LETTERS: Illegal immigrants, Arizona law and more

These crime victims are perpetrators, too

So let's see, it's illegal to target illegal immigrants for purposes of robbing and mugging, which I agree is a crime, but the act of entering this country illegally is not a crime "Accused of targeting Latinos," News, April 21]?

This story is akin to a drug dealer going to the police to say he was robbed of his drugs and money, which makes him a victim of a crime. Would the police not apprehend and bring the "victim," in this case the drug dealer, in for questioning? Shouldn't the same logic apply to the "victim" in this case, the illegal alien, as being both a victim as well as a perpetrator of a crime, who should also be brought in for questioning?

Paul Amare

Northport

Arizona law smacks of Nazi Germany

To protest the Arizona law , I suggest that all Americans voluntarily wear white arm bands displaying their ethnicity or race with a blue letter written on the armband, right arm please: H for Hispanic, C for Caucasian, A for Asian, NA for Native American, AA for African American. Reminiscent of Nazi Germany? You bet. This is the first step.

Stephen Fassman

Roslyn Heights

Septic plan comment missed the mark

In "Septic upgrade plan aims to clean up bay" , Matt Groh, president of the newly formed organization Concerned Citizens for Sewers, offered the cynical comment that Babylon's new program, designed to help homeowners in high water table areas replace old and dysfunctional septic systems, is akin to "putting a Band-Aid on a machete wound." I disagree. To use Groh's chosen metaphoric context, this innovative program will provide, at no upfront cost to homeowners, immediate and effective short-term emergency care to patients (high water table residences and the environment), so they have a chance to fully recover over the longer term (using sewers).

Groh goes on to say that we need a long-term solution that puts sewer pipes in residential areas. What he fails to mention is that Legis. Steve Stern and I passed legislation with bipartisan support to jump start the process to bring residential sewers to Deer Park, North Babylon, Wyandanch and West Islip. We passed this legislation well before Groh formed his organization.

His rhetoric is unfortunate; people have waited far too long for sewers to have Groh come along and reframe the debate as "us against them" or "long term vs. short term," as opposed to encouraging people and government to work together to finally bring sewers to the area.

Lou D'Amaro

North Babylon

Editor's note: The writer represents the 17th District in the Suffolk County Legislature.