Readers sound off on killing spotted lanternflies, a deadly day care and vilifying China

The lust for lanternfly blood is inappropriate

Manhattan: Why print the letter from Voicer Avion Henry that bizarrely states that spotted lanternflies “have some nerve to exist where we do”? The lanternfly hysteria is over-hyped fearmongering by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Cornell University reports that lanternflies are harmless to people and most trees, and prefer feeding on tree of heaven shrubs, which are classified as an invasive species. The DEC eagerly okays the ruin of thousands of acres of trees, leading to a destructive chain reaction harming multiple species of plants, animals and insects. The DEC has loudly advocated for the destruction of hundreds of acres of trees to make way for more malls, etc. — many of which now sit empty and abandoned.

Furthermore, the DEC should not be urging adults and children to kill anything, ever. If the department thinks this insect is so horrifying, its employees should go and kill them. They get enough taxpayer funds to do so. The shameful DEC is supposed to be an advocate for nature and the environment, yet its staff members are, in fact, paid agents of hunting and and slaughter.

And with the DEC spreading supposed hyper-imminent emergency alerts telling adults and even children to randomly kill these colorful insects, how many butterflies, caterpillars, lady bugs (yes, the same ones Voicer Henry loves), baby birds, etc. will be stomped to death in the confusion and supposedly urgent need to kill them all? Grace Luntz

It’s relative

Glen Ridge, N.J.: In response to Voicer Cianna F. Brisket’s comment about maybe she is getting old: Never old, Cianna, just older. Francine Ferrara

Misogyny

Bridgewater, N.J.: In his Sunday column Mike Lupica wrote that “ ‘The Morning Show’ is never as interesting to me, or as much fun, when Billy Crudup isn’t on screen,” ignoring the two female stars, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. He and Jann Wenner are two sides of the same coin (“Wenner removed from Rock Hall board for saying Black, female artists not ‘articulate,’ ” Sept. 17). Both are filthy-rich men who hate successful career women. Charles Everett

A walk to remember?

Brooklyn: For a place that’s supposed to be the tourist capital of Brooklyn, it’s appalling that the city has let the Coney Island Boardwalk become so dilapidated. With nails poking out and missing wooden boards leaving gaping holes in the boardwalk, it has become quite the literal tourist trap with the increased risk of people falling into the cavities. It has also become a hazard to the elderly, as the uneven surface makes it nearly impossible for those who use walkers or canes to enjoy the walk. The city’s attempts to fix the boardwalk have been abysmal. They’ve placed wooden slabs over sections, only covering up the problem and increasing the risk of slippage during rainfall. The boardwalk needs a full rebuild to restore its wooden boards, otherwise future generations won’t be able to enjoy this iconic symbol of Brooklyn and will see it as a remnant of a bygone era. Daniel Leyzerzon

French-kiss perfection

Jersey City: I got a huge laugh from Bramhall’s Sept. 14 cartoon with Kevin McCarthy kissing the butt of the far-right elephant. It is just perfect. I am a proud Democrat and a Vietnam veteran. Tony Zaccone

Unscrupulous screed

Howard Beach: Does the Voice of the People purposely print Voicer Bob Pascarella’s letters just to give us a good laugh in the morning? His latest was his funniest yet. Bob feels all our problems would cease if we only elected Republicans into political office — the same Republicans who thought Jan. 6 was just another tourist day at the Capitol, who don’t want to hold people who break the law accountable unless they are Democrats and who are using their power in the House for revenge politics. Bob, another delusional fantasy from you. The rest of us need to deal with reality. Barbara Berg

Littlest victims

Brooklyn: Re “Fentanyl suspected as tot dies, others hurt at Bronx day care center” (Sept. 16): Part of the punishment that these two day care drug dealers should get is this: A picture of all four children should be hung in their cells as a reminder of why they are there. Beautiful young babies and their families’ lives are changed forever because of greed. Shame on these miscreants for using day care as a ruse. My heart broke when I saw the picture of the little boy who died. As a parent who, when my boys were little, needed to use day care, I know how these parents feel. Guilt is one thing, though it is not their fault. Efforts should be made to really look into these day care centers. After all, they charge a high price. Prayers will be said for the survivors and their families, also for the little boy and his family. Sharon Cesario

Impertinent info

Spring Valley, L.I.: This day care story about this child dying because he came in contact with fentanyl — who cares if the woman had her hair pulled into a short ponytail? Who cares what they were wearing? Is this a perp walk or a fashion strut? What I want to know is if they were illegal (per TV news), how did they get a government license? And they just passed their inspection. This needs to be investigated by a reliable source. This stinks to high heaven. Delores McDonald

Neighborhood secret?

Staten Island: A day care located in a basement, and the owner hangs out until the early hours of the morning playing dominos, drinking and smoking hookah. Grei Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito had a kilo press, which is usually used in packing large quantities of drugs, in the day care. Nobody in the area thought this was strange and reported what was happening? The people in the area are just as guilty as the people doing drugs or selling them. People knew what was going on and did nothing, so a little boy dies. Thomas Bell

Illicit funding

Western Springs, Ill.: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called fossil fuels “incompatible with human survival.” He and scientific reports have emphasized that the only way to curb warming and meet international goals is to phase out fossil fuels. So, it is imperative to determine why the United States is not leading the world in an all-out effort to transition to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Follow the money. Fossil fuel interests, which haul in billions in profits, pour millions into political campaigns — mostly to Republicans. Any Republican running for Congress who might support action against climate change is discouraged from this position by the prospect of facing a primary opponent well-funded by fossil fuel interests. Public funding of election campaigns democratizes the process and makes it more likely that government decisions are based on merit and the public interest, and not distorted by huge, self-serving contributions. Richard Barsanti

Hypocrisy

Manhattan: It’s interesting to see that all the folks who are welcoming migrants, aka asylum seekers, into our country, are many of the same people who are vehemently against reparations for American Descendants of Slavery, a group our government owes reparations to for the centuries of abuses and atrocities she committed and allowed to be committed against us specifically. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of this debt. Hatred of ADOS people is still a cornerstone of our country and lives in the hearts and minds of many Americans. Heyward Johnson

Ginning up hatred

Hillsdale, N.J.: As a Chinese-American, I am disheartened by the anti-Chinese rhetoric used by our politicians. It is inflammatory and is sometimes blatant lies, such as with the Chinese “spy balloon” incident. We now know the balloon was blown off course. Asian-Americans went through hell during Donald Trump’s reign. I never imagined that President Biden would follow in his footsteps. It seems to me that every election year, politicians find a scapegoat to pin our economic predicament on. In the 1980s, it was Japan. A Chinese-American, Vincent Chin, was killed in Detroit when autoworkers were laid off and sales of Japanese cars exceeded those of American cars. Now the scapegoat is China because it is ahead of the U.S. in 5G technology and EV manufacturing. All the tough talk by our president and politicians against China makes me nervous and fearful. It furthers us still being seen as foreigners and treated as second-class citizens. Poki Kritzler