Letter: Forgiveness and grace still exist

In Dallas, Judge Tammy Kemp hugged Amber Guyger, the former police officer who killed her upstairs neighbor, and gave her a Bible [“Judge defends giving convicted ex-cop a hug,” News, Oct. 8].

The jury was dismissed when the judge hugged the defendant, so I believe there was no misconduct. If the deceased’s younger brother could forgive and show grace to his brother’s killer, who are we to disagree? I’m glad to see forgiveness and grace still exist. It is appalling to me that people would debate these two ideals.

This was no time to try and make it a what-if scenario if the roles were reversed.

This is the problem of our culture today. There is no respect for another person’s opinion. People take sides, and the opposing point of view is the enemy. Compromise is viewed as failure; victory is the only option.

Our culture has changed, and I feel we are the worse for it.

Bernie Bienwald,

  Centerport

Ballplayers should respect opponents

I have been a proud New York Yankees fan all of my 77 years. I’ve rooted for the team at the old Yankee Stadium and the new. My first hero was Joe DiMaggio. My dad talked about Lou Gehrig and the famous speech he gave at his last game.

While thrilled with the 2019 Yankees, awed by their home run power, and extremely happy at their record, I’m old-fashioned and just a little disappointed with some of the players’ behavior. We always taught our children to be good losers, but more important, to be good winners. That means respecting the opposing team’s effort by not horsing around with some recent antics I’ve seen displayed.

Exuberance over a home run is understandable, and the joy of winning is spontaneous. So show the joy while remembering the pain the other team might be feeling. More important, remember the millions of youngsters watching your celebration on TV. Go, Yankees!

Pat Visconti,

    Islip Terrace

Everyone has a role to protect the Earth

As a young person reading about the climate activism of Saad Amer of Medford, I have hope for an equitable future that we so desperately need [“Electing to make a change,” LI Life, Sept. 29].

His founding of the Plus1Vote campaign to increase voter turnout exemplifies how change needs to happen at a national and international level.

Everyone has a part to play to protect our planet. We can each make small changes, but it is critical that we all come together — from the farmer to the business entrepreneur, the energy provider to the artist, the elementary school student to the retired cop, from the Democrat to the Republican — and create a wave of change for a clean, efficient, equitable future.

Erin Zipman,

  Stony Brook

Employers need to engage employees

There is an important point to add to columnist Jamie Herzlich’s workplace suggestions [“Ways of measuring worker happiness,” Business, Oct. 7]: participative management.

Charles McCormick, president and later chairman of the McCormick Spice Co. from 1932 to 1969, and a recognized business leader, stated in his 1949 book, “The Power of People,” that a critical ingredient to organizational success is the active involvement of the workforce in making decisions. With this process, employees are more likely to accept management’s decisions and work toward their implementation, resulting in workers’ sense of worth and job satisfaction. The timeless principles detailed in his book have been adopted by hundreds of companies around the world.

Paul Jacobs,

Huntington

Teachers deserve a few comforts

I can’t believe a reader would begrudge teachers a few little luxuries in the teachers lounge [“Wellness room is a waste of money,” Letters, Oct. 4]!

As a fiscal conservative who has worked alongside teachers, I appreciate the challenges of today’s educators. All schools have teachers lounges. Add a few comfortable chairs and a foot massager? Big deal! These people are responsible for educating our children. Give them a much-deserved break and some respect!

Karen Sheerin,

  Islip

The presence of guns deters shootings

A reader asks “how laymen carrying guns to church and the mall and in schools are going to help us put an end to mass shootings with no risk of collateral damage” [“Even trained police officers can misfire,” Letters, Oct. 7].

Mass killers want high body counts, so they attack soft targets like schools, churches, nightclubs and shopping malls. Many of these are designated gun-free zones.

I believe that the mere possibility of armed defenders being present is enough to deter most killers. That’s how laymen carrying guns prevent mass shootings without ever firing a shot.

John Schmidt,

    Levittown

Editor’s note: The writer is a member of the National Rifle Association.