Letters to the Editor: Gems in our midst
CUTCHOGUE
Gems in our midst
In response to last week’s letter (“Let’s go, ladies!”) I couldn’t agree more that Mary Eisenstein is a force to be reckoned with. She’s made a huge positive impact on the North Fork. But while the writer suggests that more women need to follow Ms. Eisenstein’s example and get involved, I’d like to point out that there are already many dynamic women in our midst, and that our communities are far better because of them.
A shining example can be found in our hamlets’ civic associations, where all but one of the seven groups are led by women. Other women whose accomplishments stand out: Cathy Demeroto, the force behind CAST during its astounding period of growth; Rosemary Winters, director of an unparalleled community, Cutchogue New Suffolk Library; Robin Epperson McCarthy, founder and winemaker of award-winning Chronicle Wines; Southold Town Trustee Elizabeth Peeples and Stefanie Bassett, founders and hard-working operators of Little Ram Oysters; and Kathryn Casey Quigley and Liz Casey, visionary founders and co-executive directors of Peconic Community School.
These are just a few who come immediately to mind. There are many more women here leading the charge in their own way.
Every now and then, it’s good to remind ourselves how lucky we are to have these people — yes, women — in our community, and to celebrate the impact they are making.
Carolyn McCall
ORIENT
A response for my neighbors
Regarding “A Question for my Neighbors” (Dec. 5), I respectfully disagree with the writer’s assessment of Elon Musk and his position in the upcoming administration. Musk does not need any connections or favors to succeed. He is a Renaissance man, brilliant and way ahead of his time. And did you know that there are at least 10 billionaires chosen for Trump’s team? This is a good thing, as they won’t need to make money by insider trading (like Pelosi and others), create wars for profit or become lobbyists and work the system, like the last corrupt administration. President Trump won’t even take a salary. These rich people are outsiders and businesspeople and know how to run things. They are not part of the good ol’ boys club! They will work for the good of Americans! And you call DOGE a faux agency? Why? The federal government wastes at least $247 billion in taxpayer money each year! Mostly in payment errors. Outrageous! And we don’t need some house cleaning? Our government is way too bloated with waste and duplication and needs to be gutted. DOGE will do that, and put the savings to good use, like education, housing, infrastructure, etc., where it is sorely needed.
Barbra LaCorte Latham
SOUTHOLD
Truth isn’t actually up for grabs
While we firmly believe in free speech and acknowledge that letters to the editor are opinions, misinformation only serves to undermine our confidence in the truth (“Still undermining Trump,” Dec. 12).
While the truth appears to be up for grabs, the attack on the U.S. Capitol resulted in fatalities: one rioter and [the] subsequent deaths and injuries of law enforcement officers who responded. Anyone watching the Congressional hearings with the president’s own staff testifying, which were supported by videos, knows the true viciousness and destruction to our Capitol. After inciting the mob, President Donald Trump was in the West Wing watching the events on television and resisting calls to intervene.
We are writing as the steering committee of the Southold Women’s Rally, which will be held in January 2025. We are planning this rally as a warm-up for the People’s March in D.C.
Poppy Johnson, Chris Larkin, Patte McManus, Susan Noonan, Carolyn Peabody, Val Shelby, Lynn Summers, Randy Wade
CUTCHOGUE
Don’t believe your lyin’ eyes
I don’t generally respond to other folks’ letters, but “Still Undermining Trump” (Dec. 12) cries out for a reaction.
On Jan. 6, 2021, evidently like the author of the letter, I turned my TV set on to hear Donald Trump address a crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. As far as I can tell, his rally may have produced the biggest crowd in the history of crowds. These were all peaceful people, gathered to learn that the presidential election had been stolen from the hapless Mr. Trump. Nobody was carrying so much as a nail clipper, much less a firearm. That’s why Mr. Trump instructed security to get rid of the magnetometers. He said, “They’re not here to hurt me!”
Trump never inveigled this record-setting crowd to go down to the Capitol to raise hell. Certainly nothing on the scale of an insurrection. No, indeed. He merely invited these peaceful patriots to march down to the Capitol and spend an afternoon visiting our Congress.
So, down to the Capitol they marched. Clearly, there was no intention of turning this happy rally into causing harm or damage to anything or anyone. You could see them high-fiving and shaking hands with the police who’d invited them into the building without the slightest need to scale a wall. Just, “Come on in. The place is yours.” And, “Nancy’s office is thataway.”
No one threw a fence or barrier at anyone else. Nobody sprayed bear or pepper spray at the cops. C’mon now. That claim is just a fabrication of MSNBC and their doctored videos. Whoever claims these fine citizens did any of those things is obviously manufacturing a fake news story to protect Joe Biden and the fact that he cheated to become president. And for certain, no one attacked a single police officer. Those 140 officers who were injured on that day obviously did it to themselves, mostly by falling down the Capitol steps.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist. So, like the letter writer posited, I’m absolutely convinced that the whole Jan. 6 nonsense was indeed a “setup to get Trump.”
By the way, I also believe in the Tooth Fairy and that Jewish space lasers caused all of those California wildfires.
Michael Levy
