Letters

Hails Veteran
To The Editor:

On this Memorial Day. I want to talk to you about an individual person who is a World War II veteran. He inspired me in so many ways. He talks to me about the concentration camps, in which he says "If anyone comes up and tells you there is no such thing as a Holocaust, tell them your adopted Grandfather saw it with his own eyes". He has seen many gruesome things when he was at war. He made me realize that sports players are not true Heroes. The real Heroes are the WWI (and) WWII. Veterans who fought to keep this country free as it is now. This man I am talking about is no other than Sergeant Walter Orlowski. Thank you for opening my Heart.

Milton Velverde

Astoria

Drinking Precautions

To The Editor:

The good news this Memorial Day is that drunk-driving fatalities during the holiday weekend are at an all time low, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The 31 percent decline in drunk-driving fatalities since 1982 compares favorable to the record decrease in drunk-driving fatalities throughout the year.

These are clear signs that we’re making progress in the fight against drunk driving. But instead of declaring victory and stopping our efforts, we must all recognize what works and do more. Designated drivers, driving safely and making responsible drinking choices are ways in which we can ensure that this Memorial Day is full of memories of fun-filled activities with family and friends.

Help drive Memorial Day Holiday drunk-driving fatalities lower. Make safety and personal responsibility your first and foremost concern. Everyone in the New York area can make a difference in the fight against drunk driving....

To The Editor:

Spring has sprung, and the end-of-year events, such as prom and graduation, are just around the corner. Young people in New York will soon begin planning for this exciting time with family and friends. When it comes to preventing underage drinking and drunk driving, we all play a role in encouraging safe, enjoyable celebrations.

To that end, Anheuser-Busch Sales & Service of New York, Inc. has teamed up with parents, educators, community groups, law enforcement officials and others to help prevent underage drinking and drunk driving. One way to do that is by encouraging parents to talk with their children about difficult issues such as drinking. "Family Talk About Drinking," a guidebook and video designed to do just that, is free for parents by calling (718) 361-6160.

We have made tremendous progress as a nation in addressing the issue of underage drinking. According to the United States government, since 1982 drinking among teens (ages 12 to 17) has decreased 47 percent. Likewise, during that same period, teen drunk-driving fatalities have dropped 64 percent. By working together, we all make a difference in continuing these positive trends. So as we delight in seeing our young people don the traditional cap and gown and lavishly prepare for prom nigh, let’s all do our part to remind them that underage drinking should not be included in the celebration.

Sincerely,

C.A. Verdon

Consumer Awareness & Education

Coordinator

Anheuser-Busch Sales & Service of New York, Inc.

More On McVeigh

To The Editor:

To Christopher Caruana of Astoria, among others, who feels Timothy McVeigh should live, the bottom line is this.

If McVeigh lives, he will wake up in the morning (albeit in prison), shave, shower and do his ablutions. He will have breakfast and begin his day. He will have social intercourse with people. He will go to his job, work out in the gym, watch TV and read. He will give interviews, write a book and correspond with people. (He will be a hero to some). And, of course, he will "find God."

None of his victims can do this because they are dead. He killed them.

No matter how difficult his life is in prison, even if he has to live on bread and water and crack rocks at the end of a whip, he will adjust, just as the families of his victims have to do to the pain he caused, every day of their lives.

Does McVeigh feel that pain? No. Will he ever? No. If the remorse from his actions were to sink in, he would kill himself.

And comparing McVeigh to Officers Medina and Calley is an outrage. A soldier in wartime kills on orders from his government, right or wrong. Sometimes he cracks under the pressure and uses poor judgement, but he does not go into battle with evil in his heart.

Yes, there are murderers, who, for life circumstances, deserve compassion. McVeigh is not one of them.

It is bad enough that we have to deal with Charles Manson and his "family," Mark David Chapman (John Lennon’s murderer) and baby-killer Susan Smith being alive. Now Tim McVeigh!?! God bless Jack Ruby. Where is he when we need him.

Vera DeMilo

Woodside

Editor’s Note: Jack Ruby was caught on camera shooting Lee Harvey Oswald a day after Oswald was charged with assassinating then President John F. Kennedy in November 1963. Ruby died in prison.

Thanks For Arrests

A copy of the following letter was received by the Gazette.

Hon. Richard Brown

District Attorney of Queens

Queens Criminal Court Building

125-01 Queens Boulevard

Kew Gardens, NY 11415

Dear Judge Brown:

I want to thank you on behalf of the College Point Sports Association, and its members: the College Point Little League, the First Sports Club of College Point and the College Point Roller Hockey League as well as all the children and parents, for your actions in bringing to justice the polluters of the Sports Complex.

It is good news that the people responsible for the damage to the complex will be tried for their crimes. It is unfortunate that there are people in this world who put their own financial greed ahead of the interests of children and the public at large.

It is also welcome news for the children of Northeast Queens that according to officials of the Department of Design and Construction work will begin this month on constructing the new College Point Sports Park.

Thank you again for your efforts to protect the lives and safety of the children and all the residents of Queens.

Sincerely.

Tony Avella

President

College Point Sports Association

Junk All Junk Mail

To The Editor:

Say I’m not the only one who has received tons of junk mail, all unsolicited. Thanks, I thought you’d agree with me. When I’m not feeling hostile I call it "A Plethora of Paper!"

What’s going on these years with all this junk mail? This mail is not only advertising for everything under the sun with the accompanying www.com; it’s also mail dealing with public issues of a political, social, ecological and religious nature and, of course, accompanied with the usual stub for your contribution from $500 to other.

It’s a time-consuming job to wade through all this junk mail it’s also a wasteful use of paper which I use for scrap paper. Despite the fact that I’ve notified just about anyone and everyone who can do something about this epidemic, nothing seems to work; I keep getting unrequested mail.

I’ve been told the New York City ships thousands of tons of garbage daily to other cities in the USA. Paper, purportedly, is to be recycled, but I wonder if it really is being put in the recycling bins. I wouldn’t blame anybody who might toss this junk mail in with the egg shells, orange peels and other food waster matter just because there is just too much of it.

Please, everyone who sends junk mail, stop it-now!!

Sincerely,

June M. Capise

Long Island City