Whatever its cause, your hate is yours to lose
Los Angeles: Dear Stephen Miller and Laura Loomer: I’m not here to espouse any particular ideology, and as a fellow Jew, I believe everyone has the right to support their own beliefs or ideas. But when these beliefs have widespread consequences, most of which are deleterious, I feel the need to speak out.
How can two people so comfortably hate and persecute people when Jews have been the most reviled and persecuted people in history? What sect or branch of Judaism endorses, teaches or embraces abject hatred and bigotry of any kind? It is incomprehensible to be leaders and fermenters of such hatred in this sadly divided polarity that we are now surrounded by in our everyday lives. This behavior is unacceptable and frankly goes against all tenets and principles that Jews dedicate their lives to.
Hatred and bigotry are taught and passed down generationally. Therefore, you are not fully to blame for the ostensible hatred that seems to dominate your every waking moment. Please keep in mind that just like the Jews, people of other religions and cultures will always survive, but you have created a temporary and evanescent obstacle to the people who have been hated in this country for no other reason than looking and dressing differently, or praying in a different way than most Americans.
After your 15 minutes of infamy have evaporated, in a fleeting moment, look in the mirror in a quasi-introspective episode and try to understand the egregious consequences that your espousal of this deep-seated hatred enables. If you can’t understand, then wipe that mirror clean and try again. Richard Levinson
Noble newcomers
Staten Island: It’s time to praise the good, hard-working immigrants. Detective First Class Didarul Islam inspired this letter. He lived and died a dedicated human being, giving the ultimate sacrifice — his life. Reminding me of my immigrant father-in-law, Felice DeFrancesco from Italy, who knew my future Uncle George before me as a deckhand on the Staten Island Ferry. Uncle George was an NYC police officer who traveled on the ferry daily to work. Felice was friendly and well-known to the travelers. One day, he jumped into the water to save someone who went overboard — never making headlines, only a family hero. Islam lived as a giver and go-getter to support his family. My father-in-law also worked a second job as a wooden boat corker on Staten Island, a skill long retired. The many innocent, non-criminal immigrants who’ve been imprisoned and often unlawfully separated from their families — what are we becoming? MaryAnn DeFrancesco
Trump’s thugs
Dover, Del.: Let us be real as to why the ICE agents cover their faces. It is because some of them are the thugs who attacked the police officers who were protecting democracy against those who tried to hang Mike Pence. They were identified and prosecuted by real law enforcement and the great snoops who aided in their apprehensions. These criminals were then released by the Big Fat Lying Felon to beat and torture Americans and migrants while claiming to rid the nation of the same ones he allowed into the country while having his minions deny the bipartisan agreement to control the border. Chalky White
Untrustworthy
Far Rockaway: Voting for Zohran Mamdani? “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8, King James Version). Ora Reed
Party in crisis
Cincinnati: The elected select have been flailing in opposition to President Trump for a decade. Instead of reading the tea leaves and accommodating some of his voter-tested, popular ideas like pragmatic politicians, the ideological purists keep political botanists busy conjuring new species of tea. Mamdani’s Democratic nomination for mayor in America’s largest city is just one additional absurd manifestation of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It is not just a few persuasive voices in Democratic legislative conferences who keep the members tightly confined to party kennels; all members appear affected with irrational hatred of the boisterous president. His ebullience contrasts with their depressive monologue. A cerement should be readied for the party that was once characterized by an honest, happy warrior named Hubert Humphrey, who knew how to lose with grace. Paul Bloustein
Foes of the worker
Manhattan: No one should disagree with Voicer Ralph Palladino that establishment Democratic politicians should get out of the way, as the song goes, “if you can’t lend your hand.” Three quarters of a century ago, the Democratic Party conspired with the Republicans and liberals to oust Vito Marcantonio, the greatest champion for the working class and poor who New York has ever sent to Congress, from the seat he held for seven terms (with a two-year interruption in the late 1930s). Marcantonio was never a Democrat but captured most of East Harlem’s Democratic votes because the voters knew who he represented. Perhaps the Dem bigs who are reluctant to endorse Mamdani should shift their party affiliation to where they would feel more at home. They won’t be missed. Michele P. Brown
Poking fun
Howard Beach: Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s imitations of Trump’s Truth Social postings is apparently getting under Trump’s and his MAGA allies’ skin. It’s about time someone showed how utterly ridiculous Trump sounds in his posts. Newsom’s posts have been hilarious and right on point. Newsom has the fighting spirit that the Democrats need. Go get him, Gavin! Barbara Berg
Tyrannical
South River, N.J.: So, Emperor Frump wants to eliminate mail-in ballots because his bromance buddy Vladimir Putin says it’s bad. By doing so, he would be eliminating the voting rights of every serviceman and woman serving our country overseas. Brilliant idea, idiot! If you agree with him, you MAGA idiots must really love your (soon-to-be new) country Russia. You certainly have no love for America or the brave men and women who offer their lives to protect our country. Donald McSorley
He’s no hero
Howard Beach: I can imagine that there are a few people reading this right now who will not acknowledge that Trump has told us several thousand lies over the last 10 years — some would say thousands and thousands of lies. I prefer to believe the latter. However, there can be none greater then the most recent I heard. It was a radio interview where he states that he and Bibi Netanyahu should be considered war heroes. Trump, a war hero. Ha! I have no idea whether Bibi can be considered a war hero. But I do know that there is no way on God’s green Earth that Trump can even be mentioned in the same paragraph as a war hero. Ed Sullivan
Sinister plan
Providence, R.I.: Re “Israel to call up reservists” (Aug. 21), which reports plans for “an expanded military operation in Gaza City”: Here is a theme song for Netanyahu and his henchmen: We’ll take control of the city / We’ll show the people no pity / The plan has cleared our committee / And that’s the real nitty-gritty! Felicia Nimue Ackerman
Inhospitable
Whitestone: To Voicer Dominick Delasandro: You hit the nail on the head! After being born and bred and living in this city for more than 70 years, the cute morons who make these decisions make it easier to move out. Seems like the plan. Frank Basile
Game changers
Brooklyn: Voicer Arthur Martello wonders why, with all the advances in physical therapy and trainers, there are so few complete games these days. There are three reasons. One that he mentioned is analytics. Pitchers aren’t nearly as effective when they face a batting order for the third time. Another is that hitters in this day strike out and walk a lot more than in the past, thereby causing the pitcher to throw more pitches. And teams now have relievers whose job is to throw as hard as they can for one inning, and who are much more effective than a starter who is usually tired after throwing 90-100 pitches. Dennis Burge
Revive it
Bloomfield, N.J.: Yes, please bring back the Justice Story. Eli Kelley
