His obligation is to citizens before immigrants
Flushing: Bishop Mariann Budde of the Washington Episcopalian cathedral tried to take advantage of President Trump and his family who attended a service in the cathedral. She accused Trump of not being compassionate in his treatment of the illegal migrants in our country. But she is dead wrong, as our president is obligated to be compassionate to the citizens of the United States first. She needs to apologize to the Trump family she insulted.
A bishop’s first obligation is to God, and then to pray for all humanity regardless of nationality, as only God is able to take care of and be compassionate to the 8 billion humans on Earth. Humans are limited to what they can do, and humans make laws to be compassionate to those under their sphere of influence. Our president is responsible for keeping the millions of citizens of our country safe from harm, and our government makes laws to keep our people safe.
Our immigration laws are written to do exactly that — protect us from bad people. These laws are compassionate and welcome good people into our country, as we are a nation of immigrants. It’s true that not all the illegal migrants who invaded the U.S.A. are bad, but when millions of them swarm into our country at once, we have no way of telling the good from the bad.
In order to protect all Americans, our government must catch and deport all illegals, and in that way protect and show compassion for American citizens. After they are deported, those people can then apply for legal immigration. John Procida
No sanctuary
Chester, N.J.: Thousands of years of churches being places of sanctuary, plus our nation’s freedom of religion, all reduced to meaninglessness as ICE is now empowered to enter a church and round up anyone who looks like they “don’t belong here.” Next we will have people being stopped in the streets and asked to “show me your papers!” David J. Melvin
Party-poopers
Oceanside, L.I.: Just look at the faces of Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. The pictures I’ve seen of them after they voted nay for Pete Hegseth — they are so stone-faced, I think they would crack if they smiled. They must lead boring, fun-deprived lives. All they can do is get satisfaction by making others miserable. Get a life, girls, or retire. John F. Rossano
Life-threatening
Ridgewood: In 2017, Trump did away with the group that researches pandemics. In 2020-21, more than 1 million people died in the United States. Now he is withdrawing from the World Health Organization. How many people will die in 2025-26? John Sendlein
Mental health alert
Bronx: Why is everyone shocked by Trump’s insane executive orders? Doesn’t anyone know that 225 mental health professionals placed a full-page ad in The New York Times warning us of how dangerous Trump is? I guess many of those who voted for him don’t read newspapers. Virgilio Carballo
Democracy be damned
Rockaway Park: To Voicer Spencer Rumsey: I agree with your assessment that “our democracy will survive Trump because of us.” The problem is that I question if enough people who voted for Trump in the last election really care about democracy. When one can ignore his checkered history, can they actually care about our democratic system? I am not sure they do! Anthony Johnson
Well said
Midland Park, N.J.: To Voicer Spencer Rumsey: Here, here. Anthony Merlino
Fortified by law
St. James, L.I.: To Voicer Mike Hooker: Initially, I greatly appreciated your kind remarks. Allow me to allay your fears concerning the new administration. You stated: “We had checks and balances then. Today, Trump — through his mindless minions and the votes they throw away — has corrupted the executive, legislative and judicial branches. We have no more checks and balances.” The checks and balances are ingrained in the Constitution and can not be rendered void by any presidential administration, regardless of its power and/or corruption. Our great country has survived civil war, foreign wars and political corruption to the degree that it caused a presidential resignation. We are and always will be a nation of laws that no one person or administration can destroy. Our government will always be of, by and for the people. Carmine E. Esposito
Only one day
North Haven, Conn.: The Daily News is upset with the Jan. 6 pardons. Well, I along with thousands are upset about the so-called “Summer of Love.” Remember the Democrats’ Antifa and BLM? Looting, burning, destroying and harming innocent citizens in cities governed by spineless Democratic politicians: 24 murders, 800 law enforcement personnel injured and millions of dollars in damages. Their punishments were slaps on the wrist all around. Compared to the summer of 2020, Jan. 6 was a mild demonstration with a single demonstrator losing her life, sadly. Wayne S. Nuhn
Self-descriptor
Staten Island: To Voicer Donald Ziminski: Thank you for teaching me a new word: anosognosia, a condition in which someone is crazy but doesn’t realize it. I would like to use it to describe Trump. After all, it does arguably fit, but I think many of the words written to this page in the past, including by myself, are still more accurate. He isn’t crazy, but he is a vindictive liar, grifter, manipulator, sex offender and adulterer who is cold, calculating, heartless, soulless, amoral, unethical, a criminal and, of course, an anti-American, anti-democracy, insurrection-aspiring tyrant with delusions of godhood. I would also like to use your word to describe you and the other right-wingers who voted him back into office despite that — or perhaps because — he is all these things. Phil Bauch
Contagious company
Ozone Park: It’s too bad that Mayor Adams has not been feeling well lately. That’s what happens when you decide to hang out with Trump. Ray Hackinson
Reject hate
Brooklyn: A nation of hate can not be great. Keep this in mind as we’ve commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025. The current president and his supporters are trying to pit us against each other. They thrive on disunity. But a truly great country focuses much more on unity and general respect. Please, folks, help turn the tone of the U.S. to be more positive and less divisive. Hatred against Jews, people of color, Latinos, the LGBTQ population and so many others is poisonous. Ellen Levitt
Ethnic cleansing agenda
Brooklyn: Re “No to Don’s Mideast idea” (Jan. 27): No surprise that the bloodthirsty Israelis want to remove all Gazans from their land so that Israeli settlers can move in and take over! This has been their plan all along. You would have to be a complete idiot to believe that the proposed exodus of the Palestinian people would be temporary. George Nader
Bad news
Flushing: The company known as Audacy is ruining New York radio. WFAN is a shell of its former self, and last year, someone at the soulless corporate entity decided it was a good idea to end the run of WCBS NewsRadio 880, the most informative (and important) all-news AM station in the country. Now we’re left with all-laughs-all-the-time WINS 1010, featuring wisecracking non-journalists such as Scott Stanford (an actual WWE wrestling personality) and Larry Mullens, who deliver what few news items the station bothers to cover as if they’re auditioning at amateur night at The Comedy Cellar. These are serious times; New York deserves a serious all-news radio station. Audacy has failed New York over and over again. I suggest you try WNYC or Bloomberg if you want to be informed about what’s going on in the Big Apple and the world. Robert Smith
Unfairly framed
Mount Sinai, L.I.: I really think this anti-abortion vs. pro-abortion controversy has to be reframed as what it really is. No one is “pro-abortion.” They are essentially “anti-forced birth.” It is barbaric to force a victim of rape or incest to demand bringing such a conception to full term. And to force an unwanted, unplanned, unaffordable pregnancy on any woman is disgraceful. Ten million children live in poverty in this country now. When is enough enough? Karl Bean