Readers sound off on Ed Dept. censorship and Sue Simmons

After many a Channel 4 newscast, the final one nears for Sue Simmons

Bronx: I was very sad to hear that WNBC was putting Sue Simmons (pictured with Chuck Scarborough) out to pasture. She has given us many wonderful years of news reporting. She has a wonderful charisma and will surely be missed. I hope that good news follows her in her next venture. Jennie Jesselli

Power of words cows Ed Dept.

Manhattan: Re “The cowardly censors at Tweed” (Op-Ed, April 1): If the word evolution were banned, what would the Department of Education test in the Living Environment Regents exam? Biology is evolution. At least one-third of that exam is about the process of evolution or family trees. What about the sensibility of those who do want to learn about it? Would they use a euphemism instead? The news about the plan to ban words is the closest New York has been to the totalitarian government in power in the ’70s in Argentina, where I grew up. Adriana Aquino

Manhattan: What is troubling about Diane Ravitch’s Op-Ed is Mayor Bloomberg’s blind spot when it is time to select the Department of Education’s leader. The second time around, he has succeeded in giving us someone who would tie us to the evangelicals and creationists. As for the words, how about adding creationism, holocaust, gay, homosexual and lesbian? And let education officials explain how we would teach about the Civil War without using the word slavery. Mort Gerard

Trial travail

Pearl River, N.Y.: It seems that the three holdouts in the Michael Pena rape case — all lawyers — confused the jury room with the panel table on “American Idol” (“I know what I saw,” April 1). They were not seeking justice or determining guilt or innocence, but rather judging the performances of the prosecution and defense teams. This young woman was raped at gunpoint by a law enforcement officer, and then she was victimized again by three lawyers who made a mockery of our court system. Their arrogance and indifference are unconscionable. Joyce Woods

Trayvon and beyond

Seaford, L.I.: The unfortunate tragedy of Trayvon Martin should continue to be addressed by marchers and speakers until all evidence can be verified by the courts. However, where is the outrage from the black community about the 49 shootings on St. Patrick’s Day on the South Side of Chicago, where a 6-year-old girl was murdered on her stoop? There is a much larger issue to focus on, which is the continuing high crime rates in black communities across the country .George Lozynski

In his own voice

Bronx: Now that the experts have maintained that it is not George Zimmerman calling for help, maybe those who do not understand the video will at least acknowledge that Zimmerman is a lying, murdering dog, and his family is deliberately backing up his lies. Juanita M. Johnson

Deeds, not words

Bayonne, N.J.: Voicer Cecilia Rivera states that you can be Hispanic and have a white name. Hispanics can be of any race. Trayvon Martin could have been Hispanic. By “white name,” I think she means an Anglo-sounding name, though not all whites are Anglo. The question should be whether George Zimmerman did something wrong. This is not to say that race had no part in this case. Manuel Leston

The racial divide

Bayonne, N.J.: This country has deep racism and bigotry issues. The number of hate groups has increased at an alarming rate. Those of us who listen to talk radio can hear the open hatred from the callers . Just listen to those in Congress who don’t hide their hatred for President Obama. No other President has ever endured so much name-calling as this one. Dolores Carlone

Honeymoon’s over

Brooklyn: President Obama’s green energy is like Ralph Kramden’s Handy Housewife Helper. Michael L. Cerrato

Up the upper brackets

Bronx: President Obama’s blame game, class warfare and ridiculing of opponents have grown lame. The rich pay more than their fair share. Patricia O’Hanlon

Not fueled

Rockaway Park: The rise in gas prices is an oil company/GOP conspiracy. It’s their futile attempt to invent a problem that they can blame on President Obama. They have nothing else. Guy Nevirs

Devils in the details

Bloomingdale, N.J.: While I can see why Ranger fans want some back -page space, Voicer Dan Swaluk’s comments about the Daily News sports staff being Devils or Islanders fans is laughable. Sometimes, if all three teams are playing the same night, there is no Devils article whatsoever. Mike Holmes

Jurists gone wild

Bronx: Thanks for your excellent editorial “Give it up, Goodman ” (April 1). While I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of Justice Emily Jane Goodman and her conveniently misplaced parking placard, I think it is important to note that the state Office of Court Administration has no real authority over judges, especially elected ones. It is nothing more than a bloated patronage mill laden with overpaid, incompetent and otherwise unemployable political hacks. OCA might claim to supervise judges, but in reality it dances to the tune of politically connected elitists like Emily Jane Goodman, Charles T. Compton

Finest Bravest

Staten Island: As the mother of an autistic 5-year-old girl, I want to commend Firefighter Paul Rut (“One hot TV ‘chef,’ ” March 29). He is the true epitome of a hero. He donated his prize money from the TV chef contest to autism. What a selfless thing to do. We need more people in our world like him. Maria Rodriguez

Explains a lot

Wantagh, L.I.: To Voicer Gene King: Maybe the Yankees are playing their opening game on Good Friday because they know God is a Yankee fan. Jo-Ann Maginnis

Heart and soul

Manhattan: To Voicer Madeline Mauro: A 7-year-old boy died just last week while waiting for a heart, while former Vice President Dick Cheney got a heart that could have given that child 70 years — an entire lifetime. Yes, I will continue to beef about that every chance I get. And never fear, I’m signed up as a donor . Suzanne Hayes Kelly

Rats and bureaucrats

Manhattan: Boy, Voicers sure were helpful when it came to supplying unique solutions to car-invading rats. I live near the South Street Seaport, where the grounds surrounding our buildings are infested with rats, and I’m going to start spreading used cat litter around, as Voicer Darlene Margeta suggested. Now, by any chance, does anyone have a recommendation on how to stop Mikey Mouse Bloomberg and his DOT rat-pack commissioner, Jan Nut-Khan, from chewing up our streets with pesky, unwanted bike lanes and pedestrian plazas? Marion Henry

Gone but not forgotten

Rockville Centre, L.I.: Poor Jeremy Lin, we hardly got to know you, but you were a breath of fresh air. Get well and hurry back. Charley Mullaney

Day of infamy

Howard Beach: Recently, I took a well-deserved day off to visit the 9/11 Memorial, and it was a very humbling experience. Let us not forget what they did to us and how they killed so many of us. Stop apologizing about burning the Koran, stop apologizing for what the Marines did . The terrorists never apologize when they kill our soldiers, behead our journalists and attack our embassies. This is a war, and we must realize we can’t be nice to terrorists because they will always hate us. Manny Agostini

War of the sexes

New Paltz, N.Y.: One wonders whether Sue Shapcott’s demand for the Augusta National Golf Club to admit a female member (“Augusta must let female CEO in,” April 1) also applies to Smith College, the Junior League and other exclusively female organizations that do not admit male members. Russell Paul La Valle

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