For protecting sex criminals, they’re rewarded
Opelika, Ala.: Directed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche initiated conversations with Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorneys. David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s appellate attorney, contended that Maxwell will always testify truthfully. Really? Maxwell was the ice-cold procurer, a pitiless flesh peddler. Columnist Leonard Pitts wrote that the girls Jeffrey Epstein abused were foster children, children of abusers and addicts and of poverty and molestation. Did Maxwell tell them a nightmarish and suicide-inducing ordeal awaited them? They performed sexual acts with numbing and noxious regularity, satisfying the predatory and perverse yearnings of rich and powerful men.
Seeking a bauble from President Trump, Markus lauded him for his commitment to uncovering the truth in the Epstein case. What toadyism. Trump’s a documented serial liar. The so-called MAGA fixation with the Epstein files are simply swelling words adorned with vanity. They inexplicably placed their confidence in Trump, the righteous defender, poised to dismantle the elites’ sex trafficking ring and administer justice. What hogwash.
Federal prosecutors identified 36 victims. The Miami Herald reported that it identified 80. Palm Beach County investigators delivered mountainous evidence to Alex Acosta, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Alas, Acosta claimed taking Epstein to court was too risky. Therefore, he agreed that the billionaire would avoid prison and receive an 18-month jail sentence. He only served 13 in the Palm Beach County Jail’s private wing, and luxuriated six days a week in 12-hour increments at his Palm Beach office.
Trump rewarded Acosta’s shameful plea deal, nominating him as U.S. secretary of labor. He served from 2017-2019. What about that, MAGA? Marc D. Greenwood
Reality persists
Manhattan: S.E. Cupp’s column (“To Trump, ‘truth’ is only what he wants it to be,” Aug. 7) captures so much that is important in so few words: A real world does exist, just don’t tell Trump that. Put another way, Trump can try to erase historical facts or accurate numbers, but he is not Super Mario with a magic wand. The facts and the real world still exist. Frankie Turchiano
Rational opponents
Brooklyn: Voicer Roberta Chaleff says the Democrats should “seek leaders who don’t yell, scream, complain or oppose the American way.” That’s what we’re doing when we oppose the thug in the White House who fits her description to a T. Maybe the Republicans should grow a spine and do the same. Ilsa Ruthen
Frivolous fomenter
Hoboken: Seriously, this chucklehead leads the world in lawsuits by or against him. I can’t think of another sitting president who had one lawsuit against him or was suing an American company, but it’s a daily occurrence for this unpatriotic clown. Really, what other president publicly hoped for American companies or individuals to fail and was gleeful about it? “The failing New York Times,” “failing Harley Davidson.” These are all perceptions in his head that aren’t true, but he gleefully shouts it, in caps, so his lemmings understand that he’s emphasizing. “Colbert is failing, I’m happy he got fired.” Glee that an American lost his job, but again wrong. Colbert has the highest ratings in his time slot. ” ‘South Park’ is washed up.” Yep, so much so that they just signed a $1.5 billion deal. I wish I was that washed up. Joe Ewansky
Saw and said something
New Windsor, N.Y.: To Voicers James A. Fragale, JoAnn Delpin and Saul Rothenberg: The reason the plaza in front of 345 Park Ave. was abandoned was because everyone saw Shane Tamura with his gun and hightailed it to safety. And no fewer than 40 calls were made to 911 in the moments that followed. People immediately responded to Tamura as he strode to the front door of the building. Police responded as soon as notification came in. So, you’re all wrong that no one reacted to Tamura and his weapon, which he did not attempt to hide. Lisa Lagueras
Unbearable smell
Whitestone: There is no way in hell that you can put your food waste in those small brown garbage bins, sit them at the curb in the hot summer heat after accumulating them for three or four days and expect the workers to handle them, and me to clean them out and rid them of their poisonous fumes from the rotting food. After their job was done, I picked up my bin and almost fell over. This is with cleaning them out after each and every disposal. I would like the genius who thought of this for our fair city to work on a better solution. Marlene Torino
Been done
Jamaica: Re (“She’s in!” Aug. 8): Wasn’t Bernice Gera the first female umpire to call a game in the early ’70s? Why is Jen Pawol being given that title? Shirley Watts
Losing big
Plainview, L.I.: It sure seems like both the Yankees and Mets have taken my 100-loss-season joke prediction to heart (“The 60-52 Yankees might win their final 50 games and finish 110-52, while the 63-49 Mets could finish 113-49! Or both teams might lose their last 50 and finish 60-102 and 63-99, respectively. But I’m betting that neither team wins nor loses 100 games”). Richard Siegelman
Mononym
Millburn, N.J.: You hit a home run with your story on Pete Alonso’s playoff homer against the Brewers last year. But charge your editors with two errors. Who the heck is “Taylor”? That lone name appears twice in the story. Most people have a given name and a surname. Amateur hour. Ed Marks
Doomsday scenario
San Mateo, Calif.: The ghastly specter of Palestinians being driven from their homes, starved and then murdered while lining up for meager rations is not a tolerable reality. How can anyone seriously think that trashing a ceasefire agreement that would have ended the death and destruction and bring home the surviving Israeli hostages would be good Israeli policy? Scores of retired and even active-duty Israeli intelligence and military officials have signed onto letters to condemn this failed policy. The only happy folks here are the Armageddonists (settler elements) and the current prime minister. So why aren’t all our legislators, Israel supporters and America/Israel-firsters not screaming for extreme pressure to be applied to correct this dismally wrong policy? It certainly can’t be blamed on the militants who had signed onto several workable agreements. The current path is detrimental to all concerned. Our prestige and very future depends on our actions now. Mike Caggiano
Fresh face
Lackawaxen, Pa.: Nathan Diament (“Dems move from Joe Lieberman to Mamdani,” op-ed, Aug. 7) wants the Department of Homeland Security funding to provide additional security at faith-based organizations. This comes with a transactional price: testifying before Congress and trashing the “socialist” candidate for NYC mayor, a position with minimal responsibility for international affairs. Until the current genocide, Democrats have supported Israel. Lieberman became an independent in 2006 only because he lost the Connecticut Democratic primary for reelection. A glance at the donor list for Lieberman makes clear who owned his votes — he was principally to blame for removing the Affordable Care Act’s public option that would have made the current Medicaid cuts highly unlikely! Mamdani arrives with a clean slate, except being supportive of free speech, which is no longer in fashion. John A. MacKinnon
Convincing argument
Staten Island: I couldn’t make up my mind who I would cast my vote for for mayor. Then I read the headline on page 23 of Thursday’s paper, “Dietl, Rudy join to elect ‘anybody but Mamdani’ ” and my mind was made up. Anyone these two clowns are against must be the right choice. Thank you for the assistance. Victor R. Stanwick
Keeping cool
Manhattan: I think that the sweltering dog days of summer in the city are unbelievably wilting. I did, however, find some respite on Thursday strolling through the oldest forest in New York, located within the vast grounds of the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Conveniently, the air-conditioned Metro-North trains stop at the entrance. As an added bonus, I found the cover of the story I am writing while I strolled in the shade. Cooler September is just around the corner. Susan A. Stark
