Lawmakers need to assess who they serve

Let me get this straight, the Democrat-controlled State Legislature has given undocumented immigrants the right to get driver’s licenses and to get public funds for college. Lawmakers also have given inmates the right to get out of jail free as they become eligible for release under a new state bail law [“29 inmates to be released,” News, Dec. 31]. But law-abiding citizens may have their tax-rebate checks discontinued in New York.

I think Democrats have forgotten who they are supposed to represent. Maybe voters will remember this on Election Day.

Michael O’Brien,

Port Jefferson Station 

Lopsided coverage of Don Imus

Verne Gay did Don Imus an injustice by failing to give fair coverage to Imus’ humanitarian side [“  ‘Shock jock’ pioneer,” News, Dec. 28].

Gay offers, “He was also deeply loyal to the few people he cared about and to the causes — notably the fight against pediatric cancer — he was so passionate about.” I wonder how Gay determined who Imus was “loyal to” or “cared about”?

Gay merely alludes to Imus’ pediatric cancer efforts. He doesn’t extol Imus’ having created and run his ranch for 15 years to serve pediatric cancer victims and their families as well as siblings of victims of SIDS until his health caused the ranch sale.

Gay doesn’t explain that the $12.5 million from the ranch sale went completely to a charitable children’s cancer foundation. He also doesn’t mention the millions that Imus raised for wounded Iraqi war veterans.

There’s a Latin aphorism “De mortuis nihil nisi bonum” — “Do not speak ill of the dead.”

I would have hoped that if Gay had felt compelled to write of the negative side of Don Imus that at least he would write equally about the good and noble side of Don Imus.

John Didden,

Merrick

How do we protect Jews against attacks?

With the attack on Jewish congregants in Monsey in Rockland County druing a Hanukkah celebration, I wonder what the solution will be [“Jewish community’s strength,” News, Dec. 30].

Arming the Jewish community? Having undercover police put on traditional Orthodox garb and hiding guns under their shtreimels (religious fur hats)?

There have to be more steps taken to protect citizens from these acts of violence, which are not random.

Beth Rose Macht,

Long Beach

Armed guard saved church congregants

I read about how a volunteer armed security guard killed a shooter in a church in White Settlement, Texas [“Single shot killed gunman,” News, Dec. 31].

God knows how many people were saved from this shooter. Of course, Texas doesn’t have the restrictive gun laws that we have in New York. So if this happened here, how many people would have been killed while waiting, defenseless, for police to arrive?

Robert Searles,

Patchogue