Letters to the Editor
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‘Calling Mr. Marshall’
As a Republican, I have to agree with The New York Sun’s position on the authoritarian actions of Congress ramming through the Pledge Protection Act right before the elections [“Calling Mr. Marshall,” Editorial, September 24, 2004].This is a blatant betrayal of our liberties, which sets an alarming precedent for both parties to continue to undermine the Constitution.
Only in elections can the majority view be established for all, but never with regard to our basic constitutional rights. Should this bill become law, it would amount to an imposition of majority views on atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, secular Jews, Wiccans and other religious and non-religious minorities. It would even violate the First Amendment’s establishment clause as well as the redress of grievances clause.
If this bill goes forward it would constitute a “law respecting an establishment of religion,” denying religious minorities the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” It would close the gate to the federal courts for them and unbalance the separate powers of government. It is a serious mistake that must be stopped.
PHIL ORENSTEIN
Queens Village, N.Y.
‘Incumbents V. Election Reform’
I enjoyed John P. Avlon’s political analysis of New York’s Legislature [“Incumbents V. Election Reform,” Opinion, September 24, 2004]. Mr. Avlon mentions Charles Lavine who won his primary against incumbent Assemblyman David Sidikman with Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi’s assistance as part of his “Fix Albany” campaign.
What should a voter do when they recognize that their legislator has been an effective representative despite Albany’s well-documented problems but discovers he is the target of the popular Mr. Suozzi’s Fix Albany campaign?
State Senator Dean Skelos has been an effective voice for the many people he represents, from Atlantic Beach to Point Lookout to Rockville Center, yet finds himself the target of Mr. Suozzi’s “Fix Albany.” Is it possible that Mr. Suozzi is being disingenuous in targeting Mr. Skelos, who is a Republican? Mr. Skelos represents Long Beach, where the Democratic Party has always been considered one of the strongest in the state of New York, outside of New York City, with voter registration being almost three Democrats to one Republican.
Is it possible that Mr. Suozzi’s Fix Albany campaign is nothing more than a ruse for Mr. Suozzi to use for his pursuit of the governorship? Could it be that Fix Albany is part of an attempt to seek political control of Long Beach?
In the last two years, Nassau County has had to endure one scandal after another from the Suozzi administration. I am disappointed with the endless, empty self-promotion of Fix Albany without any review of Mr. Suozzi’s real record of limited achievement. Mr. Suozzi’s hubris criticizing state lawmakers without examining the many possible motives empowering his Fix Albany campaign can only be likened to Lizzy Grubman opening a limousine service. How about fixing Nassau County, Mr. Suozzi?
MICHAEL P. MULHALL
Point Lookout, N.Y.
‘Republican Renaissance’
I read with interest the piece by Christopher Lanzillotti, the Republican candidate for State Assembly on the Upper West Side’s 69th District [“Republican Renaissance,” Opinion, September 27, 2004].
I am a recently converted Republican, having been a registered Democrat all my life. But the events of September 11, 2001, crystallized my views and convinced me that President Bush’s approach is the only way open to us if we are not to go down in flames before an onslaught of anti-American, anti-Western hatred that is now spewing out of parts of the Middle East.
Although I don’t agree with all the positions of every Republican I meet, I find I agree on most of the major ones and am appalled at the opportunistic attitude and anti-administration criticism that has characterized the statements of most of the leaders, and many of the rank-and-file, of my former party. With Senator Miller, a Democrat, I have found that the only sensible thing for someone like me is to stand with the other party at this critical time. Unlike Mr. Miller, however, I chose to make that switch official and became a Republican last fall.
Since then, I have been working to rebuild a Republican presence in my own small New York community, on the Rockaway peninsula. This past March, we opened a new Republican club with six people between us and, since then, we have grown to over a 100 members. We have had monthly meetings since then, with a growing turnout, held two campaign events for the president, fielded a team of volunteers for the recent Republican convention, and even sailed up the Hudson in honor of the president during the convention. We have also been collecting signatures from grateful New Yorkers in our area to thank the president for his steadfastness and courage in the face of the September 11 attacks on us.
I want to assure Mr. Lanzillotti and “Mr. X,” who wrote the piece on Republicans in the closet on the Upper West Side, that they are not alone. Throughout New York City there are people who think like us and who are tired of the monopolistic, knee-jerk groupthink that dominates New York political discourse. There are more of us than Mr. X, and even Mr. Lanzillotti, realize. This is the time for those of us who are tired of the subtle coercion to speak and think only like Democrats to stand up and say what we really believe and make politics competitive again here in the city.
THOMAS LYNCH
Belle Harbor N.Y.
Mr. Lynch is president of the Rockaway Republicans
www.rockawayrepublicans.com
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