Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
‘Crowding in Brooklyn’
“Danger Is Seen of Crowding in Brooklyn” is based on Community Consulting Services’ (CSS) fanciful statistics and unsubstantiated assumptions about development in downtown Brooklyn [Julie Satow, Page 1, May 12, 2005].
Through four years of planning, an Environmental Impact Statement, and a formal public review, the Downtown Brooklyn Plan demonstrated that the area can easily accommodate the 5.5 million square feet of new office space,1 million square feet of retail, and 1,000 units of housing that will be created. The borough president, City Council, and mayor all agreed – and they voted unanimously in favor of the plan, in spite of CSS’s “traffic nightmare” scare tactics.
If anyone were to take CSS’s “the sky is falling” attitude seriously, it would lead to the erosion of New York’s economic base, the deterioration of Downtown Brooklyn as a viable commercial center, and the decline of important industries in New York City.
MICHAEL BURKE
Director Downtown
Brooklyn Council Brooklyn
‘Base Closings’
Re: “Rumsfeld: Proposed Base Closings Are Necessary,” Liz Sidoti, National, May 17, 2005. The independent commission reviewing the Pentagon’s recommended list of base closings has voiced sharp skepticism over the plan. I concur, and I would like to add some additional reasons for concern. I would also like to suggest an alternative to the Bush administration’s current plans for military base closings across America, which are expected to bring extensive losses of jobs and a variety of other hardships to many American communities.
The U.S. military spent the first quarter of 2005 evaluating the effects of closure of 425 domestic military bases, but apparently did not examine or consider the advantages of closing U.S. bases in foreign countries. Last time I looked into it, there were over 700 U.S. military bases abroad, located in over 100 nations and separate territories. These U.S. military bases abroad should in many cases be considered for closure in preference to the closing of domestic bases, for a variety of reasons.
It requires massive outlays of money to build, maintain, and staff all of these foreign military bases, so that closing U.S. military bases overseas could save us a great deal of money. Furthermore, closing foreign military bases would improve good will towards Americans around the world, since one of the major factors behind hostility toward America today is the pervasive presence of the U.S. military in foreign nations throughout the world. Closing U.S. bases abroad could do a great deal toward healing the hatreds that have fomented terrorism against the United States.
The U.S. is by far the strongest military power in the world today. We can generally expect to cope successfully with military problems abroad by employing rapid response forces and dealing with the majority of issues at the time and place that they occur. Let’s look into all of the advantages we would gain by closing more foreign bases instead of closing bases here in the United States.
CAROLINE HERZENBERG
Chicago, Ill.
‘Star Wars Mania’
In response to The New York Sun’s article last week in which a doctor cited that “Star Wars” fans might be afflicted with low self-esteem, I write to take umbrage [“Taking the Whole ‘Star Wars’ Mania Thing Too Far May Signal More Than Han Solo Mania,” Page 1, May 13, 2005].
I think perhaps the Cornell psychiatrist interviewed for the article must be suffering from a lack of practice and that perhaps his impetuousness to categorize expressions of creativity and imagination as “low self-esteem” is an effort to get people on the couch.
The greatest thing about America is that you can be who you are and do whatever it is that interests you. Our nation is riddled with movie conventions, war re-enactment groups, renaissance fairs, and other such creative assemblies because they are fun, interesting, and unique.
People of a like mind are always searching each other out, no matter the hobby or interest, because of humanity’s need to connect with others they can relate to.
The large-scale productions of these conventions and huge turnouts at events focused on “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings,” “Lost,” “Star Trek,” and other fantasy realms, I think, strongly indicate that this practice of costuming, learning, and going to events are mainstream activities, not ones generated by masses under the cloud of low self-esteem and disassociation. What it really is, is play.
LAURA COOPER
Manhattan
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