Lockstep in a doomed assault on the oppressed
Castlebar, Ireland: The arrogance of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and his cronies in Israel in declaring UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata, followed by an instruction to Irish peacekeeping troops in Lebanon to move their positions, is mind-boggling.
Israel is guilty of genocide and domicide in Gaza. The Gaza health authorities report that more than 40,000 people have been killed. The Lancet puts the figure, including indirect deaths, at more than 180,000. I believe this is closer to the real number when you take into consideration the dead bodies entombed in collapsed buildings. The unfortunates the Israelis don’t kill in bombings are being starved to death by stopping thousands of trucks laden with food and medicine from entering Gaza.
It took us Irish 800 years to free ourselves of the English yoke. The Palestinians are trying to do the same with the Israelis. I am convinced that Zionists control the American administration. Self-confessed Zionist President Biden is not alone. American lawmakers clapped and cheered everything Netanyahu said when he addressed Congress, even while his forces were slaughtering defenseless newborn babies, women, children and men on an hourly basis.
The Vietnam War should have taught that men defending their country, who are quite prepared to sacrifice their lives, are a dangerous enemy and very hard to beat. Palestinian fighters are no different. Hamas and Hezbollah have fired 9,000 missiles at Israel. Each of the Iron Dome’s Patriot missiles costs $4 million. That means the American taxpayer has forked out billions. That is just one item, so think hard when you are voting. John Fair
Raw realities
Dover, Del.: Why do they call Palestine the Occupied Territories? Is it because there are invading forces just running over all of the inhabitants without any repercussions from the so-called free nations that profess to defend democracy and freedom for all? When is Bibi the Butcher going to be arrested for the greatest war crimes? By its constant bombing of Gaza, the IDF has not only killed women and children but also the majority of the hostages being held. Peace to all. Chalky White
Majoring in malfeasance
Brooklyn: The pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian students can’t be looked upon as students — students use logic, study history and have common sense. A roll of toilet paper is worth more than the college degrees of these so-called students. Rob Weissbard
Error of alignment
Monmouth Beach, N.J.: Voicer Donald Ziminski, in true right-wing fashion, correlates the modern Democratic Party with the Southern slaveholders of yore, while promoting the false narrative that the modern Republican Party, now MAGA, continues to espouse the ideological narrative of the Lincoln-led Republicans. Pure balderdash of the highest order. It seems to me that today’s bearers of the Confederate flags, as well as Nazi flags, are people aligned with the Republican-MAGA Trump movement. Correct me if I am wrong and the news videos I have seen of these reprehensible displays of white supremacy by Republican-MAGA supporters are not to be believed. David W. Kay
Humor incentive
Bronx: Erma Bombeck and Mark Twain have gone to heaven. Dave Barry and “I Love Lucy” are now silent. Most great, funny comics in the papers have had and ended their days. Disney films are becoming social commentaries and TV sitcom writers are burned out. We have only two and a half weeks before an anticipatedly nasty and witless election in the U.S.A. We need humor or just clean, uplifting fun to bear our 24-hour days of hearing about knifings, murders, corruption and massacres in schools and overseas. We are tired of nasty talk from the orange candidate and his party. One solution I can think of so that we can bear humanity’s follies and misfortunes is to award a Nobel Peace (and Quiet) Prize for humor. Even though it may be small and measly in money, it’s big on prestige, and people may want to win it. Rose Mary Lancaster
Best wishes
Camden, N.J.: Today, the Democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris, celebrates her 60th birthday. As a man raised by my single mother, reared by my grandmother and mentored by a host of aunts and other women from my community, I can easily identify with issues concerning women. Traditionally in our country in October, we acknowledge breast cancer awareness. In her candidacy, Harris has reminisced about her personal experience with her mother’s quest to combat that disease, to which she succumbed. I thank Harris for campaigning on common, real-life issues. Happy birthday, Madam Vice President! Wayne E. Williams
Different ‘toon
Hamburg, N.J.: Re Thursday’s Bramhall’s World: The T-shirt should have said: “I went on Fox News and forgot to answer all the questions.” Rosemary McClane
Extensive experience
Staten Island: To Voicer Sandra Weiss: It’s your view that is skewed by Donald Trump’s lies. Kamala Harris does have national experience: vice president, senator, district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California. And world experience: traveling to more than 19 countries and meeting with more than 150 world leaders. She and President Biden worked to create a record number of jobs, kept unemployment low and strove to create more small businesses in a two-year period than any previous administration. She actually attended classes and earned her degrees at Howard University and the University of California Law School, whereas Daddy Trump’s donation to Wharton Business School earned his son a degree despite the fact that he rarely attended classes — what a cheat, what a phony! Eileen Zanelli
Done that
Belvidere, N.J.: The quote attributed to Albert Einstein about insanity being doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results seems appropriate when considering the prospects of electing Donald Trump to a second term in office after witnessing his incompetence in attempting to govern and the divisiveness left in his wake after his first term in office. That alone would have indicated the need to at least have nominated a different candidate, but given that did not happen, it seems it certainly is time for a change. Steve Deutsch
Sullied soirée
Brooklyn: I suggest that Cardinal Dolan owes an apology to those who attended and watched this year’s Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner for allowing Donald Trump to turn the charitable event into a campaign rally. Trump’s remarks were totally inappropriate. Even his version of humor was vicious at points. Rather than recognizing the legacy of the foundation, the dinner became a vehicle for his typical narcissistic remarks and attacks on his opponent. Kamala Harris was, indeed, smart not to be there. Ed Jaworski
Exchanging unpleasantries
Henderson, Nev.: The Al Smith dinner has become too politically correct. Liberals say Trump’s remarks were mean. Yet, Hillary Clinton knocks Trump and liberals show glee? How nice that Trump loves to be seen. David Tulanian
First things first
Bayside: Kudos to Voicer Lee Rottenberg for his rebuke of the seriously flawed City of Yes initiative. He was 100% correct with his letter. However, he left out another glaring problem: Nowhere does the plan talk about upgrades to the antiquated infrastructure (electrical, sewers, etc.) because the mayor and his crew already said those things aren’t on the table. The five boroughs are already maxed out with an abundance of people straining these old, decrepit resources. Go back to the original plan of the City of Yes until upgrades are made to the boroughs first! Karen Sabatini
Profiting off nonprofits
Brooklyn: As someone who has been involved in the homeless issue in New York City for some 20 years, in government and with nonprofits, I was disgusted in reading your article about the Department of Investigation’s findings about the operators of homeless shelters (“DOI: Corruption, nepotism rife at shelter nonprofits,” Oct. 18). It is shocking that 13 executives made more than $500,000 a year, and five executives made more than $700,000! When you consider that the mayor makes $258,750 a year, these results are even more shocking. It is time to establish the Department of Homeless Services as an independent agency, which was done in 1993. However, it has been absorbed back into the behemoth known as the Department of Social Services. DHS needs to be independent and staffed with sufficient numbers of auditors and monitors to ferret out this corruption. Robert Mascali