Arrested developments
Re Elizabeth Dwoskin's 'Stop-and-Frisk 101' [July 29–August 4]: A well-done story on how the police use their power to police people of color differently and with less respect than they do white communities. Thank you for staying on this story and keeping it at the forefront. Everyone had something to say when the kids were arrested, but there was very little mention in the media that the kids won this battle. Also glad to hear about the teacher and those he was arrested with.
Too bad the school and the students were forced to endure a year and a half with him in the rubber room. Sounds like he is a true educator.
Maria
via internet
It's depressing to know that the Bushwick 32 had to go through this injustice. It makes me fear for my son. Just thinking that, one day, my son will grow up and get stopped by a police officer simply because he's a black man scares me. I'm confident that I'm not the only parent with this fear.
Don't get me wrong. I understand that it is not an easy job to be part of the NYPD, but the department didn't need to add to its horrific reputation by choosing not to investigate. A simple look at a permission slip could have prevented this situation. I wish they could have sued for much more because there's no amount of money that can take away the pain, hurt, and humiliation. I tip my hat off to Brian and Lurie Favors because they have a positive impact on Brooklyn.
Latoya Snell
via internet
This is a great article. It highlights the pandemic and egregious police abuses going on in our communities every day that are unfortunately usually ignored by the media. Thank you.
Beatrice
via internet
Ink-stained retch
Re Michael P. Ventura's 'J-Schoolers Try to Write Out the Storm' [Education Supplement, July 29–August 4]: Give it up, kids. You got suckered into a pile of student loans from Columbia, and you can't even get an entry-level j-job these days covering city councils. Anyone who encourages students to study journalism at this point should be horsewhipped. Sorry to be the fly at the picnic, but it's true.
J.M. Lawrence
via internet
Hazardous material
Re Wayne Barrett's article on the Deutsche Bank fire ['Pants on Fire: Bloomberg's Biggest Scandal,' July 22–28]: Focus on the true cover-up: the fleecing of taxpayers. This project has no contaminated materials; the small amount of asbestos could have been removed in about a week. You could collect soil samples along the West Side Highway and find more toxins.
The cost overruns and the deaths at the bank site should be blamed on the EPA, the LMDC, and the other agencies involved. All of these parties are well aware that out of the hundreds of thousands of air samples taken at the site, there have been only a few that would be considered a little dangerous, and only for someone who was in direct contact with the sample for a prolonged period of time.
The original bid to demolish this building was $15 million total, and the project could have been completed by the one-year anniversary of 9/11. Then the two fireman would still be alive, and the taxpayers would have an extra $300 million to spend on something worthwhile.
Henry Reardon
via internet
CORRECTION
Due to an editing error, Michael P. Ventura's article in the Fall/Winter Education Supplement, 'J-Schoolers Try to Write Out the Storm' [July 29–August 4], inaccurately portrayed the career plans of one of the journalism students interviewed. Chikodi Chima has accepted a job launching a media startup in Bangalore, India, while continuing to run his own website.
