say you’re tearing up the grass. We’re not raising grass, dad would reply, we’re raising boys.” As a young child growing up in Orlando in the late 1950s and 60s, I would go to Tinker Field to watch the Washington Senators play their spring training games. Killebrew would sign autographs before the game. He was the biggest and strongest man I had ever seen. Back then, our fathers were also young and vigorous. They played ball with us, and we watched them play flag football and softball on their company or city teams. We didn’t watch much TV, and didn’t have cell phones. Fathers have gotten older, families more fragmented, people more alienated, and face-to-face time has become less and less. The grass is greener now that children are spending more time indoors, but we were so lucky to have been raised on those fields of dreams so long ago.
Why do our citizens accept people coming into our country knowing they are breaking our law? What other laws will they be able to break and get away with? Our ancestors came here for the same reason immigrants today are coming here, but they did it legally.
Better late than never
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Lately, whenever I read the paper or watch the news on TV, we Americans are apologizing for some deed we did or didn’t do. I have no problem with that. In fact, I’m glad we can right a wrong. With that said, how about picking a day that we, as a nation and from our hearts, apologize to the Vietnam veterans for how they were treated upon returning home. Today they wear hats and are told “Thank you for your service.” As a nation we should apologize and say, “Thank you for your service and welcome home.”
Safety first
Durham, N.C.: Re your article “Kroger recalls frozen berries due to possible hepatitis A contamination” (June, 9): I was alarmed to find out that frozen berries sold through Kroger, and now Costco, were contaminated with hepatitis A. This is concerning for any Kroger customer, especially those who consume berries on a daily basis. What’s even more shocking is that the FDA didn’t even test for hepatitis A and norovirus in berries until May of this year. Kroger should protect its customers by resolving the hepatitis A contamination and take action to eliminate toxic pesticides in its food supply chain to keep its customers safe.
Breath of fresh air
Manhattan: Better, faster bus commutes should keep people out of cars, and that’s a win for the air we breathe (“City drive to create busfriendly streets,” June 11). Fewer cars means less of the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling our climate crisis. If only the MTA would speed its plan for an all-electric bus fleet.
What’s the weather?
New Windsor, N.Y.: To Voicers Rosie Stine and Janet Baker: Both of you are entitled to your opinions but I happen to like the ABC 7 weather team. Yes, I hated seeing Bill Evans go, but Sam, Lee, Jeff Smith and Amy Freeze do a good job. However, it makes me long for the days of Storm Field and the late Tex Antoine. Remember the latter with his smocks doing drawings on the weather map as Uncle Weatherbee?
Red, white and… green?
Fairfield, Conn.: Hey Iran, all you have to do is write a very nice flattering letter and address it to Traitor Trump and you can do whatever you want. Or make a donation to his campaign. He won’t care. Trumbull, Conn: Re the letter from Voicer Anne Stockton insulting President Trump: If she had checked her facts, she would have seen all of the disrespect shown to the queen by the Obamas during their visit. Talk about no class, no decorum!
Massapequa, L.I.: Richard Nixon was removed because the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) illegally obtained information on his opponents in the quest to influence the election and he covered it up. Trump (NEOCREEP), would (did) take info from sources hostile to the U.S. to influence our election. He denied it and tried to stymie the investigation. He even invites foreign interference again. How is
GETTY this different? Nixon wasn’t a traitor.
Nope, not me
Yonkers: The Democrats want you to believe that the president committed treason by answering a hypothetical question. I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it.
North Babylon, L.I.: Kudos for the strides made by the gay community, celebrated this month. I am a straight male who would just like people to know that June is also Adopt a Shelter Cat Month. Just getting the word out.
A real hero
Jackson Heights: All the gangbangers and tough-guy wannabes who shoot up the streets, killing and injuring innocents, should look to Lucas Silverio for an example of what a real man is. While you continue to create atmospheres of fear in the neighborhoods you terrorize, this young man put his life aside for the sake of another and paid the ultimate price. You will never have the courage this selfless hero possessed, nor command the respect he deserves. May he rest in peace.