Teachers and campus antisemitism, reckless driving, plastic recycling, Huntington pet store closing

Teachers: Educate, but don’t influence

As a teacher, I am fascinated and also scared about how those in charge of educating the next generation of American leaders at our institutions of “higher education” are hired for their current roles [“Universities house antisemitism again,” Opinion, Dec. 7].

A teacher has the obligation to educate, not influence. If you don’t understand the facts and can’t maintain a neutral position, don’t talk about the issue at all. Let today’s youth make their own decisions, without being a corrupting voice in their heads.

I pose a question to the professors leading the charge and filling the minds of America’s most impressionable people with blatant antisemitism, bias and downright ignorance.

What if your country had been under attack since the day of its inception — and before?

What if your neighborhood had been savagely attacked?

What if your neighbors were kidnapped by an internationally recognized terrorist organization?

What would you do?

Maybe “justice” is a term that applies only to whom they want it to apply to.

— Marc Aronin, Oceanside

The writer taught religious studies for 15 years.

Human history is littered with unspeakable acts of depravity made against fellow humans on a mass scale from biblical times through today. In the past century alone, history is replete with about a dozen acts of genocidal insanity against others.

As a proud and unapologetic Jew, I was shaken to the core by the shameless, perverted acts perpetrated by Hamas against innocent men, women and children in Israel. Israel has no choice but to erase Hamas, its ideology and proxies to mitigate future inevitable carnage.

As a physician and caring human, my heart aches from the death of innocent Palestinians. But, sadly, this sickening collateral damage seems unavoidable, and although imperfect as it may be, Israel is a moral society and is doing its best to mitigate these losses.

Those who strive to draw moral equivalencies between the wicked Hamas and those of Israel sadly are merely unveiling their intrinsic hatred of the Jewish people. One can only hope that humans can one day evolve into caring beings.

— Dr. Joel Reiter, Woodbury

Don’t give reckless drivers any leeway

Now, five license suspensions are needed to charge a reckless driver with a felony instead of 10 [“Hochul signs bill named after Holbrook girl,” News, Dec. 14]. Really?

If public safety is Gov. Kathy Hochul’s “top priority,” this is a ridiculous number. How about one and done. Maybe then, more Angelicas would stay alive.

— Sandy Goldsmith, Lawrence

Impeachment inquiry wastes time, money

It’s amazing that Long Island’s House Republicans voted to proceed with the impeachment inquiry vote against President Joe Biden with no evidence of a crime [“House Biden inquiry gets OK,” News, Dec. 14]. What a waste of time and taxpayer money.

— Mary McKenna, North Bellmore

Make plastic recycling numbers easy to see

The article “Looking for ways to improve LI recycling” [News, Dec. 11] aroused one of my pet peeves. Over the years, I’ve read how important the recycling of plastic waste is. I agree and am a strong advocate for recycling solid waste.

However, when it comes to plastic waste, I’m frustrated and upset at the plastics industry. Only plastics coded Nos. 1 and 2 and 5 are commonly recyclable. Why can’t these numbers be displayed larger and/or in an obvious location? I frequently need a magnifying glass, especially trying to differentiate between 5 and 6.

Sometimes, I cannot even find a number. Is it because the number is in an obscure place or is it just non-recyclable? It’s frustrating.

Here’s another peeve of mine: Why is the No. 6 plastic, which I understand is non-recyclable, even used in food packaging?

So, before the public is castigated for its low plastic recycling rate, perhaps the environmental agencies concerned about this issue should not only look to better educate the public but also make it easier to recycle more efficiently.

— Michael Smiles, Islip

Sad to say goodbye to store and its pets

How sad that Selmer’s Pet Land closed its doors in Huntington Station on Monday [“After 84 years, LI pet store closes,” News, Dec. 9].

All of my birds were purchased there. We picked out our cockatiels in an open area where all the baby birds were placed. I would ask shop owner Al Selmer for his opinion on which bird to buy and always had a healthy bird who lived for years.

After I retired and always having wanted to work with animals, I returned to the store seeking a job.

Instead, Selmer suggested I volunteer at the Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown. For the next 10 years, that is what I did.

This store will be missed.

— Adrienne Horowitz, Old Bethpage