Media reports should avoid speculative claims
Jersey City: I realize how difficult it is for the Daily News to walk the fine line between its roots as what The New York Times once accurately called “the city’s only responsible conservative newspaper” and a world where even CBS News, once the gold standard of journalistic accuracy, bows to right-wing pressure from the White House, but you badly missed the mark in Monday’s reporting on Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox repeating the lie that the murderer, Tyler Robinson, of Charlie Kirk had acted on “leftist ideology.”
You waited until the sixth paragraph of your story to acknowledge what every other reputable source (including the boy’s family) has said is overwhelming evidence that this claim is not true.
Yes, the boy had been radicalized by voices even more right-wing than his victim, and easy access to legal firearms and what the governor called the “dark places on the internet” played a tragic part in his crime (and his clumsy attempt to plant false clues to make his hated liberals look bad), but the Daily News is fully aware not only of these facts but of the statistical evidence that the political violence in this country comes almost entirely from one side, and it isn’t the left.
To report anyone claiming otherwise in a specific case like this, where it has been proven false, is to contribute to the problem. We expect better from our hometown newspaper. John Esche
Leave that legacy
Bronx: An intervention is necessary if Kirk’s wife insists on continuing his work. Otherwise, those children are likely to be raised in a horrible environment. People are losing their jobs for speaking the truth. He was a bad person, simple as that. Julio E. Rivera
Cherry-picked
Hamburg, N.J.: Leonard Greene’s column (“Kirk’s death is tragic, but he did say some awful things,” Sept. 14) is a second assassination of Kirk. Yes, death is tragic, but to bring up things he may have said and/or are taken out of context from his debating is your normal way of targeting those who think differently. What you wrote is hate speech. If Charlie was alive, he would have cleaned the floors with the ugly things Greene said. Jesus Linares
Pulling apart
Forest Hills: The space-laser hate-monger wanting a civil war is just proof that she is unfit to be in Congress (“MTG calls for ‘national divorce’ from liberals,” Sept. 16). Yet, Marjorie Taylor Greene is part of the team on the right that is urging violence. The problem, however, is that the middle is being led by extremists like her and left-wing nuts that we just witnessed. Taking shots at the president, even if you disagree with him, is also not the solution. It’s an apparent childishness of both sides, raised on instant gratification and reinforcement from their respective circles while not realizing they are preaching the same horrid things to control people by demonizing everyone who doesn’t meet their current expectations. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, step back from the phones and little bubbles and keep politics private like it once was. The violence will get worse, urged by both sides until we are totally undone. Matthew N. Ross
Perfectly put
Rockaway Beach: Re “Trump’s naked power grab” (editorial, Sept. 17): I couldn’t be prouder of the Daily News Editorial Board right now. Please, everyone read this clear-eyed, intelligent response. Thank you. Maggie Hill
Ordered a hit
Brooklyn: Donald Trump ordered the Navy to sink a boat on “evidence” from an informer that the boat was carrying drugs somewhere. Later, the Navy stops a boat on “evidence” from an informer, but no drugs are found. Maybe boat #1 was as innocent as boat #2. We’ll never know, since it and those aboard are at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. That’s why civilized countries have police stop and arrest alleged criminals for trial instead of killing alleged perps on sight! No matter how much Trump prates about “saving America from bad, evil men,” it’s murder — for which he can’t be charged, according to the lapdog Republican justices on our Supreme Court. Martin Selbst
Far too late
Brooklyn: The op-ed by Rabbi Rachel Timoner calling for an end to the Israeli-Gaza war is long overdue (“Israel’s war in Gaza must end,” Sept. 14). According to the UN Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Aid, there had been more than 7,000 deaths of Palestinians in confrontations with Israeli forces since 2008 until prior to Oct. 7, 2023. While the Hamas attack did kill civilians, it was not entirely unprovoked. Arnold Gore
Desperate endorsement
Great Neck, L.I.: As a former appointed state, city and federal official, I have more than a casual understanding of candidates’ motivations. Gov. Hochul’s craven surrender to Zohran Mamdani has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with her futile attempt to hold off those who will seek to bury her in the Democratic primary regardless. Whatever your view of Israel, one thing is clear: A person with such intense hate for the singular nation of a people (while Muslims have 57 majority-Muslim and 22 constitutionally Islamic states) — who will himself decide what constitutes Jew-hate, will use NYC to boycott only Israel and so forth — would never be endorsed by the Democratic hierarchy were his hatred directed against any other people. Hochul’s endorsement of Mamdani is an unprecedented and monumental betrayal in New York, particularly against Jews, conducted without even the pretense or courtesy of consultation. Jeffrey S. Wiesenfeld
Proper breakdown
Laurelton: Very good op-ed (“Mamdani Derangement Syndrome explained,” Sept. 17). Mamdani is neither the “communist” that MAGA Republicans portray him as, nor is he a revolutionary who will defund the police, among other things. He’s actually a breath of fresh air in NYC politics, not beholden to the status quo. Mayor Adams and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo are disgraced politicians who are not fit to be mayor. Adams would be facing jail time if not for his buddy Trump, and Cuomo resigned rather than face sexual harassment allegations. It is disgraceful that mainstream Democrats have yet to fully support Mamdani, who decisively won the Democratic primary for mayor. The fact that Trump and big real estate and finance interests are trying so hard to demonize Mamdani should convince most New Yorkers that he’s doing something right. Come on, let’s get behind this real alternative to Trump and his MAGA agenda. Michael Ferguson
Short-timer
Lords Valley, Pa.: That 95-year-old woman who beat the 89-year-old woman to death should get life in prison with no parole. Leonard Stevenson
Lonesome lanes
Malverne, L.I.: There must be studies that show the unintended consequences of bus lanes. They allow for the use of one mode of transportation: buses. This causes all other vehicles to funnel into the remainder of the road. Everywhere I’ve travelled through Queens, i.e. Northern Blvd., Merrick Rd., Queens Blvd. and now Hillside Ave., bus lanes have created congestion, and I won’t get into merchants’ complaints of lack of space and time for customers and suppliers to conduct business. The bus lane gets used by buses followed by lengthy periods of idleness. There must be a way to incorporate bus lanes as HOV lanes as well. Also, NYC and state municipal employees are stuck in traffic. They too should have access to the public roadway known as bus lanes marked by red acrylic paint — the sight of pain wherever these sparingly used paths of misery appear. Kosmas Patikoglou
Misstated awards
Danbury, Conn.: Re “H’wood legend Redford dies, 89” (Sept. 17): You should know better, or shouldn’t have blithely trusted the research department, but in talking about Robert Redford’s directorial Oscar win for “Ordinary People” (you did not mention his lone acting nomination for “The Sting”), you went on to say that the film won four Oscars — Best Picture (check) and aforementioned director win for Redford (check) — and neglected to mention its Best Adapted Screenplay win for Alvin Sargent, then credited a Best Actress win for Mary Tyler Moore (false — she lost to Sissy Spacek for “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) and had Timothy Hutton as a Best Supporting Actor nominee when, in fact, he won. This stuff might not be a big deal outside of Hollywood, but try to get it right. Michael Eddy
