To the Editor,
Has the Bethlehem Town Board learned nothing from the Anheuser-Busch boycott. An additional flag pole and celebration of Pride Month is tauntingly divisive.
Many of us have gay family members who are accepted and loved but we don’t flaunt it. As my cousin would say “I don’t agree with his life style, but he is my son”. His son died of aids. Is this a prelude to allowing men in drag to access the ladies rest rooms and locker rooms or accepting a male who identifies as a woman to compete in woman’s sport events? Then I am hysterically opposed
I had business at Town Hall last October and perused the bulletin board. It showed that the offices would be closed October 9 to celebrate indigenous peoples day. No mention of Columbus day, a national holiday. The secretary lectured me on how evil Columbus was by way of explanation. There are many Italian Americans amongst others who take pride in his discovery. It opened this great land to the poor and oppressed people of the Europe.
The library trustees recently had a man in drag reading to very young children to indoctrinate them. Though Bethlehem’s reaction was restrained others in nearby towns took umbrage. Our library board can’t seem to grasp the concept of “age appropriate”, It’s not censorship.
The Town declared we are a sanctuary city. But when it saw the invasion of migrants in other locations it threw up its hands and declared “but we didn’t pass a resolution” and backed out.
The Town passed a resolution condemning the police treatment of blacks in support of BLM. Some people wanted BLM signage on the walls of the Little League Ball park, but the League wisely refused.
The Board thinks small farms should be preserved and bought The Heath farm. The owners wanted out, The Klienkes have thought of getting out of farming. My cousin gave up farming. You can’t make a small farm pay. But now we own this albatross that needs a lot of repair to soothe the nostalgic soul,
Members of Town Hall: stay in your lane and serve the people. Your “wokeness” is divisive. Will you be flying the Israel flag or the Palestine flag: the Russian or the Ukraine flag. There are Bethlehem people who likely have Russian or Palestinian grandmothers. Why poke a stick in their eye? You already did that with Columbus day. Will you change the labels on the rest rooms to ‘’whoever”?
Pick up the trash, raise manhole covers, sweep the streets. The list is long. A past Supervisor, Bert Kohinke, who built the Town Park, extended water and sewage lines etc. once told me “if it’s moral and legal, we’ll do it for the people.” He didn’t say “if I think it’s inclusive we’ll run it up the flag pole”.
John T LaForte, Delmar
