My letters

To the editor:

And now, controversy over Access-A-Ride (“Getting a Free Ride,” Letters, Flatbush Life, Sept. 20). Whenever government is involved in anything, there will always be, naturally, discord over the government action. The less government in our lives, the more we approach a peaceful, civil society. If transportation were provided privately, the public would have no interest in who the passengers were, how much they were charged, and what their destinations were.

Speaking of which, the so-called dollar vans make a profit while charging less than the bus, which loses money. All money-losing bus lines should be turned over to privately operated, for-profit van companies. The public would get better service and the taxpayer would be relieved of the burden of a transit subsidy. Instead of a bus arriving every 20 minutes to pick up 20 passengers, a van would arrive every 5 minutes to pick up 5 passengers. Former bus drivers would benefit, too, since the proliferation of vans would create a demand for many more drivers than there are now. This is where organizations like Straphangers should be directing their efforts, not begging government for transportation crumbs.
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To the editor:

Whatever one may think about whether Saddam Hussein ever was a threat to the US, he certainly is not now (“Over 1,000 Too Many: Residents Want U.S. Troops Home Now,” Park Slope Courier, September 20). American troops in Iraq now serve only one purpose: as targets with “Shoot Me” signs on them. The Libertarian view of the US military is that it should be used only for defense of the American homeland--not for foreign adventurism, not for exporting democracy, not for nation-building, not for expanding the American empire. The troops should be brought home as quickly as possible consistent with a safe withdrawal. A vote for either of the two Demopublican candidates for President is a vote to send more Americans to die for a mistake.
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Sunday, September 12, 2004

To the letters editor:

I agree that dolphins and whales should not be held captive to perform for humans (“Spring Captive Aquarium Whales, Say Protestors,” Park Slope Courier, Sept. 13). These supposedly intelligent beasts have social organization in the wild, and probably miss being with their families, as many humans do.

If the animals that perform at Sea World are so smart, their relatives in the wild might have a place called Land World, where humans are kept captive and forced to perform. Perhaps Amelia Earhart was rescued by dolphins and whales and now entertains at Land World by giving lectures on air navigation at sea. Perhaps Capt. Smith of the Titanic was rescued and now explains how to steer huge ships through treacherous ice fields.

If these animals are so smart, why can’t they figure out how to get themselves sprung? If I were captive at Land World, I would act dumb as a tuna and refuse to perform, until I was released as useless. I would only hope that the marine equivalent of political correctness would prevent me being punished for my recalcitrance.
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My letters

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Sunday, September 12, 2004

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