Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Parkchester News: Locks are for honest folk
Parkchester News: Locks are for honest folk: --> COMMUNITY BOARD NEWS N’ VIEWS By Father Richard F. Gorman Chairman Community Board #12 (The Bronx) BR...
Locks are for honest folk
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COMMUNITY BOARD
NEWS N’ VIEWS
By
Father Richard F. Gorman
Chairman
Community Board #12 (The Bronx)
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 30- The current debate surrounding the issue of gun control legislation is hot and heavy and undoubtedly will continue to be so. This should not surprise any of us. As a matter of fact, such public discussion and airing of every aspect of this issue should be encouraged. Our political leaders and the head honchos of the news media should help to shape an open, honest, non-ideological, non-partisan, and dispassionate examination of what is at stake as, indeed, there are tremendous implications for the safety, the security, and the good order of our society hanging in the balance. Far too often in controversial matters such as gun control, exceedingly more heat as opposed to light is shed. Voices are raised, hypothetically intractable issues demanding solutions are concocted, alleged all-encompassing and comprehensive answers are proposed, and
opponents of one’s positions are demonized either as ill-informed, ignorant, phobic, or a combination of all of the aforesaid. Such shenanigans, regrettably the staples of modern public debate, are unworthy of a great democracy such as ours and of a noble people such as us. Furthermore, while they frequently pay homage to the demands of political correctness, advance the careers of politicians, and feed the ideological campaigns of self-proclaimed public pundits; they lead to deficient, if not altogether failed, remedies to imperative questions. This circumstance, consequently, gives rise to cynicism along with a skeptical disbelief that our political system is incapable of addressing successfully, or even adequately, the needs of its citizenry.
The tendency to rush the enshrining of purported resolutions of public predicaments into law is another feature of the present discourse on civic difficulties. It is highlighted by the cavernous flaw in the recent gun control legislation approved by our New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. According to news reports, the provision of the law limiting the number of bullets that can be placed in a gun clip had the effect of making the service firearm utilized by many of our local Police Officers illegal.
Governor Cuomo’s hurried explanations to the contrary, this development demonstrates that judicial decisions and legislation
hurriedly put into place absent ample scrutiny and across-the board debate leads to bad law, which goes on to contribute to widespread skepticism and criticism relative to the integrity and the competency of our governmental processes. Even though the Governor maintains they are not needed, last reports in the media contend requisite amendments to correct the imperfections of the new Cuomo gun control law are in the works and will be taken up in due course by the State Legislature.
An interesting aside in this regard that has not really come to the
fore is why this flaw in the law was not discovered either by those who drafted it or those who deliberated and voted upon it. With both an Executive Branch and Legislature chock full of lawyers, should not have somebody picked up on this item? On the other hand, perhaps the need of some to be first on line to acquire bragging rights in this matter superseded the observations and/or objections of others.
Devising a legal response to the need to shrink gun violence requires time, full-fledged argument, and forthright candor. After all, and very importantly, this issue touches upon a constitutional right -- viz., the right to bear arms -- enumerated in the Second Amendment contained in the Bill of Rights appended in 1791 to the Constitution of the United States. In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States issued two landmark decisions officially establishing this interpretation. In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected to service in a militia and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense in the home, within many longstanding prohibitions and restrictions on firearms possession listed by the Court as being consistent with the Second Amendment. In McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025 (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment limits state and local governments to the same extent that it limits the Federal Government. Constitutional rights are not to be toyed with or addressed lightly. The misuse and abuse of our constitutional rights does not justify and should not result in the extent of those rights being reduced, their practice restricted, or their existence abolished. The proper and reasonable reaction to self-serving, anti-social, and manipulative utilization of a constitutionally protected right is to encourage and to enhance the respectful and right practice thereof.
Prudence is equally called for in reflection upon the content of any innovative and contemporary laws and regulations. Does the gun control proposal genuinely tackle the issues at stake? Much talk on this subject has been directed as of late to such ideas as banning assault weapons. Such appears to many to be a reasonable and intelligent proposition in light of recent events. However, does it really speak to or address the basic problem? In his latest editorial comment in a local newspaper, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, while endorsing a ban on assault weapons, hastens to add that the real and overall problem with gun violence is the possession and illegal use of handguns. Any bona fide gun control proposal must include the
possession and the use of handguns -- constitutionally, legally, and safely.
On a final note, I refer to the title of my column this week. The
Irish have a timeworn and time-tested statement that says “LOCKS ARE FOR HONEST FOLK.” In other words, persons who are honest do not take what is theirs, but those who are not do. A lock stops a one who respects the property rights of a neighbor while a thief merely picks the lock. Newly enacted laws and rules will bind those citizens who are law-abiding; criminals will basically ignore them. The genius of an authentic answer to the problem of gun violence must protect the rights and the well being of the righteous and peaceable individual while thwarting the designs of lawbreakers. Ergo, we need to move slowly and cautiously on the topic of gun control and only subsequent to far-reaching and circumspect conversation, something that I shall again take in hand when next meet.
Until next time, that is it for this time!
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Monday, January 28, 2013
Parkchester News: Cop Bust Recovers Phony Bills, Bullets and Firepow...
Parkchester News: Cop Bust Recovers Phony Bills, Bullets and Firepow...: --> By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, January 28- Cops in the Bronx were busy getting some heavy duty firepower off the s...
Cop Bust Recovers Phony Bills, Bullets and Firepower
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By Dan Gesslein
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 28- Cops in the Bronx were busy getting some heavy duty firepower off the streets. Police recovered shotguns, assault rifles, bayonets and even shut down a counterfeiting ring.
On January 25, officers in Claremont received a tip that weapons were being stored inside the bedroom closet of an apartment inside a public housing development. The responding officers received consent from the suspect’s mother and they conducted a search. Inside the closet, cops found a duffel bag containing a .38 Caliber revolver, a shotgun, and ammunition for both weapons. Inside the room cops found almost $1,500 in counterfeit cash, a printer, laptop and paper to print the fake bills on.
Police then arrested the resident of the room, 18-year-old Leopold Hines. Cops also took into custody 18-year-old Joseph Arzu and 19-year-old Harvey Nelson. All three were charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Cops in Crotona made their own discovery of a weapons’ cache when they acted on a tip. On January 26, cops from the 42nd Precinct acted on a tip of an assault weapon being housed at Saint Paul’s Place. Once there, cops found not one but three assault rifles. After the resident of the apartment consented to a search cops found the stash of weapons in the bedroom closet. Cops recovered a .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic handgun, Colt AK-47 with a bayonet attached, SKS with a bayonet attached, Colt AR-15 as well as a box containing over 500 rounds of ammunition.
Cops arrested 49-year-old Enrique Santiago charged him with four counts of criminal possession for possessing loaded firearms and three or more firearms and for the assault weapons.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Parkchester News: Lots to Talk About
Parkchester News: Lots to Talk About: --> 100 PERCENT By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, January 25- Our headline was not able to be made into one specific ...
Lots to Talk About
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100 PERCENT
By Robert Press
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 25- Our headline was not able to be made into one specific topic, as there is lots to talk about in this column. You can check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for more on what was in this column, what did not make it into the column, and of course the many photos that are posted.
Last week we told you of the swearing in of the two new Bronx State Assembly members, and Assemblyman Luis Supelveda sent out a lengthy summary of what the assembly has done in its first work of the new session. Legislation passed bans assault weapons, closes loopholes and cracks down on the horrific gun violence. Many other provisions of the legislation can be found on my blog archive under the heading “A Response to the Newton CT. School Shootings”, which includes the increased criminal penalties and added requirements for gun ownership.
As for education, the mayor decided to play chicken with the teachers union (UFT) on the subject of teacher evaluations that was a requirement for certain state aid of hundreds of millions of dollars. UFT President Mike Mulgrew said that the UFT and the city reached an agreement before the deadline of last week, but that the mayor had backed out of the deal. Mayor Mike Bloomberg said that the UFT was unreasonable in their demands. The state has already said that the city has lost $240 million in aid for failing to come up with a new teacher evaluation plan, and now has a deadline of February 14th imposed by State Education Commissioner John King or loose even more school aid.
School bus drivers for New York City public schools went on strike last week forcing students who rely on the yellow buses to find alternate means of transportation to get to school. While children were given metro cards that may not help in most cases where the MTA does not service where the child may live. A few years ago all bus routes were changed by the DOE, but someone forgot to let the children and their parents know about it. School bus routes have more than tripled under Mayor Bloomberg going from over 2,000 to 7,700. Children are now bused past each other to schools, and there is no more neighborhood school for the neighborhood children. Neighborhood parents are left in the dark as they may want their children to attend programs offered by their neighborhood school such as a gifted and talented program being offered. It seems that more than half of the neighborhood children who apply to these special programs at their local school are slotted to other schools for the same program, and children are then bused in to fill the program. As we have seen from the strike it is now not unusual for a parent with many school age children to have each child go to a different school.
On the subject of the school bus driver strike, Traffic Enforcement Agents (TEA) have been placed outside of every school in the Bronx, so if you are wondering why you did not get that traffic ticket during arrival or dismissal times the TEA's have gone back to school.
New Councilman Andy King opened up his 12th Council district office last week to hundreds of supporters. The office is located at 940 Gun Hill Road at the corner of Coulden Ave. The Bx 28, 30, and 38 go right past the new office, and you can go to my blog to read more and see photos of the grand opening of the cozy new 12th city council district office.
A new poll of Republican voters shows recently announced candidate Joe Lhota heads the field of candidates with 23 percent, John Catsimatidis next at 9 percent, Tom Allon tied with not voting at 5 percent each, Adolfo Carrion at 3 percent, George McDonald at 2 percent, with undecided at a whooping 53 percent.
Upcoming events include the Bronx Chamber of Commerce Inauguration of their officers for 2013 by State Comptroller Ton DiNapoli on Thursday January 31st 5:30 p.m. at the Lighthouse Restaurant located at 565 City Island Ave. The BCC also has rescheduled its 10th Annual Awards and Scholarship Gala benefit for Thursday February 28th at Marina Del Ray. The latter event was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy, and will help benefit The Empire State Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. You must RSVP to the BCC at 718-828-3900 or Gabrielle@bronxchamber.org.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be giving his “State of the Borough” address on Tuesday February 19th in the James Monroe High School auditorium located at 1300 Boyton Ave. at 11:30 AM. RSVP to sotb@bronxbp.nyc.gov or call 718-590-6116.
If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.
Parkchester News: Monte Takes Over Westchester Sq. Hospital
Parkchester News: Monte Takes Over Westchester Sq. Hospital: --> BRONX, NEW YORK, January 25- The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved Montefiore Medical Center’s b...
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