Fighting bias in schools and shock over RFK assassin's parole

Schools are best way to combat bias

Newsday reported a swastika discovered at an elementary school ["Swastika found on Northport school playground," News, Sept. 1]. A similar incident occurred last year at a school in East Northport. Local anti-hate group leaders asked what the school district has done besides painting over or removing the hateful words or symbols.

In a free and open society, preventing occasional misguided malcontents from defacing school property is difficult. The report appeared a day after the publication of alarming statistics on the rise of hate crimes in the United States. Yet when schools offer curriculum aimed at understanding, tolerance and respect, they are often met with angry pushback from community members who fear harmful indoctrination of our youth or even an attack on our American way of life.

Such programs are carefully researched and presented in age-appropriate lessons for students. School personnel are members of our Long Island family. They are also highly qualified professionals who care for our children. There is no vaccine for hate. Until one is developed, our schools are and will continue to be our best shot against all forms of hate and bias.

— Victor Caliman, Kings Park

Releasing cop killers is more outrageous

I find the outrage by some readers over the parole of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s killer disheartening ["Shock over board’s approval of parole for Sirhan," Letters, Sept. 1].

Where was this outrage during the last couple of years when New York State parole boards released killers of police officers?

Where was the outrage when, in one of his last acts, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo granted clemency to David Gilbert, who aided and abetted a botched robbery that resulted in the deaths of two police officers and a Brinks guard? This, to me, is more outrageous.

— Rich Corso, Oceanside