Debate over series on 'Sonny' Franzese

I’m writing to express my disgust with your feature story about Sonny Franzese .

This “story” glamorizes a life of crimes, which many young people will read and maybe think it’s cool.

Why not write about people who exhibit law-abiding qualities and extol the virtues of those who have proven themselves of good character and virtue?

Your article is an insult to all police officers who work hard to protect all people from harm. My father was a member of the New York Police Department, and other members of my family are on police forces throughout the country.

Grace Mones,

Selden

I want to greatly thank reporter Sandra Peddie and give credit to everyone involved with the four-part series about John (Sonny) Franzese, especially the interviews and follow-up story [“A family fractured,” News, March 8]. I so enjoyed the articles, details and everything I had not known about organized crime. Great reporting and equally great writing. Kudos!

Arlene Bergano,

Glen Cove

Roles for women in Catholic Church

Tara D. Sonenshine’s “A groundbreaking year for women” [Opinion, March 6] offers an impressive list of small but significant steps toward gender equality. But, as she points out, work still is to be done.

As we celebrated International Women’s Day on Sunday, there was even some tiny good news from the world’s largest organization that discriminates against women: the Catholic Church. The Jesuit magazine America reports, “For the first time in history, Pope Francis has appointed a woman to a senior managerial position in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.” As “a second undersecretary,” perhaps she can investigate why the entire editorial board of a Vatican women’s magazine quit because of the way they were treated by men, citing “a climate of mistrust.”

Because, as The pope has said, Christianity as we knew it is dead, he invited suggestions from both the high church and those of us on the bottom. At the last major meeting of bishops, the majority called for more women in decision-making roles. Is Jesus mad at Anglicans and Lutherans and many other Christians who believe in gender equality?

Don Zirkel,

Amityville

Google Earth proves how sand vanishes

I laud your editorial of March 9 [“Rethink plans to protect beaches”]. We can’t keep replacing beach sand to have it scoured out. The jetties at Shinnecock Inlet are disrupting the sand flow. Use Google Earth to view the area and see the damage caused by hardening. The same thing happened in Westhampton several decades ago. The sand that is supposed to be west of the Shinnecok Inlet is east of it and has become a big sand bar in Shinnecock Bay.

Doesn’t anyone else see this waste of money? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers certainly doesn’t. Constant flow rivers are different than ocean currents. One good Nor’easter wipes out millions of yards of sand and much money, too.

You can’t fool Mother Nature. I’m not a geologist, bayman or environmentalist, just a frustrated lover of the local waters.

Gene Scanlon,

Southampton

Turning the tables on Dem policies

Perhaps the writer of the letter “What if an NRA relative were killed?” [March 5] would like to ponder for a moment the Democrats’ open borders, sanctuary cities and bail reform policies. Because such policies can contribute to the homicides and maiming of innocent lives. Maybe the writer can ask the Democrats responsible for those actions how they would feel if a family member were killed or wounded by someone allowed to enter and remain in the country without the proper documents, or by a violent criminal released back onto the streets, or by somebody with psychological issues left untreated because earmarked funds were misappropriated?

The public good and safety should not be in the hands of a political agenda. Public safety should take precedence over special-interest groups.

Gerald M. Esposito,

Hicksville

Sundays like they used to be

Thank you so much for putting the “Sunday stuff” — the comics, circulars, coupons, etc. — back in the Sunday paper. The way Sunday should be.

Erin Bertuccio,

Williston Park

Deer could feed those in shelters

As a hunter, I am curious what these “hunters” are going to do with the thousands of pounds of delicious venison [“Hunters thinning deer population,” News, March 9].

This meat is organic and could really be a great source of protein for any of the homeless shelters on Long Island!! Butchering can be an issue for that many deer, so I’m also wondering how this will be addressed.

Michael Heming,

Port Jefferson Station