As we approach Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, it seems like an opportune time to revisit FDR’s “Four Freedoms.” For those who have forgotten, or are unfamiliar with the term, it comes from a State of the Union address President Roosevelt made in 1941, 11 months before Pearl Harbor. It dealt with changing our non-intervention policy and addressed the threat to democracies around the world. It is as applicable today as it was then. READ
Opinion
This is in response to the Guest Spot that appeared in the Oct. 11 edition (“Silence in Congress is not leadership we need,” Oct. 11). If you’re expecting a rebuttal of the “facts” go to the sports section now: there is no way anyone could have a discussion of any substance after reading the first two paragraphs of that childish screed. READ
Last Friday morning, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck, the recent history of our country and our state were on full display when hundreds of mourners gathered to honor the life of Sgt. Dennis Reichardt, a retired Suffolk County police officer.
Sgt. Reichardt was the sort of man who was devoted to his job and to public service. He believed in his work. He believed in duty. He believed in things far bigger than himself. READ
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) was among the first political figures to embrace the candidacy of Donald Trump, which he did with the eagerness of a tick embedding itself in a deer’s ear. Mr. Zeldin is proving to be a faithful sycophant to the philanderer-in-chief through his failure to speak out against presidential actions and behavior that threaten the fundamentals of a democratic and constitutional society. READ
In the weeks and months following the July 2015 limousine crash in Cutchogue that left four young women dead, law enforcement pulling over limousines and party buses for inspection became a familiar sight on busy East End weekends. The tragedy made all too clear the danger posed by such large vehicles, in which most passengers are not properly secured with safety belts, and emphasized that much closer attention must be paid to improving safety. READ
At stake on July 17, 1941, was more than an extension of his already-famous hitting streak. When the great Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio arrived that day at Cleveland Stadium, a massive crowd of 67,468 awaited to see if he could extend his hitting streak to 57 games. READ
Last week, buried inside a report released by the Trump administration, a startling prediction about climate change was made public. If nothing is done to put the brakes on rising temperatures, our planet could warm a staggering seven degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. That’s 82 years from now, easily within the lifetimes of current newborns and young children.
A seven-degree rise in Earth’s temperature would be disastrous for cities along our coastlines but an even larger catastrophe for many countries across the planet that would all but be destroyed by the heat, resulting in a massive refugee crisis. READ
To the editor:
I read with a great deal of sadness of the passing of Rich Fiedler (“An artist who defined Greenport,” Sept. 22). I have several of his prints in my office that capture the unique beauty and character of eastern Long Island. Each election year in October, my staff and I would walk the Village of Greenport visiting with local merchants. READ
The renowned physicist Wolfgang Pauli once reviewed a paper that failed to reflect even a basic understanding of the physics involved. His remark has become one of the greatest put-downs of all time: “This isn’t right. It’s not even wrong.” READ
There are few bigger thrills for us as a media organization than our annual People of the Year awards. The winners’ stories of community service, dedication and perseverance are always inspirational.
Choosing the recipients is a painstaking process. It takes several months to compile all the information on the winners and produce the mini-documentaries that we present at the formal awards ceremony in March. But it’s worth it every time when we see their genuine thanks and joy. READ
