Kim Agren writes that New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws need to be beefed up.
To the Editor:
It's very disappointing, but not very surprising, to read about the blatant pay discrepancy taking place between the men's and women's U.S. Soccer national teams. Despite the women's soccer team being more financially successful and popular than the men's team, the female players are being paid a quarter of what the men earn.
This is not a partisan issue. Pay discrimination affects women regardless of whether they are Republicans, Democrats or independents, or conservatives or liberals. Anyone's sister, daughter or mother could be a victim of unfair pay.
The state Legislature last month passed a bill sponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Sen. Loretta Weinberg (S992) that would strengthen New Jersey's protections against gender-based pay discrimination That is the right thing to do for all women in the state, who deserve equal protection under the law. (The bill awaits action by Gov. Chris Christie).
This kind of pay discrimination happens every day. The U.S. Soccer situation is just one high-profile example shining a light on it. With my own daughter entering the workforce, I hope Sweeney and Weinberg's equal-pay bill becomes law so that she, and all women, receive the fair and equal treatment they deserve.
Kim Agren
West Deptford Township
Scrub gun violence from the comics
To the Editor:
As a family, we enjoy reading the Sunday comics. Our young son especially enjoys "Pearls Before Swine" and "Shortcuts."
However, the April 10 "Doonesbury"crossed the line. I'm referring to the comic strip's depiction of a man with a machine gun threatening a woman and children in the Middle East (as a commentary on Donald Trump's remarks about going after family members of terrorists).
Children today are suspended from school for things like drawing pictures of guns and play-shooting in the cafeteria or on the playground. It's realistic to expect younger children to read the comics. It's not OK that any seemingly realistic violence is depicted in what we consider a kid-safe section of the newspaper.
The paper should do a better job ensuring family-friendly content. The comic strip in question directed both violence and political propaganda at children.
Nancy Merritt
Mullica Hill
Changes to N.J. security guard law unfair
To the Editor:
Concerning New Jersey's "Det. Melvin Santiago Law," which was signed in January by Gov. Chris Christie:
As a private security professional, I am appalled that this law was signed. I'm all for training for security guards, but this law is geared to allowing only sworn law enforcement officers to work as armed security personnel.
The law requires armed security professionals to register every year, and this is a financial hardship. Further, to require security officers to use a Level 3 or higher "retention" holster (which reduces immediate access to a firearm as a safety measure) - when the police only have to use a Level 2 or higher - is a slap in the face to all security professionals.
(Santiago was a Jersey City police officer who was killed in 2014 by a drugstore robbery suspect who had stolen an armed security officer's gun.) It's always a tragedy when a police officer is killed in the line of duty, but it is unjust to penalize all security professionals for substandard training, or lack of training, of unlicensed security personnel.
I'm calling for a civilian governing body to oversee the private detective unit so that issues like this can be addressed. In addition, this law, when it was in bill form, should never have been considered in the Legislature's public safety committees. It clearly should have been assigned to regulated professions committees instead.
Brian A. Crist
Pennsville
Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com