Kids benefit from smart limits on smartphones
Bellmore, L.I.: On any given day, at any given moment, an emergency situation could arise, and that is a scary thought for a parent (I’m a mother of three and was a teacher for 31 years). The safety and wellbeing of the students is absolutely paramount, so when a parent says that they want to be able to contact their child during the school day in case of an emergency, does the phone call they need to make itself protect their child from danger?
There’s no denying the importance of communication between parent and child, and although not instantaneous, communication is possible even when a student is not always within reach of their cell phone.
Students constantly in possession of their phones are inundated with distractions that range from unimportant to harmful. Intermittent messages or calls from their parents are not protecting them from that harm. We all want what’s best for the students, and hours of social media access and addictive cell phone use do far more damage to them than the inability to respond instantly to messages from their parents.
From infancy on, if a child was holding something that could hurt them, a parent wouldn’t hesitate to take it away, or yell, “Let go of that!” Unfortunately, when cell phone use becomes toxic, kids do not let go, and parents aren’t always there to take the cell phones out of their hands. Debbie Cuttitta-Pekoff
Out of place
Massapequa, L.I.: On Jan. 31, in the Daily News article about the plane crash in Washington, your reference to the “2001 plane crash in Belle Harbor in upstate New York” was misinformed. Belle Harbor is in Queens County on the Rockaway Peninsula, just west of Rockaway Beach and Playland. Ron Boehning
Rapid deterioration
Bronx: It is hard to believe this country has declined so much in just 14 days. I was at the grocery store and saw a dozen eggs for $11.99! What happened to lowering prices on day one? Elon Musk forces the FAA administrator out of his job on Jan. 20; hiring of traffic controllers on freeze on Jan. 21; an email to all federal employees asking them to resign and receive payments until September on Jan. 24; dismissal of the FAA Advisory Board, and then comes a fatal crash over D.C. on Jan. 29. President Trump, of course, blames DEI, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Pete Buttigieg — Trump established diverse hiring during his first administration! When did Musk become president? Or does his $250 million donation to the campaign mean he is now the shadow president? Where is JD Vance? Come on, folks. Where are the rallies, the marches, the pushback? Claudette Mobley
Focus on the fix
Bronx: Understanding what happened over the Potomac River should result in changes aimed at preventing a recurrence. Focusing on blame alone, as our autocratic leader is doing, is another example of unwise governance. Accidents don’t occur by design, whether on a dirt road or in heavily-used airspace. There will always be failures caused by human, mechanical and computer systems. The best we can do is try to keep them to a minimum. Maria Bonsanti
Purge putsch
Bergenfield, N.J.: The reason Schedule F is to be implemented is to eliminate civil service workers, who can not be fired easily, and to replace them with people Trump can fire easily. This way he can get rid of anyone who doesn’t bend to his will and way. It will be railroading his dictatorship into play and creating a Trump dynasty. Be vigilant and oppose what is going on. This is being done under the guise of doing great things for America — making it great again. Francisco Franco, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler all said and did this and all became dictators. History can’t be allowed to repeat itself. Jack DeLucia
Fatal sin?
Edinburgh, Scotland: While I feel the pain of America, especially as the U.K. has been/is being wrecked by the xenophobic-driven nonsense of Brexit, it is starting to look like karma on steroids. Americans love to claim that America was built on immigration. Yes, sort of. More accurately, it was built on the genocide of the indigenous population, and subsequently — literally (including the actual center of power, the White House) — it was built on the horrors of slavery. In light of the current white supremacist cataclysm and the 90 mph wreckage taking place before our eyes, might history conclude that America was built on racism and brought down by it? Amanda Baker
Widely held view
Greenwood Lake, N.Y.: To Voicer Rose Mary Lancaster: There are 77,284,118 voters who beg to differ with you. Joe Fioramonti
Handed a takeover
Brooklyn: Many of our fellow Americans voted for Trump and have been enthusiastically exalting in the victory of their savior. I fear that this is only the start of a campaign to undermine America from within. We will soon be pulling out of our longstanding treaty obligations built after World War II and will be giving Vladimir Putin a pass on Ukraine. I find myself alternating between fury and a feeling of futility. That “60 Minutes” plans to comply with Trump’s demand to turn over the transcripts of the Kamala Harris interview is frightening. There is no tradition that will be respected by the oligarchs who have been given control of our quickly disintegrating democratic republic. Ed Temple
Draw a line
Brooklyn: To Voicer Stephen Talenti: Upon reading your letter, I soon realized that you are what is the worst of America: a spineless loser who doesn’t have the sense enough to know that not calling out the racism, immorality and thuggery of the Orange Lowlife is why he can commit the crimes he is perpetrating right now. Anyone who supports Trump is a skank just like him. I have not only cut off friends but also members of my family who belong to his cult. Let’s find the courage to forward justice. Gary Butler
Heroic history
Hallandale Beach, Fla.: Every year, Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many Black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our nation’s history. Throughout it, Black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our nation in profound ways. American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas and countless others represent what is best in America and its citizens. Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans. We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow. Paul Bacon
Abortion peddling
Lynbrook, L.I.: I’m totally on board with Voicer Jennifer Berenbaum in her assessment of abortion czar Kamala Harris, who is indubitably an abortion-hungry, abortion-loving, abortion-obsessed politician. When she was attorney general of California, she relentlessly persecuted (in addition to prosecuted) David Daleiden for exposing Planned Parenthood for illegally selling unborn baby parts. So what does this out-of-step fanatic have to show for a career of clamoring for more and more abortion rights and wider and wider access to abortion? A pile of dead babies. Vanessa Pallotto
Earning their keep
Bronx: Before I retired from New York City Transit (MABSTOA division) in 2011, I loaded, unloaded and drove trucks. I made deliveries not only to MABSTOA depots but to Transit Authority depots and train yards as well. Some of these locations require outdoor unloading. Those doing this job today make between $72,841.60 and $85,696 a year. Bus operator was never an easy job. But dealing with the public nowadays, especially with all the assaults, certainly leaves no doubt that they at least earn their $82,576-a-year salary. So why would retired bus operator and Voicer Dennis Pasquale say that transit worker salaries are “exorbitant”? Also, why has no transit worker or union official rebutted his letter? Richard Warren