Mental health fix
The recent high-profile arrest of Vladimir Pierre for another wanton violent assault spotlights him as the current poster boy for more talk of a failed system (“Subway ‘puncher’ is held for psych test,” Sept. 7).
The mayor says that this behavior is unacceptable, yet does nothing; NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea blames the new bail laws, and a judge orders that Pierre be held for a psychiatric exam. For what? Even if he is found mentally incompetent, he will be out on the street in a short time.
Perhaps the mayor and City Council should focus on building modern facilities staffed with mental-health professionals to service mentally challenged patients (not the human warehouses of the past or homeless-shelter dumping grounds of present).
With direction, attention and a stable living environment, including basic necessities, today’s menacing criminals may be tomorrow’s productive citizens.
Larry Vann, Howard Beach
CUNY’s enroll drop
Several reasons have been cited for the dramatic decrease in enrollment at CUNY’s schools since 2018 — among them are the pandemic, mask-wearing mandates and students and parents finding it hard to pay tuition (“COVID-19 crushes CUNY enrollment,” Sept. 6).
At the same time, enrollment at some private schools such as St. John’s and Pace have not only recovered, but have increased significantly.
I wonder if there might be some other reasons for this: for example, CUNY faculty becoming very “woke” in the last few years — teaching critical race theory and other nonsense issues that turn off many students. Also, the need for “diversity” and “social justice” has also made many students, especially Asian and Jewish students, very reluctant to enroll in a CUNY school.
Society as a whole, and CUNY in particular, needs to get back to normalcy once again.
Wallace Gottlieb, Cedarhurst
Support for unions
The Post editorial “Labor Day 2021” (Sept. 6) got it wrong.
You claim public support for unions is way down when in fact, it’s way up. According to a new Gallup poll, public approval of unions is at a 50-year high at 68 percent. Among young people the number is even higher at 77 percent.
It’s because more people recognize that a union contract is the single best tool to close racial and gender wage gaps, and to ensure dignity and due process for all workers, regardless of our race, religion, ethnicity, culture, or sexual orientation.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved how badly we need unions in this country so that workers have the freedom to speak up about health and safety concerns. The NY HERO Act is the most recent example.
Fortunately, there is overwhelming support for unions. Unfortunately, The Post refuses to face reality.
Mario Cilento, President, NYS AFL-CIO, Manhattan
Drive-by victim
My heart aches for this Uber driver and his family (“Uber-slay anguish,” Sept. 9).
Certainly, the deluded Mayor de Blasio and his clueless marionettes are to blame. Meanwhile, let’s try the shooting suspect as an adult and press charges against his parents for child neglect. They raised this cretin and they are responsible.
It’s tiring that day after day we have to witness these thugs shoot at each other, miss and hit innocent citizens.
Perhaps if they put their efforts into getting a good education and job instead of mimicking characters on television and in movies, this whole conversation would be moot.
George Gastrinakis, Jersey City, NJ
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