Rockville Centre Herald Letters Sept. 9, 2010

Teaching was an unforgettable honor

To the Editor:

It is truly a rare gift to be involved in an occupation that changes one's life for the better and forever. I am the lucky recipient of this unique situation. Teaching physical education and coaching young people has been my passion for the past 35 years. The relationships, rewards and satisfaction that I have achieved, both with students and parents, makes me the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

This letter is my way to say thanks to the many people who were involved in making my career an absolute dream. I thank the family that always backed me, the administration and colleagues who always worked with me, the parents who trusted me to guide their children and the students who helped me develop. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!

Teaching for 35 years was an unforgettable honor. I am thankful for the great memories.

"Mr. C"

Thomas Cavaliere

Rockville Centre

Dillon’s pro-life stance ended his career, but saved his soul

To the Editor:

I give thanks to God for the life and faith of Denis Dillon, who passed away on Aug. 15. He was a man of honesty and integrity who fought for justice throughout his life. His faith in God demanded no less of him.

Dillon's commitment to justice was first demonstrated by his efforts on behalf of our African-American brethren during the civil rights movement in the South in the 1960s. His 31years of service as Nassau County district attorney were beyond reproach. However, it was his fight for the right to life of the unborn child that was his greatest achievement.

Throughout his tenure as Nassau D.A., Denis continually, and publicly, demonstrated against abortion. He picketed the abortion mills and unequivocally demanded that the lives of unborn children be spared. People would protest: This is a violation of the principle of separation of church and state. We can't have a district attorney imposing his religious beliefs on us.

During the 1980s and '90s, as Dillon was continually re-elected, his political star became brighter and brighter. The sky was the limit. The only "problem" was his outspoken opposition to abortion. He was asked to tone it down. Everyone knows you are pro-life; just don't keep bringing it up. Let someone else carry the pro-life banner; you might be governor one day.

Dillon refused. He quoted Matthew 16:26: "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul." If his support of the unborn child damaged him politically, so be it. For individuals of faith, it cannot be any other way.

I believe that every soul in this generation will be asked by an aborted child what they did in the fight against abortion. I believe the same type of question was asked 150 years ago by a murdered slave about slavery.

Because of Denis Dillon's fidelity to the unborn child, his rise up the political ranks came to a grinding halt. But much more importantly, he retained his soul. Isaiah, 55:10-13 speaks to the faithfulness of souls like Dillon who do God's will. Upon his death, the mountains began to sing and the trees began to clap to welcome this great champion of the unborn child.

Robert L. Dougherty

Garden City

Becker gets what Americans want

To the Editor:

We have reached another tipping point in our country. I'm 52 years old and I feel that I have legitimate perspective on our country and the direction in which we are going. For 30 years I have run businesses on Long Island and around the country. I have had over 6,000 employees and have interacted with both public and private companies.

In my opinion, the current administration and Congress have never been more out of touch with the national and international demands of a competitive business environment. People do vote with their conscience, but they vote with their pocketbooks as well. The belligerent attitude of the far left in the White House and Congress is shutting down our spirit and the interest business has in hiring or expanding.

It is for these reasons and too many to express here that we need common-sense legislators like Fran Becker in Congress. He is a businessman with high ethical values. He is committed to community and has his ear to the ground. I have spoken with him directly before endorsing him. He truly understands the distinct difference with what is happening now in the "entitlement" country that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are building and the country that Americans really want to work hard for.

Americans really do not want a free ride, and Becker gets it. Let the American dream live again. Let Congress hear loudly what Americans really want.

Glenn Edwards

Rockville Centre

Scaturro's right for Congress

To the Editor:

It is extremely rare to find someone

running for office who is as talented, knowledgeable and caring as Frank Scaturro. A few months ago, my wife, Geri, and I had the pleasure of meeting Frank and his family and listening to his plans and proposals.

Frank's ideas for lessening the tax burden that each of us must bear by simplifying the tax code, eliminating wasteful spending and reducing the national debt is something that has been a long time coming. His strategy to encourage new and appropriate businesses by eliminating barriers to business growth and thereby creating new jobs and new tax sources is something that every municipality needs. What is very important, too, is that Frank's ideas speak to what each of us faces every day in our lives, our homes, our families and our work. Frank is definitely the right person to represent all of us in Congress.

I can proudly say that Geri and I are voting for Frank Scaturro in the Republican primary on Tuesday. He will truly represent us.

Edward DeLucie

Valley Stream

DeLucie is a former Valley Stream village trustee.

Day laborer site needs a hand

To the Editor:

Regarding Scott Brinton's column "Immigration reform, up close and personal" (Sept. 2-8): Thank you to Brinton for writing such a thought-provoking, informative column based on his experiences. It makes me so happy to read compassionate pieces about immigration.

This past March I formed a non-profit organization called Coloki Inc. (an acronym for COmpassion, LOve, KIndness) in order to reopen the Freeport trailer hiring site for day laborers, which closed in May owing to a loss of funding. I volunteered there in the winter of 2008-09, and when its doors closed this spring, I began to seek out a group or charity to continue operations at the trailer, to no avail. So I formed Coloki to continue helping the area's day laborers.

These men are wonderful people with a tremendous work ethic and a sense of joy that is hard to believe given their circumstances. I have long believed that the problem many people have with these men stems from fear and, for lack of a better word, ignorance. I hope to afford people the opportunity to get to know them as I do in order to dispel those fears.

So far we have survived on a grant from the Hagedorn Foundation and donations from my family and friends. We are able to provide free coffee and usually have some type of meal that the men are able to whip up, depending on donations and our faithful rice cooker. In addition to shelter and bathroom facilities while waiting for work, we provide assistance with obtaining picture ID's and, more important, recouping unpaid wages. I hope to re-implement ESL classes, which is how I started as a volunteer, but I have been too busy as the number of people using the trailer and their needs have grown.

It is an interesting place, and our door is always open to visitors. I recently visited a successful hiring site/community center in Mt. Kisco, which receives much of its support from the local community. I'm afraid our community doesn't know we exist, and I would love to remedy that.

Liz O'Shaughnessy

Executive Director

Coloki Inc.

Freeport