Your Say • Readers Write

Dear Editor:

 I am writing to you regarding and in response to this past issue’s “For What It’s Worth” column by Mr. Warren S. Hecht. In short, this article betrays that ignorance which so often underlies the gun debate in this country. Though there are many misleading and untruthful statements therein, I want to point out a couple that are, in my opinion, especially problematic. Firstly, Mr. Hecht cites Premier Trudeau’s quote about AR-15-type weapons not being suitable for either “hunting or sport-shooting purposes.” Aside from the fact that AR-15-style weapons are actually used for hunting and sport-shooting quite frequently, the basis for gun ownership in the United States – while it may be otherwise in Canada – is essentially for purposes of self-defense, as is quite blatant in the Bill of Rights and subsequent Supreme Court decisions, and so I am not sure why Mr. Trudeau’s (false) point is relevant here.

Dear Editor:

 Having been a New York State Asbestos Inspector for 20 years, I am very familiar with the various types of respirators. I noticed there were several inaccuracies in the article about masks by Risselle Naimark that I would like to correct. Ms. Naimark identified the mask with the P100 pink filters as a gas mask, but these filters are only for particulates, not gases or vapors. They filter the same particles as the N95 mask, but theoretically can filter out 100% of the dangerous substances. Different cartridges that filter gases can be attached to the mask and would provide protection from various gases and vapors. The photo of the full-face respirator was called a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR). In truth, it is a full-face respirator, but not a PAPR. The powered air purifying respirator includes this mask and also comes with a separate belt worn on the waist that holds a battery pack to power a small fan that sends filtered air into the mask through an attached hose. This type of device costs $800-900.

Dear Editor:

 Sergey Kadinsky did his usual professional job in covering a news story, this time about the KGH homeowner who stopped a burglar at gunpoint. What is missing from the story is that, thanks to their heroic efforts, all three bandits were apprehended by the police of the 107^th precinct, two the following day. However, thanks to the reckless Bail Reform bill, they did not spend a moment in jail and were immediately released by the judge. I know this from the police directly.

Dear Editor:

As the coronavirus crisis grows and we are asked to shelter in place at home, our daily lives have changed. One constant for my wife and me continues to be Jonathan, our mailman. Despite all the challenges of dealing with the coronavirus, Jonathan comes through, delivering our mail. Receiving and reading the mail has become one of the daily highlights, one which we no longer take for granted. Keeping busy paying bills, making some charitable contributions to food banks and other worthy causes, along with reading our magazines and weekly newspapers delivered to our door, helps us pass the time of day.

Dear Editor:

 Please pass on my thanks to Goldy for this past week’s column about opposites working. A friend of mine was in a similar situation a while back. He’s an older single (48), and I didn’t want him to let this opportunity pass him just because of backgrounds. I gave him the same advice Goldy gave the writer, YY. I sent him the article and he called me back laughing.

Dear Editor:

Warren [Hecht], who would not agree that, during this pandemic, it can only be helpful that one is thinking positively? However, as usual, you find fault with President Trump, whether justified or not.