The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 11

(The Journal News Serving the Lower Hudson Valley since 1850 Janet Hasson, President and Publisher CynDee Royle, Editor and Vice PresidentNews Nancy Cutler, Rockland Opinion Page Editor, 845-578-2403 Speak out Join the conversation about editorials. Community Views and Perspective articles; visit the "Opinion" forum at LoHud.com. 9A MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011 More editorials, columns, letters and cartoons LoHud.com Centers put victims9 needs firs DP Participating agencies include My Sister's Place, Pace Women's Justice Center and the Weinberg Center for Elder Abuse Prevention. (Appointments can be made by calling 914-995-3100.) "We recognize that some people don't trust police," center director Ken Donato, a retired Ossining town police chief and member of the Westchester County Domestic Violence Council, told The Journal News. The center has victim advocates including those who are bilingual who specialize in issues related to stalking, elder abuse, disabled victims and immigrants.

Trust strengthens investigations. For example, apparent prostitution cases can reveal human sex trafficking rings, law enforcement officials say, if victims feel safe enough to speak the truth about their circumstances. The Spirit of Rockland and Westchester Family Justice centers strengthen public safety by providing another tool for law When the "Spirit of Rockland" Special Victims Center opened its doors last week, it was a breakthrough on two fronts: Everything was donated to create the space from the original building to the construction of the rooms to the furniture. Taxpayers weren't on the hook for purchasing a single chair. The center demonstrated a real commitment to put victims' needs first.

It is the right step from an ethical and prosecutorial standpoint: stronger victims make stronger cases. Working with so-called special victims the most vulnerable in the population has long been a struggle for law enforcement. The criminal justice process can be physically and emotionally draining for victims. A depersonalized series of interviews and examinations can further erode the trust needed to investigate crimes like sex trafficking, rape, domestic violence and child abuse. Instead of directing a victim to several locations for help such as a police station, hospital, social services office and grand jury room many services will be consolidated in the building at Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern.

The building's location, on the grounds of a hospital, gives quick access to medical and mental health support. Interviews with police, prosecutors, social workers and others take place in the comfortable rooms at the center. Agencies that offer victims support, like Rockland Family Shelter, can meet with clients there. "From a prosecution standpoint, we've learned that the stronger you keep your victim, the stronger your prosecution," Detective Lt. Mary Murphy of the Rockland District Attorney's Office told staff writer James O'Rourke Wednesday at the center's opening.

Murphy, the center's director, explained: "This is one way of making the system a little softer and gentler." Lt. Detective Mary Murphy, left, from the Special Victims Unit attached to the Rockland District Attorney's Office, gives invited county legislators and guests a tour of the newly opened "Spirit of Rockland" Special Victims Center on the grounds of Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern June 1. matthew brownthe journal news Westchester County's Office for Women, the center offers counseling, legal and other support services. Victims won't have to go from place to place, repeatedly recounting their stories of abuse. (I j.

"'V-. Mm i 1 X-y i i imnnrTiHi President Barack Obama meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on May 20. CHARLES DHARAPAK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS the state of Israel. Yet, recognizing Israel before a peace treaty is agreed legitimizes its unlawful occupation of Palestinian land. When peace is agreed upon by the two parties, then recognition between both states becomes de facto.

Obama also skipped the issue of the "right of return" for the Palestinians displaced from their homes due to war and occupation. Obama demands the Palestinians refrain from terror against Israel, but does not mention that reciprocally, Israel needs to open the borders for materials and needed food and medical supplies to Gaza in particular, and to end terrorizing Palestinians who demonstrate against the occupation. The strong partnership of the U.S. with Israel disqualifies the U.S. to be an impartial broker for peace between Israel and Palestine.

It would be best that another noninvolved country act as the go-between. Murray Beaver New Rochelle LETTERS TO THE Strangulation law brings awareness Re "Man, 42, charged with choking wife," May 13 article: It's important to note that choking refers to a blockage caused by a foreign object like food, while strangulation is a form of asphyxia, or lack of oxygen, resulting from external pressure on the neck. Strangulation is a glaring symbol of an abuser's control over the victim. The victim is completely overwhelmed, struggling for air and at the mercy of the abuser. Studies show that strangulation is a significant risk factor for attempted or completed homicide in cases of domestic violence.

For example, a study of women killed by a male partner in Chicago concluded that 53 percent of the victims had experienced strangulation in the preceding year, and 18 percent of the victims had been killed by strangulation. As a member of the New York State Coalition of Domestic Violence, we helped advocate for a new law on strangulation in New York state that went into effect in November. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, more than 2,000 people were charged in the first 15 weeks that the new law was in effect. We bring your attention to this new law to bring greater awareness, especially for victims and law enforcement. Our goal is to stop the violence, hold offenders accountable and help victims to heal.

We encourage any victim of domestic violence to reach out for help. Call the police at 911 andor our free and confidential hotline at 888-438-8700. Carlla Horton Pleasantville The writer is executive director of Hope's Door. Centers that consolidate services for special victims are the next step. Westchester's Family Justice Center opened a year ago.

Located in White Plains and administered by why terrorist organizations such as al-Qaida came into existence. The 911 attacks were a brutal act on the part of those who have a perverted sense of Islam. Osama bin Laden was a theocratic madman, whose CIA training battling the Soviets in Afghanistan was later turned against us. I can understand the need for revenge for 911. Are we aware of the litany of tragedies, where millions of civilians have been killed by the U.S.? In Iraq, 150,000 have been killed by the U.S.; 80 percent of those were civilians; 50 times more than 911.

Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in illegal wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador by the U.S. Are their lives not as important? Four million killed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; most were civilians. This insane and sanguinary nature of the U.S. engendered al-Qaida. The very uneducated will look at these facts as "America bashing," however, we all need to ask ourselves if "re When I enrolled in the program in fall 2008 under the tutelage of director Dr.

Cliff Garner and the brilliant Honors faculty, I quickly found my niche at Rockland. In two quick years, I earned numerous accolades such as being chosen from more than 1,500 nominees by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, in collaboration with USA Today newspaper, for the elite 20-mem-ber USA Today 2010 ALL-USA Community College Academic Team. The most rewarding experience for me, which really made me appreciate the greatness of the RCC honors program, came when I re Next step Police have long used mul-tidisciplinary teams to concentrate on solving and prosecuting these kinds of crimes. their concerns with us, they realize that the problem is the school taxes, which account for approximately 70 percent of their total tax bill. They have stated to us that they come to us with their concerns because we are always responsive to their needs.

Instead of making foolish statements, Mr. Gillies should work with the elected officials in providing solutions. Hector L. Soto John J. Gould Vincent J.

Gamboli The writers are Haverstraw Town Board members. 'Revenge' spurs dangerous reactions The carnival-like celebrations after the killing of Osama bin Laden, including college students singing patriotic songs, and Memorial Day celebrations are conditioned and indoctrinated responses from a public that has very little understanding of American history and a searing understanding of It's a solution that saved me approximately $150,000 on the cost of my college education, yet has put me on track to receive a college degree from Georgetown University next spring. In our very own backyard, SUNY Rockland Community College's nationally recognized MentorTalented Student Honors Program offers an affordable, rewarding solution to the high costs associated with a college education for highly motivated students. Graduates of the RCC MTS Honors Program have gone on to attend such universities as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Georgetown, and many more. 3 4 EDITOR LET US HEAR FROM YOU Submissions must include name, address and daytime phone numbers to permit verification.

All submissions may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity. E-mail: letterslohud.com fax: 845-578-2477; mail: The Journal News, 1 Crosf ield West Nyack, NY 10994. Letters to the editor, opinion and editorial columns and articles submitted to The Journal News may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms. N. Rockland schools, towns must team up Re "North Rockland adopts austerity budget, the same one voters defeated," May 19 article: We are upset and disturbed by statements made by North Rockland school board member Elliot Gillies who blamed the town supervisors of Stony Point and Haverstraw for the defeat of the school budget, saying the town leaders politicized the budget.

Is Mr. Gillies saying that the people of North Rockland are not smart enough to think on their own? We think it's important to note that during Mr. Gillies' first stint on the school board and during the time he was president, the school budget rose from $105 million to $183 million, a $78 million increase in seven years! The Haverstraw and Stony Point town board members and the towns' supervisors have sought to work with the school board to find solutions to property taxes. We hear on a daily basis from residents and business owners who cannot afford to pay the increases in their taxes. In discussing student loans.

It's so much the case that student loans have surpassed credit cards as the nation's single largest source of debt. What is most worrisome is the high number of students now defaulting on their student loans and having to deal with that burden as they seek to enter the work force. While this predicament is very real, the bright young minds of the future should not feel discouraged. What if I told those of you still weighing your college decision that there is an incredible solution to this dilemma? venge" is something we should be teaching our children. Clifford Jackson Larchmont Obama still caters to Israel's demands Re "Obama prods Israel on borders," May 20 Associated Press article: Although it was refreshing to hear the president's suggestion for the return to the borders prior to the 1967 war, Obama makes the stipulation of territory tradeoffs that would allow some settlements to remain.

Doesn't this contradict a return to the borders before 1967? Obama supports a two-state solution with viable borders, but sets Palestine as a "nonmilitarized" country, while Israel is the most militarized state in the Middle East with nuclear weapon capability. Sovereignty implies the right of a state to provide for its own defense. Obama stresses that Palestinian leaders must recognize the existence of Community college an affordable path to success By Mark Svensson Unsure, skeptical, and hesitant: Every year these emotions inflict many high school juniors and graduating seniors when the discussion of college arises; and rightfully so. Today more than ever, a college degree is a must to succeed, but at the same time, the high costs associated with a college education have proved burdensome for many families. As the economy continues to rebound slowly, many families who cannot afford to pay for their child's college education have increasingly resorted to taking out gratitude toward RCC's MTS Honors Program.

Truly invested in its students, the program has helped numerous students achieve their dreams while saving families thousands upon thousands of dollars in costs associated with a college education. The writer, from Orangeburg, was among seven students who participated in last October's White House Summit on Community Colleges, convened at the urging of President Obama to highlight their critical role in developing the nation's workforce and in reaching the notion's educational goals. i ceived my acceptance letter to the university of my dreams Georgetown. If that were not enough, the icing on the cake came this past fall during my first semester at Georgetown. As the result of my academic and extracurricular successes in RCC's Honors Program, I received a personal invitation from Dr.

Jill Biden, second lady of the United States, and participated in the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges, held in October 2010. While I am extremely proud to attend Georgetown University and be a Hoya, I forever hold a great deal of.