Readers sound off on artificial prose, the Red Cross and savings bonds

Nobody but a robot could love Henry Kissinger

Elmsford, N.Y.: Waiting for the first AI-generated letter to appear in the Daily News, I may have spotted it on Dec. 23. Headlined “Historical figure,” Voicer Steven Hawkins’s tribute to Henry Kissinger read like it was created by a ninth-grader using an early, flawed version of ChatGPT.

The sentence structure was childlike. The content was limited to textbook highlights of the career of the man who inspired nuke-loving “Dr. Strangelove” — with no mention of the many controversies surrounding him.

But the real giveaway was the clueless sentence, “Stars in Hollywood such as Ed Sullivan, Dick Clark and Johnny Carson praised his efforts through the years.” By no stretch of the imagination could any of these have been considered movie stars. Sullivan was best known for his long-running column in the Daily News and his CBS TV variety show broadcast from Broadway. Clark grew up in Westchester, and while his “Bandstand” teen music TV show may have migrated from Philly to Los Angeles, in his later years Clark’s name was synonymous with New Year’s Eve in Times Square. As for Johnny Carson, the Iowa-born TV game and talk show host may have bounced back and forth between NYC and LA, but this essentially Midwest nice guy would have praised Attila the Hun to get him as a guest. And who would consider any of these show biz greats a foreign policy expert?

A human-written Kissinger ode might have cited his Hollywood appeal as a movie-star magnet dating the likes of Raquel Welch, Jill St. John and Shirley MacLaine, though none of them would have qualified as diplomatic scholars, either. Steve Ditlea

Giant of storytelling

Astoria: Norman Lear, who created shows like “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “The Jeffersons,” “Good Times” and “The Facts of Life,” has passed away at the age of 101. I watched these iconic TV shows as a young lad. They are etched in TV history. Rest in peace, Mr. Lear. You were a true icon. Kerry Hanft

Hidden costs

White Plains, N.Y.: Zillow and the other home-buying companies never say what the taxes and maintenance fees are going to be once you buy the house. Even though the payments may be lower, what about the taxes? It’s awesome, but watch what you can afford. Good luck. Rick Tilson

Gift of gab

New Hyde Park, L.I.: I believe I speak for many fans when I say that I enjoy the Monday night coverage by the Manning brothers and their guests. They are insightful and personable. Good job. John Macklin

No aid

Princeton, N.J.: I am very disappointed with the Red Cross. For many weeks, war has been raging in the Gaza Strip and the Red Cross has done nothing to help or even see the hostages kidnapped from nearby Israel. The condition of these hostages is completely unknown. Charles Winfield

Work it out

Cranbury, N.J.: Saturday’s letter from Voicer Anitta Santiago was almost to a word what I wanted to write. I have often wished that the UN had a police force that could place the adversarial leaders of the Gaza conflict with an arbitrator in a locked room and not let them out until an agreement had been reached and signed by both parties. To paraphrase Anitta: It’s enough already! Ann Solomon

Inner beauty

Whitestone: Some think beauty is the looks of people, but really it is in the goodness and love in their hearts. I see people who have wrinkles, no hair and don’t walk straight, but their love, kindness and smiles make them beautiful. It is true that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so next time you see someone good who doesn’t look perfect, remember they really are beautiful and the world needs them. I am one of them. Sally DeFelice

Redress denied

Manhattan: There’s always one, or let’s say a million, selfish people like Voicer Joseph Comperchio who don’t feel reparations are warranted for Black Americans. Jews received reparations for the tragedy of the Holocaust. America paid $1.6 billion for what was done to Japanese-Americans. As long as Comperchio’s people aren’t suffering and are not the people on the bottom of the perceived American totem pole. Worldwide, America has and still takes care of others, but never corrected ills toward Native Americans and Black people. When you don’t correct your own home, it spreads to become supremacy of the doers and anger in the victims. Slavery has never been corrected nor respected by individuals of your ilk. Do you complain to Voicers when Ukraine is given billions? If you do now after the fact, we all know why and what you are: a racist. Check your bathroom mirror and come face to face with one. Edward Scott

Act of service

Cranford, N.J.: I read “Mutts” everyday and the series involving Guard Dog really got to me. Unfortunately, what Guard Dog went through, too many dogs and cats go through the same but not with such a happy ending. Thank you, Patrick McDonnell, for making readers aware, and I agree with Voicer Bob Smith, you should be recognized. Christine Felegi

Thinned down

Tuckahoe, N.Y.: The Daily News doesn’t have gossip pages. When I was little, the newspaper was thicker. More people bought it. I miss the movie reviews. I miss the gossip pages. C. D’onofrio

Pay period

Yonkers: Congrats to Shohei Ohtani on his $700 million contract. My question is how does he get paid — once a week on Friday, twice a month or once a year? If it’s on Friday, does he ask a friend the day before for 20 bucks because he’s short? Just asking. Warren Isaacs

Low-tech

Brooklyn: The U.S. Treasury Department found a way to keep more of our money. After buying savings bonds for years that are now expiring, instead of cashing them in at your bank, the Treasury requires us to do it online. We people in our 90s often do not know what “online” is, so we’re screwed. Friends who are beneficiaries of bonds on our death also don’t know what “online” is if they’re in their 90s, often in various stages of dementia. Kirsti Laandi

Growing population

Colonia, N.J.: Our elected politicians go out of their way to find ways to keep migrants from being deported. No one in city, state or federal government seems to be keeping track of or caring how many are here. There are 46 million in the U.S. now. Most of them are coming from countries that have gone over their quotas by the millions. There is a quota system for all countries — who is keeping track of this? Supposedly, people crossing our southern border now are coming from more than 50 countries. Tom Nolan Sr.

Vote for the former

Brooklyn: Of all our enemies — Iran, North Korea, China, Russia — the most damage being done to this country is by the left. Regardless of whether you love or hate Donald Trump, much of what’s going awry, from the economy to our southern border to our global image, was relatively in check when Trump was in office. Yet there are people who are hell-bent on making sure Trump never gets elected again. This destruction from within defies logic. President Biden, on the other hand, is turning out to be the most destructive president in history, yet no one is in a mad rush to get him out of office. Especially grievous is his position on our southern border. The way things are going, it seems like Trump is the only one who can turn this country around from its downward spiral. People need to leave their emotions behind and wise up. David Balsam

Little dictator

Bronx: Of course Trump didn’t read “Mein Kampf.” He never read any book. But, according to his first wife, Ivana, he kept some of Hitler’s speeches on his night table to read before going to bed. He has made it perfectly clear that he’s a fascist with no respect for our American republic. Anyone who votes for him is either knowingly or ignorantly voting to destroy our democratic republic. Randall Borra