Majority of New Yorkers favor same-sex marriage Re: “New York’s ‘Luv Gov’ must go,” From Readers, July 8
In light of the fact that so many social conservatives relish wearing their religion on their sleeves, it would seem that simply telling the truth should be a no-brainer for them. Yet that apparently was not the case when Gerry Jones blasted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for his successful efforts to pass same-sex marriage in his state.
Jones says Cuomo did so “by forcing through something most of them do not want.” But that is simply not true, as he must know. Every reputable poll has shown a healthy majority of New Yorkers in favor, despite what right-wing polls-for-hire purport, and that is why it passed. Kudos to the four Republican senators who voted for it.
It must be shocking for Jones and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to lose their ability to deny legal equality to people they don’t like, but we are a free country, or at least strive to be. Some day same-sex marriage will be the law of the land in every state.
Jones also needs a history lesson about what he calls “the single most important institution in human history.” What he and others consider “traditional marriage” has been traditional for just a few hundred years. In the past thousand years, marriage has meant polygamy, forced marriage, political alliance, child brides, harems, woman as property, and of course, widespread adultery. Fortunately those “traditions” didn’t last, and neither will denial of equal legal rights for gay couples.
David Lampo
Alexandria
To stop black violence, defund Planned Parenthood
Re: “Black community must solve violence problem”, From Readers, July 7
Terrance Smith says President Obama can’t solve the problem of violence in the black community, and that blacks must do it themselves. Black violence has several sources, including discrimination, but the primary source is Planned Parenthood’s attempt to eliminate black families by offering free contraception for four decades. When that failed, they started aborting black babies.
The result is that Planned Parenthood, which is supported by the U.S. government, has almost destroyed the black family so children do not learn basic morality, including the rights of others. Instead they learn from PP that life is cheap.
So Step 1 in reducing violence is for Obama to stop funding it.
John Naughton
Silver Spring
Levee failure caused most damage in New Orleans
Re: “Debate in New Orleans focuses on school governance,” July 4
Most of our public schools in New Orleans are much better than they were before Hurricane Katrina, despite the politicians fighting for control of our city’s education money. Still, education is one of our biggest problems. Specifically, journalists need to better educate themselves on the facts on which their reports are based.
In this article for example, the reporter attributes New Orleans’ flood devastation to the hurricane. But our canal levees fell down long before they were overtopped.
Well-educated forensic scientists and a federal judge determined that if it weren’t for gross engineering negligence, there would have been no devastation in New Orleans. The judge decided the levee designers were responsible for causing the damage, but cannot be held accountable because of the 1928 Flood Control Act.
Why do journalist still get that part of the story horribly wrong?
Ray Broussard
New Orleans
