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July 18: DWI shame, Rangel and Bush's hubris, Obama cartoon outrage

July 18, 2008

Shame all into DWI awareness

The letter "Wall of Shame hurtful to teens" [News, July 15] fails to acknowledge the consequence of driving while impaired. One drunken driver caused the instantaneous death of my brother's wife, his son, his son's wife, their son and the son's wife's sister. The very existence of five healthy people driving to a restaurant one Friday evening came to an abrupt end because one person was very, very irresponsible. Although this happened more than 20 years ago, the impact on the extended families and the friends of these people remains intense.

If there's a chance shame, at whatever age, can wake someone up to the enormity of the possible consequence of drunken driving, then the effort is to be celebrated and encouraged. Do not wait until it happens to someone you love before understanding the danger you face each time you innocently take your family out for a drive.

Dana Matteson

Long Island City

Obama cartoon anger misplaced

I can't figure out what is wrong with The New Yorker's cover cartoon depicting Michelle and Barack Obama as terrorists ["LIers condemn drawing" News, July 15]. It simply tries to express in pictures what a whole lot of people are saying in words.

People who say or think these things must be wondering why their philistine conversations or even private thoughts are now appearing on the cover of an "elite" magazine. Cool it off everyone; there are millions of U.S. citizens without any sort of decent health care. Now isn't this worth a little noise?

Suzy Sandor

Manhattan

The hooting and howling over the current New Yorker magazine cartoon is alarming. Evidently, few people have very much knowledge of the role of political mudslinging, intense viciousness or cruelly personal attacks that were once the meat and potatoes of newspaper political cartooning. Newsday should serve its readership a healthy sampling of such cartoons from previous eras.

A healthy comparison with past political cartoons would reveal that the New Yorker cover is weak-kneed and sophomoric.

Arthur J. Wiegert

Coram

I think it's a pretty sad state of affairs when neither the American public, nor its two presidential candidates, can decipher political satire and irony. To even suggest that The New Yorker was doing anything other than pointing out how the right wing uses smear and fear to control elections is laughable. It would be one thing if the cover were on the Drudge Report's Web site, but come on, this is The New Yorker. Think, people!

Scott Liapis

Brooklyn

Economic hubris

President George W. Bush says our troubled financial system is "basically sound" ["More signs of economic trouble" News, July 16]; this from a man whose policies and "diplomacy" have us mired in Iraq with the economy upside down and have us paying exorbitant fuel and food prices. Now he has the audacity to tell us to be patient and trust his judgment in spite of the inescapable fact this all happened under his watch.

Herb Stark

Massapequa

Rangel's actions trump his words

U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel's declaration that "I have done nothing illegal," is belied by his surrender of the rent-stabilized apartment that he has been using as an office ["Report: Rangel to move campaign office out of rent-stabilized place," newsday.com, July 14].

One would think that a lawmaker should know what is and isn't illegal. I am now breathlessly awaiting the next quote from him out of the politician's play book: "I shall be vindicated."

Jerome J. Levenberg

Cedarhurst

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