City Councilman Daniel Dromm knows what it is like to feel the sting of prejudice. Before becoming a Council member, he was a leading gay rights activist. Last week, Dromm took issue with hearings to be held in Washington, D.C., by U.S. Rep. Peter King intended to examine “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response.”
Dromm staged a protest in Jackson Heights called “I Am a Muslim, Too” to protest what he sees as Muslim-bashing. King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said the event last week on Capitol Hill would be the first in a series of hearings.
King may have good intentions, but he should realize how hurtful and divisive these hearings are. Platitudes about how most Muslims are patriotic people do not justify an investigation that publicly targets an entire religion.
Homeland Security has every right to investigate any person or organization advocating terrorism or any attack on the United States.
But it should be able to do this without a congressional inquisition.
Welcome Walgreens
TimesLedger Newspapers joins Councilman Leroy Comrie in the hope that the opening of a Walgreens on Farmers Boulevard will encourage other big retailers to set up shop in southeast Queens. At a ribbon-cutting for the store last week, Comrie noted that all 14 of the store’s employees are residents hired through a job fair at his district office.
In addition, the store will offer residents access to a modern store where they can get prescriptions filled. The store manager said Walgreens will host a bus “that goes around a couple of times a year for health screenings.”
Representing the Farmers Boulevard Community Development Corp., Glenn Greenridge welcomed the store to St. Albans.
“It’s going to have people stay in the community instead of going outside the community,” he said.
