Wounds reopened
To The Editor:
Re “Helping Downtown withstand the terror trials“ (editorial, Nov. 20 – 26):
Having the 9/11 trials in Lower Manhattan re-opens the wounds for those of us who were here when we were attacked. Isn’t it cruel to make us re-live that horrible time and fear? Must we re-endure the stressful high security and limited access that will be put in place? Must we give the terrorists a prime stage?
Wouldn’t businesses suffer when tourists/visitors avoid coming to Manhattan/N.Y.C. and choose other destinations just to be “on the safe side?”
When N.Y.P.D. Commissioner Kelly estimated the cost of $75 million for providing security, wasn’t that just for one year and for the trial of only one terrorist — what about the other four? With the budget deficits and cuts, wouldn’t it have been wiser for Mayor Bloomberg and Sen. Schumer to have gotten a commitment for the expense of having the trials in N.Y.C. first?
Even if we get some financial help from the federal government, who will pay if the trials cost more? Won’t this mean higher taxes and more budget cuts? Weren’t the 9/11 attacks meant to hurt us psychologically and economically? Aren’t the trials going to do that again?
Doesn’t it cost us taxpayers geometrically more dollars to secure a densely populated area than a remote area? The Oklahoma City trials took place in Denver, Col.; Gov. Quinn of Illinois has volunteered to take terror suspects — why not move the location for the trials?
Sandy Goldstein
“Blindness is no handicap to great teaching, educator shows” (news article, posted Nov. 19)
Editor’s Note: Many of Homer Panteloglou’s former students at the High School of Economics and Finance posted comments to our profile of him, and all had high praise. Here’s a sample:
P is really the best…. I’m getting ready to go to college and often asked myself many times what am I going to do with my future, with my life and thinking about the obstacles that other people had and overcame them specially P… If he has 1 hand and does all his work why should a person with 2 make an excuse . I truly love P… This award was given late to Panteloglou. It was an award that he’s deserved since he was born.
Alvarys
Mr. P is an absolute inspiration!! I graduated from the High School of Economics and Finance five years ago and I must say that my experience was awesome because of him. I am so very proud of Mr. P for the excellent work he has done throughout these years and constantly inspiring students like myself to forge ahead and follow their dreams. Thank you P for being great, for being you. xoxox P!!
Sharon C. Paradis
Congrats P… I was never good at science, but you always made me feel extra smart when I would answer something right and hear BEMBA you got it! Those four words always made me feel special…. We love and respect you because you treat us like family. I know this award was given to you because you genuinely care about your students’ well-being; you make every student feel special and remind us that effort goes a long way. Most importantly, you are one of the few teachers I’ve known that will persevere as long as it takes to help a student understand the material.
Anicha Bemba
“Magna whata? Mild interest in the ‘document that changed the world’” (news article, posted Nov. 19):
THANK YOU!!! I would have never known about the exhibition of this immensely historical document here in NYC unless I read it in DE! Definitely taking a trip down there to see it, and dragging my father along too…he’s a HUGE history buff and will love it. Thanks again
SoHo Native
“‘Kill the drill’ and protect the water, protesters say” (news article, posted Nov. 12):
Did the author attend the same rally I did? The crowd wasn’t overwhelmingly for banning in N.Y.C.’s watershed. Even though Borough Pres. Scott Stinger, a …politician who has consistently promoted that divisive approach, had the crowd filled with his staffers trying to pump up activists to cheer a ‘nyc watershed’ ban. People weren’t being duped — as the author seems to have been. People continued at the rally and later during the testimony to advocate for a Statewide Ban! That’s the overwhelming majority position as was clear by the cheers by the crowd when that man went up on stage. The author seems to have been standing next to the shrill whistling and astroturfing of Stinger’s staffers. Why haven’t you contacted the 61 orgs statewide (many based in nyc) which have called for the statewide ban?! Journalism. Dig deeper.
Maria Senilla
