While money flows, Gaza’s reality is obscured
Gastonia, N.C.: On Aug. 11, on the morning BBC news, they were interviewing a spokesman for Al Jazeera, a highly respected international news organization known throughout the world to be credible. The spokesman said they reached out to BBC News, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and all the major news agencies around the world to release the footage of the war crimes in Gaza that Al Jazeera recorded.
All the major news agencies refused to show the video footage of children being shot in the legs, and if they weren’t dead, the Israeli army would kill them. All of this was under the direction of Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, which makes me ask: Why are BBC, CNN, ABC and all these news agencies refusing to show the world the truth of what’s going on in Gaza and the West Bank? Why are journalists here in America not being honest with the American public?
Israel is America’s ally because we give them $3.8 billion in taxpayer money a year, with $1 billion for the Iron Dome defense system, 10% tariffs on all American products being exported to Israel, and a half-billion a year on the David’s Sling defense system. Of the $3.8 billion, 26.7% can be spent on private businesses in Israel, which means the American taxpayer owns businesses there. We want our dividends. American taxpayers want Israel to get out of our back pocket.
The American taxpayer is paying for the attacks on the Palestinian people and giving Israel their 2,000-pound bombs to kill these Palestinians. And Israel is our ally? Paul DeGregorio
Well said
Monroe Township, N.J.: I stand with Voicer Lynda Welsh, who says it is better to use the $200 million for Donald Trump’s White House ballroom to feed the starving people of Gaza and elsewhere. Best letter to Voice of the People in years. Lorri Thompson
Malicious mentor
Larchmont, N.Y.: President Trump wants to ban mail-in ballots and electronic voting based on advice from Vladimir Putin! I guess if anyone knows about rigging elections, it’s him! Steve Michaud
It’s a ploy
Staten Island: Let’s be totally clear, Trump’s decision to take over the D.C. police isn’t about public safety. The most violent cities are in Republican states, and there’s no takeover happening there. This is just another attempt to distract from Trump’s corruption and to suppress dissent. Michael Rosenkrantz
Crackpot crew
Blairstown, N.J.: The people who start conspiracy theories are the right-wing radical Republican crackpots. Among them, the cast of Fox News, Newsmax, QAnon, OAN, Moms for Liberty, the Proud Boys, Bondi, RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Howard Lutnick, Bill O’Reilly, Joe Rogan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Stephen Miller and most of all, the convicted felon in the White House. There are no more facts in this country, only alternative facts. There are no more truths in this country, only lies. Americans have let the liars lie and the truth perish. You must serve the king now or you will be sued or put in an internment camp. China has President Xi Jinping, Russia has Putin, Korea has Kim Jong-Un and we have King Trumpty. The Republican Party has magically disappeared. Ron Cristi
Downright treasonous
Bronx: The new FBI director, Kash Patel, sucks. After Trump committed treason on Jan. 6, 2021, Patel wanted to punish the good FBI agents who looked into the matter? To the Trump administration: Go screw yourselves. Trump’s a racist pig. It’s his fault what happened on Jan. 6 because he initiated it. Why are all the Republicans afraid of Trump, a piece of crap? Hey Trump, you’re a punk. Kiss my white butt. Liz Cheney is top dog in my book for standing up to this clown who screwed our country twice. I also don’t have any respect for the Supreme Court for kissing Trump’s butt. Doris Festante
Omitted word?
Manhattan: That was an interesting piece by J.T. Barbarese on the rules of current pronoun usage (“Navigating the rules of our pronoun dysphoria,” op-ed, Aug. 18), but he was incorrect when he said, “We could care less about violations of usage.” Didn’t he really mean that he could not care less? Robert Iulo
Religious conviction?
Montebello, N.J.: Re “What About N.Y., Zohran?” (column, Aug. 3): I have a question. Among the charges Zohran Mandani levels at the police is that they are “anti-queer.” I thought Islam hates homosexuality, and would love to go from country to country looking for gays to kill, just like Hitler did to the Jews of Europe. As a Muslim, why does Mamdani claim to be pro-gay? Wallington Simpson
Independent-minded
Oakland Gardens: Kudos on the opinion piece on little known candidate for mayor Jim Walden (“This is the dark horse candidate to save NYC,” op-ed, Aug 5). As the author points out, while Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Adams and Curtis Sliwa all agree that Mamdani should not be the next mayor, they are all determined to stay in the race anyway, guaranteeing his election! Walden is certainly the “dark horse,” as the author put it, to save our city from the inevitable devastation it faces if Mamdani is elected. Every New Yorker should check him out and discover that he has the background to really relate to the ordinary voter and the character to deliver for New York! You can make history and save our beloved New York City! Thomas and Constance Dowd
Rooms available
Brooklyn: During the Great Depression, New York City faced many serious challenges, but it was the great leadership of then-President Franklin Roosevelt that pulled the city and the country out of the depths and began the renaissance that lasts today. I believe there is a Roosevelt who could save the city again, especially those who are poor, homeless and mentally ill. What I am talking about is the Roosevelt Hotel. With its 1,000 rooms, and now on the auction block, the city should seriously consider purchasing it and converting half of its rooms into supportive housing and using the other 500 to offer low-income housing to those who can’t afford to pay the exorbitant rents in our city. These other apartments would be equivalent to the former single-room occupancy hotels and rent for less than $1,000 a month. Robert Mascali
Leave sharks alone
Garrison, N.Y.: As a scuba diving instructor who has been in the water with sharks without the benefit of a protective cage more times than I can count, I can tell you this: Voicer Raymond McEaddy couldn’t be more wrong. There is no such thing as a man-eating shark. Sharks rarely attack people and it’s always by mistake. More people are killed by falling coconuts (approximately 150) each year than by shark attacks. On average, there are about 100 shark attacks annually worldwide, of which about 15% are fatal. Lastly, I don’t believe for one second that actress/stuntwomen Susan Backlinie (she portrayed Chrissie Watkins in “Jaws”) ever told McEaddy anything so ridiculous as “stay out of the ocean.” Sorry, Mr. McEaddy, but millions of bathers and divers don’t follow your asinine advice, and they make it home just fine — not only with their lives, but both of their arms and legs. Michael J. McDonough
Already out there
Linden, N.J.: Voicer Marion Friedman wishes that Ira Levin had written a sequel to his novel “Rosemary’s Baby.” He did: “Son of Rosemary” (1997). Ron Jackowski
Pleasant memory
Perth Amboy, N.J.: I just want to relate a story about Ozzy Osbourne. In 1971, I was looking to rent a venue for a future concert promotion. I found a place in Asbury Park, N.J., called The Sunshine Inn. The owner, Bob Fisher, invited my wife and myself to the show he was putting on with Black Sabbath. We were in the office, where my wife was sitting on a couch holding a kitten, when the group came in. Ozzy sat down on the couch with my wife. Standing to his left was Bill Ward, and on my wife’s right was Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler (I wish I had my camera). They were all so nice to talk music with. Ozzy was especially nice at the time. As you age, you will lose friends, family and people you admire. Always remember them. Raymond Malaczewski
