Letters to the Editor: 10.17.96

Sit Down And Talk

East Hampton

October 14, 1996

To The Editor,

I keep reading in different places (e.g., the Oct. 13 New York Daily News) quotes from Jeff Salaway and Toni Ross to the effect that no matter what they do to make their restaurants accessible, the East End Disabilities Group will not be satisfied and will find some reason to demonstrate anyway.

Have Jeff and Toni talked about this with any members of the East End Disabilities Group? We keep sending them letters. I haven't seen an answer yet, or heard of a phone call.

Have they bothered to check out the East End Disabilities Group's record? If they have, they must know that the East End Disabilities Group has yet to demonstrate anywhere. Issues with United Artists were resolved after two days of very restrained leafleting, and the demonstration was called off. Issues with Southampton Hospital were resolved around a conference table.

If Jeff and Toni will sit down and talk instead of spin-doctoring themselves into being the victims in this thing, we can all be happy. They will be obeying the law, and we will all be able to enjoy those delicious fresh tuna sandwiches at the Honest Diner.

Sincerely,

RICHARD ROSENTHAL

An Injustice

East Hampton

October 1996

Dear Editor,

Last Saturday, a disabled friend and I drove into the parking lot of Nick and Toni's at about 10:30 p.m. and saw two cars with no handicapped stickers or handicapped plates parked - of course, where else? - in the two (not three, which they are required by law to have) handicapped spaces. The spaces were marked by signs, but did not have lines or clearly marked unloading zones.

I thought to myself, maybe disabled people don't go out after 10 at night, and that's why those nice people in the fancy cars parked there, because the last disabled folks had already left.

It has been said that for years, scholarly gentlemen would have dinner and drinks at segregated restaurants and discuss the tragedy of racism. I am sure that there were plenty of good, upstanding citizens who went to restricted hotels and didn't say anything to the owners because it was uncomfortable to do so. They wanted to have a nice dinner, a few drinks, and interesting conversation.

I am also sure that after the opening movie of the Film Festival, "Some Mother's Son," a story about the life of Bobby Sands, who fasted to death for the sake of justice, people will go to Nick and Toni's and sit around drinking and eating and spending a lot of money, talking about how great the movie was and how powerful the actors were.

Toni Ross says it is unfortunate that this protest has to happen at the time of the Film Festival. Unfortunate? Getting hit by a car and having to live with the effects of that for the rest of your life - having to put braces on in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom - that is unfortunate.

Needing four hours to get dressed, as does one friend of mine with multiple sclerosis, that is unfortunate. To be invited to meet friends at a place where entry is not possible on one's own, or the bathroom is not accessible, that is more than unfortunate, that is an injustice.

United Artists lost a class action suit and is offering settlements to anyone who was denied access to the movie theater over the last three years. Maybe Jeff and Toni could offer free meals and drinks (at any restaurant) for the next three years for all those folks who were discriminated against.

It seems to me that there is one sure way of resolving this problem of the Honest Diner, Rowdy Hall, and Nick and Toni's. Why don't we do lunch at the Honest Diner? You bring your people, I'll bring mine, and we'll show you exactly what has to be done.

We will bring the Americans With Disabilities Act book and an architect. We will invite the press. Please get in touch with us. We will be glad to meet you at any time. Even after 10 p.m.

Sincerely,

GERRY MOONEY

Mowed To Ground

East Hampton

October 15, 1996

Dear Helen:

We had the most beautiful planting of fall foliage and wildflowers along the side of our road. I say "had" because, this morning, a member of the East Hampton Town Highway Department mowed everything completely to the ground.

I confronted the person doing the mowing, saying that all summer long the mowing people only cleared a swatch along the side of the road, but his reply was that he was told to mow everything in his path, and that if I didn't like it I should call the Highway Department.

When I called, I was told they would look into the matter, but, a short time later, the mower came down the other side of the road, again mowing everything in his sight. The area cleared is the home to wildlife. It now looks like a parking lot.

Sincerely,

LEE WALTER

Deserves Respect

Staten Island

October 3, 1996

To The Editor:

As national media spokesman for American Atheists, I applaud The Star for printing the only editorial in the nation that exhibited journalistic integrity regarding the disappearance of Madalyn Murray-O'Hair, her son, Jon, and her daughter, Robin.

The general media, indeed, seem to be unable to properly distinguish entertainment news from news, and to use her disappearance as a cheap "ratings grabber" demonstrates the lack of ethics which permeates our broadcast media today.

We see that more than ever in the Presidential election coverage. No attention is being paid to the real issues that affect every American.

Instead, the "hot button" non-issues unfortunately remain to be a woman's right to personal reproductive decision-making, and whether or not schoolchildren should participate in specifically choreographed tribal rituals at the beginning of the public school day.

American Atheists and the Murray-O'Hair family have never been given a fair shake by the media, and we do not foresee any change in the media climate in the foreseeable future.

If some member of the priest-class or other supernaturalist suffered the same fate, would the media go out of its way to parody the situation as it has done to Mrs. O'Hair? If some child or other family member inexplicably vanished, would Mr. Tom Brokaw report the story with a "wink and a smile"? If a prominent Christian vanished in a cloud of controversy, would Mr. Brokaw interview an Atheist representative and ask for his or her opinion? I think not.

As you pointed out, she certainly deserves more respect than she has been dealt. The historic 1963 Supreme Court decision of Murray v. Curlett guaranteed every American the right to freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. This is an important distinction.

But American Atheists will continue to be the voice of those 10 to 13 percent of Americans who label themselves atheists or other free-thinkers. We will continue to fight for the civil rights of those who do not wish to be beholden to the theocratic nonsense of the Christian Coalition and other organized mono-and-polytheist groups who currently have a stranglehold on our governmental system.

Again, I personally thank The Star for making an important contribution to fair and equitable journalism.

Sincerely,

RONALD J. BARRIER

National Media Coordinator

American Atheists Inc.