Editor:

In Steve Smith’s recent letter he advocates amending the public school curriculum to include lessons apparently to insure the public’s safety in the event of an encounter with police, especially those leading to an arrest. In other words, lifesaving protection from the protectors.

Although well intended, Mr. Smith’s letter misses the point. Despite what some people may think, it’s not about whether one resists arrest or not. It’s about who resists arrest or even when they don’t resist.

This may come as a surprise to many people in Orleans County, but even white people have been known to resist arrest during an altercation with law enforcement. In fact, when taken into account that blacks make up only 13.4% of the U.S. population and although blacks are nearly twice as often charged for resisting as whites, the overall incidence of whites resisting arrest is still greater. But even that doesn’t matter.

Here’s the issue. With rare exception, white people who resist arrest and are then taken into police custody ultimately will end up either 1. Pleading out or, 2. Found innocent or guilty by a jury of their peers as our Constitution so wonderfully provides.

If found guilty in New York State, resisting arrest is a Class A misdemeanor (according to https://statelaws.findlaw.com/new-york) and is punishable of up to one year in jail, 1 to 3 years’ probation, a fine of up to $1,000 or … “twice the amount of the perpetrator’s financial gain from the underlying crime.” In the case of George Floyd, twice the amount of an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

Unfortunately for a disproportionate number of people of color, that very same offense carries a dirt-nap sentence from which they will never wake up. Even though at the very moment they died at the hands of the police, they were secured in police custody, no longer posed any threat and remained innocent until proven guilty.

Maybe that should be taught in public schools as well.

Or is that just simply too “PC”?

Respectfully,

Tom Graham

Rochester

Albion High School ’78

Editor:

I have long believed that a strong two-party system with both parties presenting platforms that appeal to most voters is essential to our society. A number of people have commented that the Republican Party has become one of exclusion – uninterested in minority issues, fearful of change, favoring the suppression of voting, and worried that a rising tide of immigration will result in endless Democratic Party victories at the local, state and national levels.

It does not have to be this way. Consider the following organizations and actions enacted by a President who believed that the inclusion, not exclusion, of more people in the democratic process was healthy for the country: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clean Water Act, Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Consumer Protect Safety Commission, and dramatic increases in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. That President was Richard Nixon.

In US history we have had 35 national political parties. The two that have survived generally appealed to wide segments of our society. Those that disappeared narrowed their appeal by catering to an ever smaller group of voters.

Note that the US Census Bureau statistics indicate that by 2060, 50 percent of the total US population will be part of a minority group. I believe both parties should consider the dramatic increase in minority voters an opportunity to broaden their appeal. I also suggest the Republicans take a long look at the Nixon Presidency and consider the opportunities inclusion politics can bring.

Jack Capurso

Ashburn, Va

Albion High School 1960

Editor:

I appreciate the letters to the editor section of the Hub, as it gives individuals an opportunity to express their opinions on many areas of concern in our community, state and beyond.

I appreciate it even more when facts are checked and provided in an honest and fair manner. That being said, If anyone is interested in learning about what Jim Crow laws were and why they came about please stop by any one of the local libraries in the area. Please do not rely on one-sided opinions and half facts.

I will say the Jim Crow Laws started following the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in the Democratically controlled Southern States. They came about as a means to thwart any and all political, economic and social gains of the Blacks at the time.

These laws remained in effect from approximately 1865 to 1965. In 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. In 1965, The Voting Rights Act was signed and in 1968 the Fair Housing Act. Granted just because these laws were signed it did not mean peoples’ attitudes or hearts were changed overnight. But it did provide a legal foundation for action where one did not exist before.

On refreshing my memory on many of these subjects, I found some very interesting stories of people who fought against the injustices of these times. Some became household names, but others, equally important I found, made an impact in the fight against racial inequality. Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. are very well known, but another who deserves mention is Victor Hugo Green, a Harlem postman who wrote a book “The Negro Motorists Green Book.” It identified all the safe places African American travelers could stay. His book was first published in 1936 and remained in publication for nearly thirty years. Others I read about were Ida B. Wells and Charlotte Hawkins Brown, who each fought against segregation and violence toward Blacks.

Another reason I write is because of the misinformation flowing through our news media, elected officials, corporation heads and even the Hollywood elite concerning Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021. This piece of legislation was worked on for many months by a bi-partisan committee who hashed out their differences and worked on a solution to insure voter integrity.

The Act provides an expanded early voting period of three weeks, with Saturday and Sunday voting, which was important to the African American population because their “Get Out The Vote” drives are sometimes held in local churches. Their polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and if you are in line at 7 p.m., you will get to vote.

Then there is the food and water…The law states that “no person shall solicit votes in any manner, or by means or method…” Or to put it simply you can’t pull up to a polling site in your campaign vehicle and start handing out food and water to influence voters. Voters are allowed to bring their own and polling sites may set up coolers or drink stations if they so choose to.

Producing identification is not new and is not just for voting. Have you ever tried to cash a check, go to the library and check out a book, go to the doctor, register your car, obtain insurance or get assistance…the list goes on. More than half the states in the US require voter ID. 97 percent of registered Georgia voters have an official driver’s license or (free) state ID. I might add that the majority of registered voters want voter ID and that includes 65 to 70 percent of African Americans. (Depending on which poll you look at).

So, don’t take my word for it, investigate these things on your own. If you use your computer, be sure to scroll down and find official sites, and don’t just rely on social media opinions that pop up. Please take the time to be fully informed.

Rochelle Moroz

Holley

Editor:

It’s time to thank the Orleans County Office of the Aging. Melissa Blanar, the Office for the Aging director, and her team worked very hard to get many of the residents of Orleans County vaccinated, especially those who have no computers or were having a difficult time getting an appointment.

Also another area that should be thanked are the volunteers who worked with the food distributions that have been ongoing for months. Those volunteers worked in all the elements – rain, snow, sleet and sometimes heat.

Jeanne Crane

Waterport

Editor:

A few weeks ago, my family suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning. We’ve had so many people supporting us.

First and foremost, we have to thank the first responders – the EMTs and firefighters that saved the 6 of us, plus our pets. I’ve been a CNA for 20 years, the last 5 years at the North Wing in Medina. They were amazing enough to give me a leave of absence to take care of my family without hesitation. Kris’s job at Dobbins did as well. Lyndonville school has been outstanding!

Our son Nicholas alerted us that something was seriously wrong, when we believed it was a stomach bug. Without him, we may not be here today.

We’ve had donations, along with well wishes from family, friends, acquaintances, and even complete strangers. This right here is what pulls at my heart strings the most. I feel like outpourings of love are usually done after people pass. Unlike most, we are beyond lucky to feel this while we’re alive. Unless anyone has ever had this happen, I don’t know how to describe this. As if having a close call with death isn’t enough, all of this love and support just drives us to be better people. We fully believe in Karma, and have good intentions to “pass it on.”

You always hear, “life’s too short” or “appreciate everything you have.” It doesn’t hit home until something like this happens. Always hug your family. Tell people I love you. And sincerely from the Skowneski family, thank you for caring about us. #lyndonvillestrong

Jessica Skowneski

Lyndonville

Editor:

Here’s an idea:  Since the following concepts are clearly not being taught in a vast number of homes, why not add them to the primary & secondary school curriculum:

1. Obey The Law

2. Comply With Law Enforcement

3. Don’t Resist Or Attempt To Flee From A Lawful Arrest

If school officials can’t find time in the school day to incorporate these life preserving lessons, they could make time by eliminating some of the PC nonsense that is currently being taught!

Steve Smith

Churchville

Editor:

We were greatly saddened by the news of Dr. Sterling’s passing. We were contemporaries practicing medicine in Medina. Actually, when I was looking for a place to establish my practice as a General Surgeon, Jim was a big factor in the decision to come to Medina. Dr. Sterling was the first in Medina to provide modern anesthesia. (As opposed to open drop ether method.) He was a pioneer in that sense in Medina.

Jim was a gentleman and a great friend and fun to be with. His wit and sense of humor is still legendary in our household and circle of friends (almost in a Yogi Berra-esque way).

As it turned out, Jim Sterling, with his huge family practice, was the biggest supporter of new doctors coming to the community and the community should be grateful to him for bringing modern medicine to Medina.

We will miss Jim! RIP! Our sympathies to Ilya and the family.

Sal & Kris Abbasey

Rochester

Editor

I’d like to thank everyone who came to Thursday night’s Town of Murray work meeting. Despite the Murray Town Board being a “No Show” residents filtered in with genuine interest.

What was to be a Town Board work meeting addressing the complex nature of domestic partner health care coverage, turned into an open forum by a diverse group of citizens openly discussing a variety of topics. It was fantastic, respectful and incredibly productive. Amazing!

Dirk Lammes, our Highway and Water Superintendent, openly discussed his department and the challenges ahead. It’s refreshing to have a knowledgeable, experienced person at the helm willing to share information and listen to the voices around him. Outstanding!

Since the evening turned into such a success, I’m willing to have an evening with the Supervisor every 2nd Thursday of each month. I will make myself available for anyone who has something on their mind to come over and talk without all the formality of a regular Town Meeting. I’m here, I care and we have a lot of work ahead of us.

My mother always said, “Never turn down an invitation.”

Thanks again to everyone who attended for the great evening. It’s the way it should be!

Joe Sidonio

Murray Town Supervisor

Editor:

The new voter suppression law in Georgia was ostensibly passed to prevent voter fraud. However, the evidence of massive voter fraud is missing.

In over 60 court cases no evidence was produced. Every state certified their election as fair and free of fraud that would overturn the election. Mr. Trump’s Attorney General William Barr and the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Christopher Krebs, both stated that there was no massive voter fraud.

In Georgia, News station WDEF reported: “After a day of hearing evidence of election fraud in 63 cases, Georgia officials have decided to pass 24 of them on to prosecutors,” (2/18/21). There were over 4 million votes cast in the Georgia presidential election and only 24 allegations of voter fraud serious enough to be considered for prosecution. Voter fraud is minuscule; (.0006% of the election). Furthermore, the law that was just passed does not address those cases of voter fraud.

The real rush to push voter suppression laws is because when voters turn out they rejected the policies of Republicans who control of the Georgia state government. The New York Times (4/3/21), reporters Nick Corassaniti and Reid J. Epstein, went through the Georgia law and found 16 “provisions that hamper the right to vote for some Georgians, (principally people of color), or strip power from state and local elections officials and give it to legislators.”

For example in the new law there will be fewer drop boxes. NYT reports: “For the 2020 election, there were 94 drop boxes across the four counties that make up the core of metropolitan Atlanta: Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett. The new law limits the same four counties to a total of, at most 23 drop boxes based on the latest voter registration data.”

Instead of trying to appeal to voters, Republicans want to win elections by suppressing voting and gerrymandering. This is the very definition of Jim Crow laws and it diminishes and damages our democracy.

William Fine

Brockport

Editor:

As families throughout the state have tightened their budgets throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to prepare for an uncertain future, the Majority has decided now is the time to become more cavalier than ever in their spending. Worse yet, by increasing spending to historic levels, we may have less than ever to show for all of that spending in this incredible time of need for so many small businesses throughout New York.

In this second-largest budget in our nation that spends more than those of the large and populous states of Texas and Florida combined, and almost as large as California’s proposed executive budget for this year, a state with about twice as many people as ours, we will give $2.1 billion to illegal immigrants in stimulus and unemployment payments while only giving small businesses about $1 billion in assistance.

These small businesses employ our neighbors, pay taxes that fund our municipal governments and emergency services and make our communities the unique places we know and love. The loss of these businesses would devastate the communities that rely on them and our state as a whole, and it should not be controversial to want to support businesses that families have worked to build for generations rather than people who disrespect our laws in order to enter our country.

As unwise as this spending is, it’s also unsustainable in a very dangerous way. The Majority is treating the hefty federal stimulus we received this year like an incredibly-irresponsible person would treat lottery winnings, spending it all rapidly to start living a lifestyle we won’t be able to sustain that will be financially ruinous for our state in the future. The money we’re spending now won’t be there this year, but it’s unlikely the people and agencies across the state it supports will plan for that. Instead, we will be forced in the future between painful tax increases or spending cuts, which will come with very real consequences for our economy and our communities.

Those in the Majority would do well to look at how their constituents have “lived within their means” in the last year as we pass this budget that’s 20% larger than last year’s. If New Yorkers managed their finances like their government did we would be in a very bad place, and I only hope the consequences of this budget do not bring about suffering in communities that have worked to be responsible with their resources.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley

Batavia

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County.