Can’t skimp on treating serious mental illness
Brooklyn: The cataloging of the history of Ramon Rivera in the article “Many busts, now 3 slays” (Nov. 20) and reference to Mayor Adams’ noting the failures of the criminal justice system and the mental health system in reality unveils a larger failing that occurs long before law enforcement becomes involved.
We can no longer ignore that these unspeakable tragedies will continue if lawmakers do not begin a serious refocus of resources. We must turn away from expanding forced hospitalizations and incarceration and instead pass budgets that build up resources to give people access to community treatment and safe places to live. Indeed, we must ensure that supportive and stable housing is available to all in need. We must ensure that if people are hospitalized, they are discharged with robust connections to community care and to housing.
And when these resources fail and a person ends up in our courts, we must expand and modernize our treatment courts, with legislation like the Treatment Not Jail Act, a bill I am proud to sponsor, to ensure access, equity and off-ramps from a punishment system that is not built to address this public health problem.
Until we begin to take better care of our neighbors in need by committing taxpayer dollars to the proven strategies that keep us all safe, we will continue to use the revolving door of the criminal legal system and the cudgel of incarceration as our only response — one that has repeatedly failed us. Phara Souffrant Forrest, NYS Assembly member, District 57
Safer place
Ozone Park: There’s nothing rotten in Denmark, just in NYC. The unfortunate Danish tourist who got slashed in Manhattan could tell you that. Probably the worst that would happen there is being struck by a wayward windmill blade. Ray Hackinson
Inverted justice
Long Beach, L.I.: It is hard to comprehend that criminals are allowed to run free in NYC and Daniel Penny is being persecuted, wasting tax money on a trial that never should have happened. Hopefully, all the bleeding heart liberals’ daughters will never have to experience a tragedy like Laken Riley’s family did because they don’t believe in law and order and persecute the wrong people. Half of America wants law and order. The other half wants publicity for themselves. Arlene Reilly
Partial liability
Glendale: Voicer Derek K. Evans lies when he states that I place the entire onus on the family of Jordan Neely in the Daniel Penny case. Derek, my exact words were, “Until now, I have not seen one letter putting a big part of the blame where it belongs.” A “big part” is not the entire blame, and it was not intended to be. Before writing a letter, learn to read and comprehend what I said and don’t put words in my mouth! Furthermore, I stand by every word I wrote! Thomas Murawski
Circumstantial enemies
Bronx: To Voicer Howard Hutchins: Islam is not the Jewish people’s traditional enemy. Historically, Muslims have been friends and protectors of the Jews. It is the land-grabbing, genocidal Zionists who have declared Muslims an enemy. Richie Nagan
Anti-trans trash
Kearny, N.J.: So much print space wasted on a long-winded piece of nonsense (“Why Harris lost, using the numbers,” op-ed, Nov. 18). Equating transgender people — the most vulnerable of the many, many demographic groups cataloged by writer J.T. Barbarese — to clowns? What a tough guy! What clever wordplay! What Barbarese fails to comprehend is that many of us didn’t take the venomous bait put out by Donald Trump and the Republicans and blame all of our many ills on transgender people. But such deeper thinking would probably cause Barbarese’s head to explode. This two-column piece was sheer torture to get through. I can only imagine how painful it would be to try and read one of his books. John Woodmaska
Unenforceable
Auburndale: Re “GOPer pushes trans ban for Hill bathrooms” (Nov. 20): If Nancy Mace doesn’t want to possibly share a restroom with a transgender woman, why can’t Mace use her own private restroom in her office? Any person supporting her ban is basically forcing certain women to use the men’s room. Nice way to welcome a new colleague and visitors. Who will enforce this policy? Will the FBI become the Female Body Inspectors? Does anyone think it would be practical to force everyone to carry their original birth certificate just to enter a restroom? Cathi Venis
Don’t demonize
Manhattan: Pluralism is the cornerstone of my ideal vision of society. Being open to and supportive of different people and lifestyles does not mean, however, that people must accept every opinion and action as equally valid or desirable. To do so is tantamount to allowing invalid, unjustified, even nefarious beliefs to poison society. People on the right argue that a type of unchecked pluralism — which they call “wokism” — leads to dangers like open borders or unfair, inappropriate support for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. They do not accept decisions they feel negatively affect schools, places of worship, health care, sports, the military and the economy. For them, the freedom to act against wokism is thus consistent with some of the left’s unbridled views of pluralism, even when the former is based on unscientific hearsay or conspiratorial nonsense. When someone’s pluralism minimizes the points of view, family histories and regular activities of those from the opposite end of the political spectrum, bad things can happen. Stamos Metzidakis
Established rules
Staten Island: Is President-elect Trump going to deport all immigrants? Could it be that he will deport only the criminal and illegal immigrants? I thought that immigrants who entered legally were allowed to stay and work, and illegals were not to be hired. Has this law changed? Thomas Bell
Sinister success
Manhattan: In Sunday’s New York Times, columnist David French lists a few reasons why he thinks Donald Trump is “already failing.” No, Mr. French, Trump is not failing in any way. When you’ve gone from a financially problematic election denier to a man who’s successfully taken control of a major American political party, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the U.S. Supreme Court, and you’re about to become the commander in chief of the world’s most powerful military, you are not failing. In fact, you’re succeeding on an almost science fiction level. If this was the plot of a Hollywood movie 10 years ago, it would have bombed at the box office due to being too unrealistic. Trump is succeeding spectacularly, and if the Democratic Party doesn’t acknowledge reality and rehabilitate its message, the U.S. will not exist as a democracy for much longer. Lloyd Litwak
He set the stage
Dover, Del.: To Voicer Mike Ryan: The withdrawal from Afghanistan was scheduled by the big fat felon who chose to have fewer soldiers prior to leaving the country — against the advice of the majority of the military experts who told him to keep a greater number of soldiers to protect those still there! Stop acting like the fat felon actually knew what he was doing during his last time in office. Chalky White
Plenty else to fix
Freehold, N.J.: I read the Voice of the People almost daily and see all the letters of anger and outrage over the elections. Yet, where is the outrage over an NYPD desk lieutenant, pretty much an office supervisor, earning more than $400,000 during the last fiscal year, of which $204,000 was for 1,626 hours of overtime? Do the math and that is an average of 31 hours per week in overtime. This is one person! Never mind the other 19 top earners who took in more than $6.7 million in overtime last fiscal year. The governor is going ahead with congestion pricing because the MTA is crying poverty. Maybe it’s time for a new set of eyes to oversee the books and uncover what other waste of taxpayer funds is slipping through NYC coffers. The elections are over. There is so much more going on under your noses. Catherine McQuillan