Cause for Concern
East Hampton
February 3, 2025
Dear David,
Last week we hit a worrisome milestone at the East Hampton Food Pantry, where I volunteer every Tuesday. Between our distribution line on Tuesday and deliveries to local senior housing complexes on Wednesday, we served over 1,000 individuals.
That’s cause for concern on several levels. Logistically, we’re almost out of space to store the staple bags we make each week. I hear we might be able to get another trailer and I hope that can happen.
The high number is also scary, because, if memory serves from last year, we can expect even more clients in the last months of the winter before seasonal jobs kick in. We’re lucky, I guess, because our client numbers do dip once the season is in full swing. I think other pantries UpIsland that are also seeing big numbers don’t have the same ebb and flow.
Another worry? Islandwide donations to food pantries are way down and I fear the same is true at the East Hampton Food Pantry.
What’s never down, it seems, is the enthusiasm of our “dream team.” My fellow volunteers are amazing in their willingness to work outdoors giving out food in all kinds of weather — from August scorchers to January freezes. It’s a highlight of my week, being with them, and watching their unflagging positivity. I can’t recommend signing up for a couple of hours enough. It would be awesome if your readers could find it in their hearts to make donations, too.
In the meantime, here’s hoping for spring’s rapid arrival.
SCOTT BEINHACKER
Prince to All
Water Mill
January 27, 2025
To the Editor:
I write to you in thanks for publishing this letter in your publication. I cannot say more than what Bruce Buschel said in his “Guestwords” in your paper (“R.I.P. Danny Murray,” Jan. 23), and I could not say it any more elegantly — the man was a real prince to all!
If in fact, anyone decides to do anything to commemorate Danny’s passing, I would like to be included, whatever it might be — a plaque on the first hole or when you enter his restaurant or on his lunch counter or at the register on the way out.
Danny had many who loved him: Please keep him in mind.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks again,
PAUL and SHELLEY LINDENAUER
Stay Alert
East Hampton
February 3, 2025
To the Editor:
We, Concerned Neighbors of Long Island, are a group of American citizens and permanent residents of Long Island’s East End deeply troubled by the possibility that federal agents, acting under directives from the Trump administration, may seek to interview, detain, or deport members of Long Island’s Latino communities who lack proper documentation for residence or work in the United States.
Our beliefs:
The vast majority of undocumented Latinos are responsible, law-abiding, taxpaying individuals who, for years, often decades, have made significant positive contributions to our community’s economy and culture. Removing these individuals would cause considerable harm to our local economy and community life.
Regardless of the letter of the law, the contributions these immigrants have made render it inhumane and counterproductive to uproot them from their homes, deprive them of their livelihoods, separate families, and deport them often to countries where their lives may be in danger.
Similar to how abortion policies have recognized the primacy of local decision-making, we believe our community not the federal government is best positioned to determine whether these individuals deserve their place in our midst. Therefore, local authorities and police departments on Long Island should not cooperate with federal agents attempting to interview, detain, or deport immigrants based solely on their lack of documentation, except in the case of convicted felons.
What can each of us do about it?
We encourage citizens in each town and village on Long Island to ask their local officials the following questions: Does the town or village have a formal policy regarding cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement? What guidelines exist for local police cooperation with ICE, and can data be provided on past cases of such cooperation? Would the town or village consider adopting policies that limit ICE access to local resources and facilities, such as police departments? Will the town or village require judicial warrants before complying with ICE detention requests?
What alternative measures can be taken to protect undocumented immigrants while addressing public safety concerns? What steps are being taken to build trust with the immigrant community, and are there plans to provide legal assistance or rapid-response programs for undocumented immigrants? How can town residents participate in shaping immigration policies to reflect community values?
Be well informed regarding local policy. We strongly encourage concerned citizens in each town and village on Long Island to request meetings with their local officials, including chiefs of police, at the earliest opportunity to discuss these critical issues in detail.
There is no law requiring local officials to cooperate with federal authorities in carrying out immigration policy. You, the residents of Long Island, know your community’s values best and should have a voice in shaping those values!
We believe we must all stay alert to how the new administration is impacting our communities. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us at [email protected].
On behalf of Concerned Neighbors of Long Island:
JOAN CASPI
FRED DOSS
TIM FRAZIER
JOAN OVERLOCK
JUDITH SCHNEIDER
TESS WACHS
NORBERT WEISSBERG
Exit Strategy
Amagansett
January 30, 2025
To the Editor:
I wanted to share a vision I had of the future of the town’s Democratic Party — talking to you, Voldemort and Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez.
All the guardrails are gone, and your assumption that we will all keep voting Democrat because there is no alternative has become invalid. The same people you have been defeating by a huge majority every two years will run a slate which will suddenly shine in (gaudy) reflected light from Washington. Some of your voters won’t come out and some will switch sides.
What have you built to tide the local party over through the hard times? You have no visible beliefs or values, no charisma, and no loyalty to your base. You drove all of the people who had these qualities out of local government.
I flash on the functionaries of an authoritarian government about to fall, loading up their Gulfstreams with bullion, jewels, and furs. I can only imagine that’s what the new senior center is, in some way we don’t understand yet — someone’s exit strategy. It’s certainly not a strategy for being re-elected.
For democracy in East Hampton,
JONATHAN WALLACE
Tax Burden
Wainscott
February 3, 2025
Dear David;
There are many letters to The Star regarding the new senior center. The cost is surely a concern to the taxpayer, but is not mentioned.
The Vegas casino design is questionable, especially since a local architect offered plans for free but it was rejected. Why is a good question.
The designer addressed the 25-foot ceilings and stated that she will only heat and cool a low portion, defying the laws of physics. The solar panels will lower the energy costs; however, they have a shelf life of 20 to 30 years and there is a loss of output. They are affected by heavy snow and possible debris damage.
Not one word about the maintenance? Does that require a commercial window company and at what cost? Isn’t the current center cleaned by the wonderful staff who cater to all of us who attend? The staff there may not be able to shoulder this burden. Not one word about the tax burden placed on the residents of the entire town.
The remote additional parking lot is 150 feet away. How difficult will it be for some who attend to navigate, especially in foul weather? The town residents who will shoulder the tax burden have a right to know! Where is the transparency?
Respectfully,
ARTHUR FRENCH
Testing the Water
Springs
February 1, 2025
To the Editor,
What do you call an elected official who prioritizes political considerations over the public good? The simple answer is: a politician. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a theoretical question, but a harsh reality that affects us all. Public health, which should be the top priority of any elected official, is increasingly being sidelined by political maneuvering — and in East Hampton, this question is particularly relevant.
At the core of this issue is the ongoing failure to pursue a vital initiative that was set in motion by the previous administration: testing the groundwater in areas adjacent to East Hampton’s largest industrial zone and the town recycling center. Why has this essential public health measure been stalled? Why hasn’t the current administration pursued it with the urgency it deserves?
Let’s break it down: East Hampton, like many towns, has seen industrial growth over the years. With this growth comes the inevitable risk of contamination, particularly when it comes to groundwater — the source of drinking water for countless town residents. Groundwater testing was not just an idea; it was part of a plan that would have ensured the safety of that water. It would have provided vital data to identify and mitigate any potential contaminants before they reached the public’s taps.
Yet this plan has not only been delayed but seemingly buried. Why? Political considerations, it seems, may have more weight than protecting the health of constituents. Whether it’s budgetary constraints, bureaucratic inertia, fear of being litigated by industries, or simple political point-scoring, the result is the same: Residents remain at risk.
The job of an elected official is clear: Public health and safety must always come first. When political concerns override this basic responsibility, it’s no longer about serving the public: It’s about protecting a political agenda and the prospects of being re-elected. And in East Hampton, the cost of this oversight could be far-reaching, potentially compromising the health of those who trusted their leaders to prioritize their well-being.
It is time for the current administration to step up, cast aside political gamesmanship, and push forward with the groundwater testing initiative. Public health cannot be a bargaining chip in the political arena. If elected officials cannot protect our most basic need — clean, safe water — then perhaps it’s time to question their true priorities.
The public deserves transparency, action, and above all, accountability. This is not about politics — it’s about people. And it’s time for East Hampton’s leaders to remember that.
FRANK RIINA
Irreplaceable
Amagansett
February 3, 2025
David,
To all East Hampton taxpayers: Your tax dollars have just been used by the town to level a beautiful seven-acre forest that was the home of an endangered species that is almost extinct everywhere else but happened to live in East Hampton, the brown-eared bat. This alone should have stopped anybody who cared about conservation or nature but not Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who is turning out to be a destroyer of beautiful, irreplaceable places, especially in Amagansett.
Her claims to support the environment are completely hollow, as she has now not only destroyed the home of this endangered species, but she has radically endangered two-thirds of East Hampton’s water supply. If you get your water by well or public water and you live in Springs, Amagansett, northern East Hampton, Napeague, or Montauk you are completely dependent on the water quality of the Stony Hill aquifer. The only way to protect an aquifer is to buy the land above it to protect it from development and pollution from septic systems.
The most critical area of an aquifer to protect is the high moraine, yet the town board led by Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez failed to buy five vital high moraine parcels, in complete violation of the town comprehensive plan: the 20-acre Mary Stone piece, the five-acre Saskas (formerly Barnes), the Bobby Flay piece, and the Dick Smolian piece. At the end of Timber Trail, Larry Kane’s latest 10,000-square-foot spec house now hangs over the Baker kettlehole, one of the most spectacular natural monuments in the Stony Hill woods. The town board led by Kathee Burke-Gonzalez failed to buy almost 40 acres of vital high morainal land because they were too cheap in every case, despite the highest importance to all of our water. Yet Ms. Burke-Gonzalez wants to blow $30 million to $40 million of our town tax dollars on a building virtually nobody wants. One of the reasons Tom Flight voted against the Monroe resolution exempting Ms. Burke-Gonzalez’s pet project from all town zoning and planning laws was that he is the town board’s representative to the Amagansett citizens advisory committee, where he asked 14 senior citizens how they felt about the project and every one of them said they were against it.
Our town comprehensive plan mandates the town board to “take forceful measures to protect and reduce human impacts to high quality ground drinking water resources, which exist beneath the land east of Accabonac Road, south of Red Dirt Road, north of the Railroad tracks and inland from Gardiner’s Bay.” The comprehensive plan mandates “protecting the old growth American Beech Forest, rare on Long Island, corresponding to high quality drinking water resources, close to the most populated areas of East Hampton Town.” The Comprehensive Plan mandates the town to “Establish a multi hamlet Priority drinking water protection area in Stony Hill, generally west of Accabonac Road, south of Red Dirt Road, east of Old Stone Highway, and adjacent to Stony Hill Road, and recommend all the land within this area be included for acquisition on the community preservation fund list.” This land meets all five criteria for protecting groundwater resources described in the “Specific Criteria for Acquisition and Rezoning Recommendations” section of this plan. The land is within the New York State Special Groundwater Protection Area, is within the East Hampton Water Recharge Overlay District, is within the five-foot groundwater contour boundary, contains and contributes recharge to the Red Dirt Road water authority well field, and is covering high quality groundwater within an area containing a large block of protected open space.
The Stony Hill region is of critical importance due to its central location to the town’s large population areas, including the hamlet of Springs. Establishing the Stony Hill region as a multi hamlet priority drinking water protection area will help to protect high quality drinking water supplies for a large number of people in East Hampton. The highest level of protection, acquisition, is recommended for all the parcels within this area.
But our town board utterly failed to protect our water, despite the fact that Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez said, “Water quality is critical.” Her hypocrisy is quite apparent, as the board was too cheap to buy these vital lands for the protection of our water quality, which as many of us know, is one of the highest priorities of most East Hampton citizens. And now Ms. Burke-Gonzalez wants to blow $30 million to $40 million (with the guaranteed East End cost overruns) of our dollars. Your taxes are about to go through the roof for a pet project of Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez that violates all town zoning and planning laws.
Sincerely,
ALEXANDER PETERS
Amagansett Springs Aquifer Protection
Have no Control
Montauk
February 3, 2025
To the Editor:
Your comment “Unfortunately, existing town rules about amplified music are almost never enforced” (“Love the Beer, Hate the Noise,” Jan. 30) is an issue being assigned to the applicant over which they have no control, nor do they have control over a subsequent tenant. Even so, you badger them over matters they don’t control. So why not simply ask them to acknowledge and comply with existing laws? And if you want to complain about not enforcing a noise ordinance then hold the noise ordinance enforcement police accountable.
HANK SUOMINEN
Blocked
Amagansett
February 2, 2025
To the Editor,
Cranberry Hole bridge has an admirer in the Amagansett Fire Commissioners’ chairman, Jack Emptage, just like it was the week after the second closing of the bridge. Performance bond, fix the bridge, have the Metropolitan Transportation Agency and town figure it out in mediation, or simply in court. Perhaps the chairman can tell us how he feels about emergency access being blocked on Bay View Avenue for almost 2,400 days.
March 6, the town board will hold its public hearing for the protection district and funds to be allocated to the fire district. Check the resolutions for this week. Today will mark the one-year anniversary the Amagansett School’s hierarchy decided to file a 3020A against the principal, Maria Dorr. Where are the waivers, exemption, allowance from the commissioner? This would be for four individuals to be named acting principal that same day. Nothing produced to date so far.
Still here,
JOE KARPINSKI
Price of Eggs
Montauk
January 29, 2025
Dear David,
Word on the internet is that Trump, Musk, Bezos, and their health adviser, R.F.K., have cornered the market on the price of eggs!
Yesterday, I went to buy a dozen eggs at my local I.G.A. and found that there were no more dozen eggs for sale. So I was forced to buy six eggs for $6.99. Yes, they were free range organic — not that they taste any different from working class eggs.
I am sure that Donald Trump gets his McDonald’s treats for free but Americans do not. I can no longer afford to buy my beloved bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a roll at my local deli due to the huge increase in the price of eggs.
What is Trump going to do to bring down this huge inflationary spiral? Is this a harbinger of what Americans can expect when he imposes his tariffs on foreign imports? To date, eggs from Greenland are quite cheap. Is bacon or whale meat next?
Cheers,
BRIAN POPE
Gulf of Gaines
Wainscott
January 30, 2025
Dear David:
Due to public demand, I’m proud to announce that Georgica Pond will be renamed Gulf of Gaines beginning Feb. 1, 2025. If you have any problems about this there will be a tariff at Citarella.
Modestly,
STEVEN GAINES
An Executive Order
East Hampton
January 31, 2025
To the Editor,
I’m taking a short break from excuse-making and I’ve issued an executive order to my cartographers. I grew up in Scarsdale, just north of Levittown, which people even in my own family insist on calling Hicksville.
Well, no more. We are going to make Scarsdale great again! We will no longer be a laughingstock!
TOM MACKEY
Mount Rushmore
Plainview
January 30, 2025
To the Editor,
Now that Donald Trump is succeeding at changing Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America,” I wonder if he’d have the nerve to change his own name to either George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, or Theodore Roosevelt so that he could then replace a truly great president’s face carved into Mount Rushmore with his own?
RICHARD SIEGELMAN
Bought, Sold
Riverhead
January 28, 2025
To the Editor:
Most who have any recollection of high school history will remember that the Silk Road was the connection of all trade routes between China and the Far East to Europe. The 21st-century iteration of the Silk Road was an internet site, found only on the dark web, founded by Ross Ulbricht.
Historically, merchants bought, sold, and traded goods along the silk road in the various bazaars set up for that purpose. Mr. Ulbricht simply modified the concept by creating an online bazaar whose main purpose was to facilitate the sale of illicit drugs, paid for in crypto. The government ultimately unwound this rather sophisticated “drug bazaar,” resulting in Mr. Ulbricht’s conviction on seven counts, including distribution of narcotics and conspiring to launder money.
Mr. Ulbricht grossed over $200 million during the years the Silk Road was active, making him the most successful entrepreneur of the illegal drug trade in history. The marketplace also hawked multiple forms of contraband, including fake driver’s licenses and contract hacking. Government investigators identified six people they said overdosed and died from drugs they bought on Mr. Ulbricht’s site. Notably, during his trial it came to light that Mr. Ulbricht had allegedly commissioned and paid for five murders to protect his criminal enterprise. In the presentation of evidence, prosecutors proffered certain 2013 chat messages in which Mr. Ulbricht said, “never killed a man or had one killed before, but it is the right move in this case.” He was convicted in 2013 and subsequently sentenced to two life terms. The sentence was severe because of the evidence concerning the contracts for murders, even though they were not carried out.
If pardoning of the Jan. 6 rioters is not really a concern for you, the simultaneous action by President Trump in pardoning this criminal mastermind conspirator should be. It is well documented that the president has developed a recent fascination with crypto. The consideration tendered to Mr. Ulbricht for the purchase of drugs and other illegal products was in crypto, thus making him one of the leading crypto experts. Just a coincidence, I guess.
PETER H. MAYER III
Will Cause Chaos
Springs
February 3, 2025
Dear David,
Some people think Donald Trump’s tariffs will be good for the American economy. But tariffs are a new tax on almost everything we buy. They are paid for by consumers. Why? Because United States importers pass the cost along to us. With 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10 percent tariffs on China, you better believe prices at the grocery store will skyrocket on fruits and veggies (Mexico) and common household goods (China). Also on electronics (China), cars (many American cars, like General Motors, are made in Mexico), oil and gas (Canada), and lumber (Canada).
Even The Wall Street Journal, which often has supported Mr. Trump, thinks his tariffs will cause chaos — not just boosting prices for consumers but also costing jobs, hurting businesses, and spooking investors. When Canada, Mexico, and China retaliate with slapping tariffs on U.S. goods — and they will — that will hurt American businesses that trade with those countries. And stock markets don’t like the chaos of trade wars. Interest rates will rise, making it harder to invest in businesses or buy homes. (Mr. Trump already canceled an interest-rate cut planned before he took office.)
New Yorkers will really get hit. Like 32 other states, Canada is New York State’s biggest trading partner for exports. We import more goods from either Canada or China (depending on your source of information) than anywhere else. But the whole U.S. economy will take a hit, because China, Canada, and Mexico are the top import partners for 42 out of 50 states and top export partners for 44 states. Ouch.
So when prices at the store or the pump go up, when your business takes a hit, or you lose your job, don’t blame Biden or “D.E.I.” Blame it on the guy without a clue about international trade who just took a wrecking ball to the U.S. economy.
Yours,
FRANCESCA RHEANNON
Freezes’ Effects
East Hampton
February 3, 2025
Dear David:
Promises, Promises.
Our congressman, Nick LaLota, has publicly cheered the freezes on federal expenditures foisted on Americans last week. Mr. LaLota brags that the freezes honor promises he made during his last campaign. But Mr. LaLota hasn’t a clue of the effects these freezes will have on his constituents, including us.
First, the freeze on any expenditures by the National Institutes of Health threatens all the medical research and related activity being conducted at Stony Brook University. This means no additional grant money for already-approved medical research or federal support for the operation of the hospital. The ensuing financial strain will undoubtedly affect jobs at one of the county’s largest employers.
Next, the announced freeze of all other federal expenditures will cause wide-ranging harm to Mr. LaLota’s district, and the East End in particular. Under this freeze, Brookhaven National Laboratory will lose the federal funding that helps to support its operations, threatening jobs at another of the largest employers in Mr. LaLota’s district.
As for us, The Star has already noted that The Retreat, which depends on federal support for 40 percent of its operating budget, will lose that support, in turn threatening the support it offers to those under its care, most of whom are East End residents. And there are other community programs that will likely suffer.
The freeze threatens existing federal support for the commercial and sportfishing businesses that flourish here. Critical for the East End’s survival, the freeze threatens the work being done by the Army Corps of Engineers to replenish our beaches. The freeze has also suspended payments for state reimbursements to hospitals and other providers for services provided under the federal Medicaid program, putting health care for all of us at risk. While courts have enjoined this freeze, compliance with the court orders is unclear.
I hope that this is not what the next two years of Mr. LaLota’s promise to “work for us” will look like?
Sincerely,
BRUCE COLBATH
Experience Drain
East Hampton
February 3, 2025
Dear David,
The morning after the airplane-helicopter collision killing 65 people, with no evidence or even rumor to justify it, Donald Trump went to his answer for all things, D.E.I. did it, and growled about ordering an investigation into Federal Aviation Administration hiring practices. Had he not already purged a competent head of the F.A.A., he might have known that there are no diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations for air traffic controllers.
In 2022, there were 57,000 applicants for the air traffic training process; 2,400 got through the rigorous medical, aptitude, and psychological testing process to be admitted to the A.T.C. Academy. Of those, only 1,000 make it through the first day. On average, 72 percent make it through the academy and 60 percent survive through the three-to-five-year training program to become air traffic controllers.
After all this expensive training, these people are among those Mr. Trump belittled and invited to resign on day one of his tenure. Maybe wear a helmet and a St. Christopher medal when you board your next flight. Contemplate the talent and experience drain that must inevitably result as Mr. Trump unleashes this indiscriminate, scatter-gun assault on every branch of our government.
Donald Trump has no understanding of expertise learned through experience. From his own words we know that “loyalty” is his main (and perhaps only) criterion in hiring. Only brown-nosers need apply. This has been glaringly demonstrated as one after another of his appointments to lead government departments have been befuddled by basic questions germane to the jobs he tapped them for: Health and Human Services candidate who doesn’t understand the difference between Medicare and Medicaid; Federal Bureau of Investigation nominee who has a history of believing and repeating conspiracy theories; Department of Defense candidate with a well-documented drinking problem, now confirmed despite his failure and flameout running two small veterans groups. (Hope war does not break out after 5 p.m.) He has promised to stop drinking, but maybe appoint a general to ensure that he makes his Alcoholics Anonymous meetings?
We are about to find out if a great nation can prosper while being led by sycophants who are well aware that speaking any unwelcome truth to this boss will get them fired. The entire Republican caucus demonstrates this lesson as they meekly vote yes for a parade of ridiculous nominees.
DON MATHESON
Banality of Evil
East Hampton
February 3, 2025
Dear David,
Many thanks to The Star and Christopher Gangemi’s courageous reporting in his Jan. 2 article “Village to Have ‘Eyes’ on All Who Enter.” Your editorial on the subject and Denis Hartnett’s Jan. 30 piece “ ‘Sensitive Areas’ No Longer Safe From Raids” was equally needed and offered transparency that we’re not getting from our village politicians, religious leaders, authorities such as the police, business leaders, and our village chamber of commerce leadership.
The two articles and issues are interconnected — as you argued in your editorial, the new Flock surveillance system instituted by the village board in its Dec. 18 meeting will take local data into a nationwide watch system recording people’s comings and goings, whether they are suspected of a crime or not. “There are privacy concerns as well as whether the data retention is a form of unwarranted surveillance.” Two private $30,000 donations from the East Hampton Village Foundation to fund Flock are being used to provide public policing tools without any sort of citizen participation, input, or checks.
Couple this with Elon Musk’s team now having access to the United States Treasury’s payments system and we’re well on our way to a full-blown “Big Brother is everywhere” state as Village Police Chief Erickson put it in Mr. Gangemi’s article. To quote the chief, “Certainly, from a law enforcement perspective, it will be a huge help.” I’m sure it will.
Musk, as he put it, now “has access to our Social Security and Medicare benefits, grants, payments to government contractors, including those that compete with Musk’s own companies. All of it.” That should concern every single reader of The Star since every single reader would be affected.
As to Musk’s “Heil Hitler” salute and support for neo-Nazi far right politicians in Germany — no waffling by the Germans of the sort seen here in the States. Their leading paper has said: “A Heil Hitler salute is a Heil Hitler salute is a Heil Hitler salute.” They should know — it’s illegal in Germany.
I attended a church service at Judson Memorial Church this past Sunday in the city. Prominently hung at the entrance to the church was a sign saying that immigration officials will not be allowed access to the church without a legal federal warrant. Which of East Hampton’s places of worship have put up or will put up a sign like that? Which of East Hampton’s places of worship will stand up and truly fight for the rights of their congregants being illegally and unnecessarily deported under this cruel new policy that goes against so much of what Christianity and Judaism supposedly stand for?
This is the time for more than words and sermons and offering food for the poor. Other than the courageous statements of Minerva Perez of OLA, none of the religious leaders quoted in Mr. Hartnett’s article even begins to address this reality.
And where have the village politicians and village chamber of commerce leadership been in all this? Basically taking a wait and see approach and waiting until the dust has settled. The dust has settled — it’s happening, people. The banality of evil wins when everyday, ordinary people say nothing and allow it to happen.
As Martin Luther King put it, “Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power connecting everything that stands against love.”
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist.
Next they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.
Next they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Next they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Very best. Stay strong,
JIM VRETTOS