Letter: Don't allow bread knives in secure areas
Nice job getting the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to ban steak knives from restaurants inside secure airport areas ["Knives after airport security," News, Nov. 26].
Here's something else. Did you ever notice the places in the secure airport areas where they sell sandwiches? They cut the sandwiches with really sharp and long knives.
I asked about the possibility of an employee handing off one of those knives to someone who would be able to board an aircraft, without passing through any more security checks. I was assured that such a handoff would not be possible. You received the same assurances on the steak knives. Not nice.
Howard Cohen, Hauppauge
More focus, money for mental health
Immediately after the Dec. 14, 2012, shootings in Newtown, Conn., mental health experts offered tips to speechless parents about how to soothe their children ["Report: Sandy Hook killer enabled," News, Nov. 22]. The advice sounded like this: Be available emotionally, be compassionate, limit media exposure, reassure safety, offer distractions to prevent obsessive worry, monitor for angry outbursts and depression and, if symptoms persist, seek professional help.
I imagine many parents were thinking, instead, "It's a cruel world, evil is everywhere, watch your back, and don't trust anyone."
After the Sandy Hook shootings there was probably not one parent in the United States able to escape the tyranny of imagining his or her child being killed in a neighborhood school. How many more children will be taken before lawmakers devote energy and resources to safeguarding our children?
Take steps to prevent gun violence -- within the constitutional right to bear arms -- and provide adequate funding for community-based mental health centers for the emotional well-being of all of our children.
Andrew Malekoff, Long Beach
Editor's note: The writer is the executive director for the nonprofit North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights.
New residents must learn English
A letter writer correctly wondered what is happening to the melting pot ["New census request seems divisive," Dec. 1].
That concept was extinguished decades ago and replaced by the "tossed salad." The ingredients of the salad are meant to retain their own separate attributes, cultural norms and values.
The obvious problem is that assimilating into the American value system, language and culture is no longer expected to be the goal of immigrants. We are creating a Tower of Babel in schools, courts, hospitals, etc. This is costing us enormously, and not just in money. Health, safety and communication all suffer.
Leslie King, Bellport
The feature story "Preparing new citizens" [LI Life, Nov. 30] says that people have two chances to take a naturalization test. They must be able to speak, read and write English.
If that's so, please explain why the voting sites need materials in any language other than English.
Nancy Ludlow, Oakdale
Why don't food prices fall now?
For years, the food industry has blamed the price of fuel for increases in the price of food. The argument is that it's more expensive to transport products to stores ["Oil price plunge is boon, threat," Business, Dec. 1].
Over the last five months, oil prices have dropped, and our gasoline prices are often below $3 per gallon. Have you noticed any food price decreases? I haven't!
Joe Brancati, Plainview
One-party rule in Oyster Bay
The people of the Town of Oyster Bay have only themselves to blame for the 8.8 percent tax hike ["Overtaxing those who stay on LI," Letters, Dec. 2]. We elected Republican Town Supervisor John Venditto and town councilmembers all from the same party. Because they're all from the same party, any tax hike Venditto wants will go through.
Having one political party monopolize any part of the government is not good for the people. We need someone in office who will look out for the constituents instead of going along with his or her political party.
Bob Haber, Syosset
