Lawyers who serve greed do victims no justice
Albany: Re “Trial lawyers level the playing field” (op-ed, March 3): As a lawyer representing the underserved, Ben Crump should be more interested in protecting the vulnerable people victimized by fraud schemes than in shielding unethical attorneys from accountability.
According to investigative reports, unscrupulous lawyers collude with medical mills and lawsuit financiers to recruit immigrants and people experiencing homelessness to orchestrate accidents, arrange unnecessary surgeries and cash in on inflated settlements. The result is a lifetime of pain for the victims and sky-high insurance costs that ripple throughout the economy for the rest of us.
Gov. Hochul has lawsuit reform proposals that have nothing to do with denying access to justice. They are first steps toward fixing a broken liability system that rewards fraud and extortionate legal tactics. Rampant fraud and lawsuit abuse are eroding trust in doctors and lawyers who have a sworn duty to do no harm. If Crump truly chose his profession to give voice to the voiceless, justice for victims should be paramount, not protecting bad actors.
Hochul’s proposals restore fairness to a legal system that has become a magnet for abusive and excessive litigation. To truly even the playing field, upstanding attorneys should support cracking down on fraud and profiteering — and ending the exploitation of our most vulnerable. Tom Stebbins, executive director, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York
Puppy love
Bloomfield, N.J.: My beloved 19-year-old cocker spaniel Sammy died five years ago on March 4. It’s a big deal to lose a pet. While that grief is real, I can still remember him lying across the doorway of the kitchen watching me cook and salivating at the thought of his cut. Sammy died on Antonio Vivaldi’s birthday. He’ll always be associated with happy music, though the seasons will never be the same without him. Christine Sparta
Dangerously undisciplined
Brooklyn: A stabbing occurred this week at a Bronx middle school, PS/IS 218. This is what happens when there’s no discipline in our schools. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio set the tone by making it more difficult to suspend disruptive, unruly students. It’s far easier for administrators to blame teachers for not motivating them. It’s time to bring back the “600” schools for students who refuse to behave. I’m sure behavior would improve if working parents of the unruly were fined for their children acting out, as well as cutting welfare benefits for those on public assistance. Students can’t learn and teachers can’t effectively teach without discipline. Ed Greenspan
‘Sleaze’
Bronx: (With apologies to Joyce Kilmer): I think that I shall never see / A Noem as heartless as Kristi / A Noem as soulless as is she / Whose greatest joy is cruelty / Glad to see her get the ax / For all the virtues she so lacks. Fred Smith
Somber solidarity
Tamarac, Fla.: War begets war! It means retaliation, violence, trauma, destruction, vengeance, hate and loss of lives. While most of us didn’t want this war and knew the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran would quickly escalate and turn into nasty and lengthy warfare, we also knew Iran’s military capabilities and nuclear program had to be destroyed before they destroyed us. At this point, when we’re so deeply involved in warfare, we can only hope for the strength and safety of our military and pray for any innocent lives taken in the process. As in all wars, we pray that not one life will be taken in vain. Roberta Chaleff
Stop the madness
Manhattan: To Voicer Earl Beal: Iran can’t hit the U.S. directly. Their missile range is 1,200 miles, enough to wreak havoc on the entire Middle East, strand tens of thousands of Americans we didn’t plan to evacuate and drive up energy prices. It’s the FBI’s job to protect us against terrorist cells, but Kash Patel, in his infinite wisdom, made sure to fire those specialists ahead of time. Aliens, in my book, are from outer space. The human beings ICE is scooping up, with guns instead of judicial warrants specifying who they’re seeking, include citizens, tourists, small children and many noncitizens with legal standing to be in the U.S. These people disappear into the DHS’ vast detention system so swiftly that few are even able to contact lawyers. Yes, Sen. Chuck Schumer, keep DHS shut down until ICE is reined in. And rein in Trump’s pointless war. Laurie Aron
Wanton violence
Los Angeles: To Voicer Larry Nekola: In true pro-Trump MAGA style, you provide readers a mere blip of the facts involving the drone strikes Barack Obama authorized on Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan. Obama used the authorization for use of military force, which Congress issued in 2001 to target Al Qaeda and the Taliban, as a legal basis for those strikes. They were precision actions against Al Qaeda and Taliban targets, unlike the Trump-Netanyahu carpet-bombing strikes in Tehran, which have already destroyed more than a dozen hospitals and murdered hundreds of civilians, including children attending elementary school. So spare everyone the false comparisons to Obama to justify the Trump-authorized Epstein Fury war on Iran. Amelia Bissonette
Born in sin
Lackawaxen, Pa.: Voicer Richard Sherman persists in his unenviable attempt to make Israel’s existence kosher. In common law, a bastard-birth can’t be legitimized by the subsequent marriage of the parents. Acknowledging that most civil law now permits legitimization after the fact, some jurisdictions still discriminate against a child born out of wedlock. At the point of Israel’s 1948 declaration of statehood, it was almost a year to admission to the UN in 1949. Even then, its application has been shown to have been fraudulent since it never intended to keep the promises made to secure admission. Sherman’s naïve insistence that the UN Charter, as a treaty obligation, supersedes anything the General Assembly or Security Council may do is a tragic joke. When the U.K. bowed out as mandatory power over Palestine, the only legitimate outcome should have been trusteeship, but the UN chose not to enforce that. John A. MacKinnon
Too hot to handle?
Manhattan: To Voicer Charles Winokoor: You had the best advice for our young, inexperienced mayor: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” His actions since Oct. 7 show his disrespect for the Jewish people, as well as not supporting our NYPD who protect him, his family and every New Yorker 24/7. Mayor Mamdani owes us all an apology for his actions in two short months. Nikki Love
Old-fashioned influence
Brooklyn: When Lou Holtz coached, he also guided students at Notre Dame (“America’s coach,” March 5). He was known not to mollycoddle players, but to help them enhance their gifts. “Old-timer” was how he was referred to, but some who were part of his legacy felt different, stating that they’re who they are now because of Holtz. Sharon Cesario
