Let the public see the reality of these strikes
San Francisco: I find the execution of two suspected drug smugglers by the U.S. Navy in Caribbean international waters on Sept. 2 deeply troubling. The killings occurred as the result of a second strike on this small speedboat ordered by Adm. Frank Bradley, the first strike having killed nine others. No doubt it was deeply disturbing for members of differing political persuasions to watch a video of two people clinging to the side of a small boat that had been pulverized, struggling to survive and then blown up.
The consensus of many that watched seems to be that the men were shirtless, unarmed, had no communication devices and were incapacitated and defenseless. Sen. Chris Coons stated that it “would be hard to watch this series of videos and not be troubled by it.” This video should be released to the American public. Perhaps they were smugglers, and maybe there were no smugglers on the vessel. Perhaps there were children on the boat. Or maybe there were migrants going to some country other than the U.S. We’ll never know because all the evidence was destroyed.
This raises questions of war crimes and the issue of extrajudicial killings along the U.S. chain of command that authorized the attack on the survivors. There was no due process, a major tenet of the Constitution and international law afforded the passengers on this boat. And under international law, the transporting of drugs does not justify lethal military force, a form of extrajudicial killing. Furthermore, the United States Law of War Manual prohibits attacks on incapacitated or shipwrecked individuals. It is deeply disturbing to contemplate this attack and its implication of war crimes or worse. Bruce Farrell Rosen
Bad policing = bad case
Manhattan: Regarding the Luigi Mangione case, certain facts are clear: The evidence obtained against the defendant is devastating, and his constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment were egregiously violated by the Altoona Keystone Kops. If Judge Gregory Carro plays by the rules, he will be in the unenviable position of throwing the case in the garbage because of blatant violation of unlawful search and seizure by the government. Whether or not you agree with this result is irrelevant. What counts is that if this can be done to Mangione today, it could happen to you tomorrow. Further, a finding in Mangione’s favor should end the federal case as well because the same constitutional rules apply. Next time, under the same circumstances, get a warrant first and read him his Miranda rights before an interrogation. Daniel Jean Lipsman
Poised for desperation
Wallkill, N.Y.: The recent vote from the Senate to basically cut health care funds for millions of Americans is concerning. We the people need to know what is going to happen, and if there will be any upcoming solutions to help health care be affordable now and in the future. I’m writing to voice my concerns for my fellow American neighbors that this may affect, as it would be devastating to see people unable to afford health care that they need. Nadia Tahboub
Edge of disaster
Bronx: In regards to the impending devastation of the cancellation of the Affordable Care Act subsidies, this will be detrimental to families, health-wise and financially. Congress needs to stand up for the people who put them there and not succumb to President Trump’s irresponsible decisions to make billion-dollar corporations richer and play God with people’s lives. Sharon McDonnell
Petty payback
Kew Gardens: Is it possible that our Congress refuses to extend the ACA credits for many American families due to the petty reason that that insurance option was initiated by Barack Obama? Sadly, the Republicans have had more than 10 years to develop a better insurance plan for the American people but have no viable replacement yet. Because of this pettiness, constituents who relied on the ACA credits will be swamped by exorbitant insurance premiums. As American working families struggle to pay their health insurance premiums, they should remember the events that destroyed their household budgets. Glenn Hayes
State alternative
Fresh Meadows: Affordable health insurance is fast becoming a memory for most people with the drastic rise in rates if the subsidies in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) are not renewed. However, for people who live or work in New York State, there is a solution: The New York Health Act. The NYHA would provide complete health care, including dental, optical and long-term care, all at a modest cost — no payments or copays when receiving care. It completely eliminates the need for private insurance and is financed by employer contributions, federal funds derived from Medicare and Medicaid, and a progressive tax based on the ability to pay. For most New Yorkers, costs would go down rather than up. The Rand Corp. and others have declared the plan fiscally sound. We need the state Legislature and Gov. Hochul to get on board and make living or working in New York truly affordable! Robert Cowen
Unanswered questions
Manhattan: I often watched “What’s My Line” when it was on television. Dorothy Kilgallen, panelist and journalist, had once lived in a townhouse on 45 E. 68th St. in New York City. During 1965, she was investigating the JFK assassination. Author Mark Shaw wrote a book about this called “The Reporter Who Knew Too Much.” On Saturday, Nov. 8, the 60th anniversary of her death, a ceremony was held. The co-name change on her street would be “Dorothy Kilgallen Way: That mysterious death still a mystery today.” Alan Lehrer
Otherwise decent?
Midland Park, N.J.: To Voicer Susan Cassano: I’m wondering if you will continue to read “The Argyle Sweater” or not. I respect your opinion regarding the Dec. 6 strip, but it otherwise puts a smile on my face. Yours too, maybe? Anthony Merlino
Industry propaganda
Kingston, N.Y.: “Hochul must veto the 100-foot rule bill” (op-ed, Dec. 11) is written by the executive director of an astroturfing fossil-fuel front group that calls itself New Yorkers for Affordable Energy and is funded by the American Petroleum Institute and other nefarious oil and gas interests. This group has a years-long history of public disinformation campaigns in the service of the fossil-fuel industry. The op-ed is part of one such campaign against a bill that will prevent utilities like National Grid from increasing gas rates to pay for the cost of acquiring new gas customers. These utilities tack on all or most of the cost of a new customer’s gas hookup to other customers’ bills, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to New Yorkers’ heating costs. The 100-foot rule bill ends this egregious practice and has the gas monopolies worried. Anshul Gupta, policy and research director, New Yorkers for Clean Power
Makes quick work
Brooklyn: I recommend buying a vegetable chopper to make it easy to make salads and cut fruits and vegetables. It is one of the best ways to become healthier and thinner. It costs less than $30 and is a great gift for friends and family. It makes it much more enjoyable to eat fruits and vegetables. Shlomo Klein
Checkered past
Lake Ariel, Pa.: The new socialist mayor put on his transition panel former armed robber Mysonne Linen. Of course, Linen was falsely accused of both crimes — we’ve heard that a million times before. Who else would you hire to help lead your new public safety and criminal justice team. But a criminal and everybody thinks he is stupid. And to round off the team, he’s taken an anti-cop advocate, a far-left activist who calls for defunding the police, and to top it off, an antisemite. This time next year, NYC, the once-greatest city in the world, will be battling Damascus, Syria, for the garbage-dump top spot. To the people of NYC, you reap what you sow. Joseph Beyhl
Shoulda known
Flushing: Are Mets fans really surprised that Edwin Diaz left? We’ve had a new owner for a few years, then comes David Stearns, who I think is overrated. And what do we get? Same old show! Come on, Steve Cohen, you can do better and should demand better! Joseph Gross
