Readers sound off on military overreactions, lawmaking and streaming sports

There’s response, and then there’s recklessness

Kearny, N.J.: If you believe the official narrative of what happened on 9/11, evil Osama Bin Laden succeeded in luring America into costly military engagements that led to the government ignoring domestic needs and ultimately bankrupted us, both financially and morally. If you believe the conspiracy theorists, the Project for a New American Century and evil men like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld succeeded in putting us on a permanent war footing, limiting our civil liberties and privacy rights, and using this “new Pearl Harbor” to extend America’s reach and take over Iraq’s oil supply. Either way, evil triumphed and we’ve been left weakened, both domestically and internationally.

Now consider that before Oct. 7, Benjamin Netanyahu was on the ropes at home and abroad. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis were marching in protest against him and reservists were threatening to not report for duty. Then Oct. 7 happens and all is forgotten. Whether you agree or not with the official narrative of what happened and what led up to it, it’s clear that Israel has gone down the same path and is making the same mistakes the U.S. made after 9/11. The result will be the same for them as it was for us — Israel will be left more divided, bankrupt (financially and morally) and isolated in the world.

And we’ll be right there with them, united in a lover’s embrace as we both sink down into the abyss. Thus it ends for those who fail to learn the lessons of history. John Woodmaska

Cold-hearted compassion

Forest Hills: Re “Kathy, Chuck join rally in Midtown for release of hostages” (Jan. 13): Gov. Hochul is quoted as saying she was ” ‘sick and tired of the way this has been covered,’ suggesting that the news media has not sufficiently focused on the hostages.” Chuck Schumer said in a statement that he has “no higher priority than bringing the hostages home safely.” My questions to both: Does the continuing genocide of the people of Gaza and the near-total destruction of their homes and land (25,000 killed at last count, mostly women and children) give either of you pause at all? If you care so much about the hostages, instead of just giving lip service to them, why aren’t you both calling for an immediate ceasefire and then negotiations to get more released? Why do you still support funding Israel’s war effort without any conditions? Where is your humanity? Mel Moskowitz

Out of bounds

Syosset, L.I.: Wait, now we’re to understand that AOC only comments about things in her district!? That’s just a joke, right? Drew Oringer

Good lawmaking

Bronx: In the late 1940s when I was attending Hunter High School, we had a lesson on what makes a good law: It is needed, easily understood and is applicable to all people without exceptions, exemptions or loopholes, and makes clear the consequences for breaking it. A good law prevents abuse and needs no lawyers to interpret it. I have written letters (unpublished) about “good laws” before, but this time we really need to heed the concept before the dreaded presidential elections of 2024, before the mass exodus of disgruntled Congress members that you’ve been predicting will occur after the new year, before women legally lose complete control over their bodies, before income tax time comes, and before new immigrations from all directions overwhelm our beloved U.S.A. These events highlight some of the worst laws we have to endure, which need to be rethought, reformed and rewritten by a Congress that we respect. Rose Mary Lancaster

Root of the issue

Bear, Del.: I read Jim Walden’s op-ed “A legal strategy for the migrant flow” (Dec. 23) with great interest. Yet, nowhere in his article does he mention that the migrant problem stems from an illegal flow of people breaking the law and coming into the country without permission or authority. He cleverly calls them undocumented noncitizens, spoken like a true lawyer. All of his solutions offer no remedy to the cause of the problem. The failure of this administration has led to this national disaster with no end in sight nor any funding or responsibility to all the affected states and cities. The federal government has failed its legal citizens and taxpayers and placed the burden on all of our backs. Benjamin Rosario

Salute

Beechhurst: I agree with Voicer Oren Spiegler’s sentiments concerning the suspension of Gov. Chris Christie’s campaign. The big guy from New Jersey, along with former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, were the only two Republicans who had the moral integrity to refuse to raise their hands at the first GOP presidential debate in Milwaukee when all were asked if they would support Donald Trump (who’s shamefully skipped every debate) for the nomination if he were convicted of any of the criminal charges he’s facing. That was the apex of Christie’s campaign, but he couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle with that brave stance. The question remains, though, as to whether the Great Disrupter has caught lightning in a bottle on account of the anti-Trump forces’ lawfare overkill and their desperate attempt to paint 45 as Hitler-in-waiting. James Hyland

Agreed

Bronx: To Voicer Victor Stanwick: Yes, you do sound pretty deranged more than anything else —by your own words. Ross de Marco

What a gas

Valley Stream, L.I.: This president is such a hypocrite that it just makes me laugh, with a proposed new tax on gas emissions. Guess how the president gets his meals cooked — the White House kitchen has four gas ovens and two hotel-sized gas ranges. Joe Robinette Biden wants the average family to get rid of gas ranges and use electric stoves. Ha! He was right when he said — and I quote from an on-air statement — “I am not running the White House, someone else is.” Mike Bassalay

Get gone

Forest Hills: Aaron Rodgers needs to go back to his darkness retreat — and stay there. Alan Hirschberg

Lethal species

New Rochelle, N.Y.: Loved the letter from Voicer Mari Castrovilla. The ill-informed rhetoric about cats disproportionately killing birds is sickening. Cats have lived outdoors for thousands of years, only relatively recently becoming indoor dwellers, and bird populations survived just fine. Like most predators, cats serve to keep the balance. It was humans who decimated populations of cats in the Middle Ages and gave rise to the Black Death since rat populations soared. Only humans are responsible for the extinction of species, including the dodo bird and passenger pigeon. And let’s not forget the latest horrifying U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to kill 400,000 barred owls in another deadly attempt at managing populations. When will humans stop blaming other animals as the source of the problem? Christina DeRespiris

Needs must be met

Huntington, L.I.: The crumbling infrastructure and the state of disrepair of this great city is increasingly alarming. Will prospective politicos and those holding positions of power prompt effectual projects to maintain upkeep and ensure each and every citizen is safe rather than pushing self-serving, divisive social agendas? There are too many people struggling to make ends meet and too many big paychecks struggling to make lasting and impactful change in our beautiful, diverse community. Those who forget history are damned to repeat it. Christina Ahlsen

Apostrophe apostate

Wyckoff, N.J.: In the Sunday Jumble (Jan. 14 electronic subscription), the answer was: “I wouldn’t bank on it.” Unfortunately, what appeared didn’t show an apostrophe between the last letter of the six-letter answer and the immediately following single letter. I don’t know about the electronic Jumble edition, but the print edition always shows an apostrophe when a contraction is part of the answer. Marc Schaeffer

Paid programming

Bergenfield, N.J.: So, NBC’s Peacock streaming service had the playoff game on Saturday. Wouldn’t it be great if the people’s response was, “Let’s stop watching NBC altogether.” We already got fooled by YES, SNY and MSG. To quote Tom Petty, “The boys upstairs just want to see how much you will pay for what you used to get for free.” Al Schwarzler