Cops use cuffs for the safety of all involved
Malverne, L.I.: To Voicer Susannah Bianchi: Thank you for your letter and your concern. The situation you described is unfortunate, but necessary to keep the aided person safe. To exacerbate your concerns, the police officer really didn’t explain why these tactics were used.
I wasn’t there, so I can only comment on what you wrote, but it does seem that with four officers there and the situation under control, he could have given a better explanation. After 28 years with the NYPD, I can say that many times, especially when dealing with emotionally disturbed people, things can go south quickly. Furthermore, size doesn’t matter, as people seem to develop immense strength and are unpredictable when they are extremely emotional. The best tactic is to “isolate and contain” until additional personnel arrive, such as emergency services or medical units. Handcuffing, or “containing” her, is designed for her protection as well as the officers. I can recall two similar situations involving older women resulting in tragedies because they could not be properly contained, which resulted in things escalating and them being killed. Eleanor Bumpurs is one famous one, and more recently, Deborah Danner, who was disarmed of the scissors she was threatening officers with, but then quickly picked up a bat and attacked officers, resulting in a tragedy.
You can never judge a book by its cover, and never let your guard down. Complacency is a killer. It is much easier to start with a higher level of response — such as cuffing to control the situation from the onset, and then possibly leveling down if warranted — than to start at a lower level and then have to escalate. Dave Kalin
Feeling the squeeze
Manhattan: I just received a notification that my United Healthcare plan supplement will be raised 17.8% in 2026. It will go from $301 to $357 a month. This is ridiculous! I am an elderly woman on a fixed income. I can’t afford this kind of rate change, and I am writing in the hope that others will feel the same way and write to Gov. Hochul and whoever else oversees these rates. My blood is boiling. I hope I hear the sound of boiling blood from others. Marcia Epstein
Share the wealth
Rosedale: I am astonished that no rich person or persons could tell President Trump and the Republican Congress that they are against tax cuts for the wealthiest and against cutting Medicaid and SNAP for the poorest people to benefit themselves. The money they are getting would be best put toward the deficit. Greedy, unconscionable and all-about-me is the way they think and believe. Donovan Purrier
Standing in the way
Pasadena, Md.: Kudos to the Trump administration for turning up the pressure on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates. At this point, Powell has two options: resign or capitulate to Trump’s wishes of a radical 3-point rate cut. By not complying with the president’s wishes, Powell is holding the U.S. economy hostage because most everyone is holding off on making big purchases, such as houses or cars. But if Powell resigns or capitulates, with this 3% rate cut, the economy will explode unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Never has one man had a more negative influence on the lives of the American people than Powell, who seems obsessed with being an obstacle to the greatest period of prosperity in our nation’s history: the Trump Golden Age. The good news is that Trump seems determined to get his way by any means necessary and isn’t taking no for an answer. Julianna Dunn
Photographic evidence
Woodstock, N.Y.: Why do MAGAs want the Epstein files released? Don’t they know the Orange Felon is all over them? There are gazillions of photos of the two of them hanging and partying together. How could he not be in there? He told people that Jeffrey Epstein was one of his best friends, for the love of heaven. What’s with you loons? If Dumpty wasn’t in them, he wouldn’t be trying so hard to pretend they don’t exist. Suzanne Hayes Kelly
Sign of decline
Scranton, Pa.: Speaking of the obvious cognitive decline of Trump, who recently asked the president of the English-speaking nation of Liberia where he learned to speak English so well, the great MSNBC political commentator Lawrence O’Donnell asked, “If he got dementia, how would we know it?” I agree. An apt comparison would be a swimmer at an ocean beach who decided not to wait to use the restroom before doing his business. As Trump regularly fouls the waters of diplomacy and civility with his churlish, childish behavior, how would we know it? Vin Morabito
Borrow to lead
Malverne, L.I.: In the four months since announcing your candidacy for mayor, Andrew Cuomo, you saw what resonates with NYC Democrats. Take one reasonable idea from Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s pitch and you’ll take your ideas as a moderate to formulate a logical choice for mayor this November. You’ll attain moderates and progressives who feel unsure about the young assemblyman delivering on outlandish ideas like freezing rents and offering free bus service. Hit the pavement and work through the dog days of summer to complete your comeback. You’re the reasonable choice out of this muddy field. We’ve been turned off by Mayor Adams, i.e. acceptance of gifts from foreign government officials and siding with Trump and ICE sweeps. All of the candidates have profound weaknesses, but you bring hope, representing a proud past, your father’s democratic principles and bringing moderates to mold the Democratic candidate of reason and results for the average New Yorker. Kosmas Patikoglou
Lose the losers
Long Island City: The Mets must do some serious house cleaning. Get rid of the dead wood. I am no longer a Mets fan. Can you blame me? The team is really bad. The league knows that if you need a win, play the Mets. It makes me puke. Steve Chaddock
Skewed by fame
Merrick, L.I.: Every July, Major League Baseball gives fans the power to vote for All-Star Game starters. It sounds like a great way to engage the public, but take a closer look and it becomes clear: The system isn’t built to reward the best players, it’s built to maximize viewership and revenue. Unlike political elections, where the Electoral College balances voting power between big and small states, this vote is a popularity contest. There’s no safeguard for small-market teams or overlooked talent. A breakout player in Tampa Bay could be having a career year and still lose a starting spot to an average player in New York because more people are watching. The All-Star Game should showcase the best talent, not just the most marketable faces from the biggest cities. Let fan enthusiasm drive the vote, but have guardrails. Input from players or coaches, or advanced statistics, could help balance hype with performance. Maxwell Izen
Crickets on cricket
Manhattan: Before the end of Sunday night, a New York sports team was quietly crowned champions using bats and balls. Not the Yankees, but the MI New York cricket team. MI New York won by five runs in a hard-fought and tense matchup. The team was the underdog coming into the championship match, losing seven of 10 regular season matches. They then went on to win the elimination match, winning the qualifier and finally the championship. Major League Cricket is quickly gaining popularity in the U.S.A., extending the season from 25 matches in 2024 to 34 in 2025, with venues across the U.S. in Florida, Texas and even utilizing the old Athletics’ Oakland Coliseum in California. Sharif Khan
Right to exist
Rye Brook, N.Y.: To Voicer Michele P. Brown: The establishment of the state of Israel was authorized under international law by the UN Partition Resolution of Nov. 29, 1947. The Arab claim that a majority-Jewish state should not have been established from majority-Arab Palestine was disingenuous because every Arab country supported the 1947 British partition of Hindu-majority India to establish Muslim-majority Pakistan. Quoting David Ben-Gurion: “It is the self-evident right of the Jewish people to be a nation, as all other nations, in its own sovereign state.” Demes Poulos
