Readers sound off on gender-based violence, off-duty dancing and NIMBYism

Yahoo

11-03-2025

Seattle: Gender neutrality benefits women in many areas: the office, home and under the law. However, as Netflix's 'American Murder: Gabby Petito' underscores, when domestic violence is suspected, it can cost a woman her life. During a now-publicized traffic stop in Moab, Utah, officers rushed to judgment, naming Petito's boyfriend and travel companion, Brian Laundrie, the aggressor. They separated the couple, sending Laundrie to a hotel for domestic violence victims while leaving Petito to sleep in her van.
Domestic violence is not an equal-opportunity crime. Men can be victims, but men are far more often the aggressors. In 2023, the National Library of Medicine reported that 500,000 women versus 100,000 men experienced physical assault or rape by an intimate partner. It goes against my grain to call women the weaker sex. It's not how I was raised or raised my children. But gender differences, particularly physical strength, automatically place women in a subordinate position. Then there's the verbal gymnastics that put women on the defensive — like Petito, who felt compelled to explain her OCD and how she angered Laundrie by editing her videos. Women are conditioned to suppress their needs; men to expect it. Feminism challenges these notions, and rightly so. The officers likely thought they were avoiding gender bias. But domestic violence against women isn't a stereotype — it's a reality. Their neutrality was misplaced, and another young woman died because of it.
The Gabby Petito Act, a 2024 Florida law requiring police to conduct a 12-question assessment in domestic violence incidents, is a start. But until society acknowledges women's disproportionate vulnerability, there will be more Gabbys, unheard — or worse, left for dead. Elise Buie
Hempstead, L.I.: To Voicer Thomas Facchiano: Ya got that right. 'Conclave' was the best movie in years — great acting, should have been nominated for cinematography, great twist ending and tour de force performances. Loved it! Leslie Feldman
Brooklyn: So, Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil has been arrested for exercising his right to free speech. That's the real reason he was grabbed out of his apartment. His green card was probably completely in order. This administration just doesn't want 'troublemakers' speaking up. What's next, are we going to arrest anyone who supports the IRA? Bob Gomez
Manhattan: If Brad Lander, as he claims, doesn't know anyone who spends the amount of money Andrew Cuomo pays in his monthly Manhattan housing rent, then Lander doesn't know many NYC residents. Mayors need to know the full populace and work together to get things done. I know more than enough high-income renters who pay more than Cuomo. Either Lander is lying, or if he is telling the truth, he does not deserve to be mayor of New York City. Joey Dluzak
West Columbia, S.C.: Why are politicians arguing about how to cut Medicare and Social Security instead of how to increase taxes on the richest 1%? Who wanted an Elon Musk to bring an army of reckless amateurs to gut government departments and kick out employees? Will they ever deliver a real accounting of how much money was saved and how much they charged? What is Russia receiving in exchange for America's abandonment of Ukraine? Why have male politicians become obsessed with controlling women's health choices? Will Canadian patience hold out until our president loses his urge to take over their country? Will Republicans ever get their mojo back and take a stand for democracy again? Can the Democrats find a workaround to halt the damage being done? Are there any answers out there, or just questions? Carol Robinson
Bronx: With President Trump's attack on USAID and Medicaid plus his tariffs, I can hear the painful cries of veterans, of people with disabilities, people of color, the poor, red state voters and women. How many of these victims voted for the demented man in the Oval Office? Why are so many Trump voters dismayed by the executive orders that have negatively affected them? New Yorkers have received the most wrath from Trump, and you can do something about it. Vote out all Republican House members, they have betrayed their states. We can cut the legs off of this lame duck president by a landslide vote in 2026, taking back both houses of Congress. Gilbert M. Lane
Manhattan: To Voicer Glenn Hayes: Your letter was excellent in encouraging readers and fellow Americans to take heed in protecting their economy in their own houses and being wise with personal spending. Unfortunately, most Americans aren't going to take heed, as we live in a society where most are programmed to consume. If you continue to live above your means, to spend crazy and be bamboozled by the government, it's not a Trump/Musk problem, it's a man/woman in the mirror problem. Omar Branch
Richmond Hill: To Voicer Nat Saraceni: You believe that JD Vance never wore blue jeans. Yes he did, and they probably were some hand-me-downs with a lot of wear and tear on them. Do you not know anything about the way he grew up? Read his book 'Hillbilly Elegy' or watch the film before you open your misinformed mouth! Maybe Trump never wore blue jeans, but growing up poor in Appalachia, raised by his elderly grandmother and with an alcoholic, substance-abusing mother, Vance certainly did. He joined the Marine Corps, served in Afghanistan and worked his way through Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Your hatred blinds you to the truth. Joseph Napoleone
Melville, L.I.: He disparaged the military service of American hero John McCain on camera. According to many witnesses, he referred to servicemen and women as 'suckers' and 'losers.' Now the man who faked bone spurs to get out of military service is having his administration ban patriotic Americans from serving in the military. Is there nothing he can do that will make you see the truth about this man? Dennis Joyce
Tarrytown, N.Y.: Captain Bone Spurs is betraying our allies and everything that our great country has stood for in the last century. In the blink of an eye, we have shown the world that America can no longer be respected or trusted in their time of need. I just observed a quote from the draft-dodger stating that if America would ever require help, our NATO partners would decline. When we launched Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, every single one of our NATO partners assisted, and most countries had soldiers killed, including 160 from our neighbor to the north. These brave Canadian soldiers stood side-by-side in protecting America's interests. Their memory is disrespected by someone who clearly failed history. But we'll never know, as you can be severely sued for obtaining those school records. Stephen Talenti
Yonkers: I generally enjoy Voicer James McCaffrey's frequent contributions to the Voice of the People page, though they may be a tad hyperbolic and verbose at times. I just wish his contributions were around when I was trying to enhance my vocabulary for the Graduate Record Examination a few decades ago. Frank Brady
Lake Ronkonkoma, L.I.: Re 'Cop's jiggle-joint-vid fan' (March 9): Why should Det. Melissa Mercado be disciplined? And why has she been removed from active investigations? Her record clearly shows she's an excellent police officer and a credit to the NYPD. Has an investigation ever taken place for policemen who regularly attend men's clubs? The article states the video went viral within the NYPD. Was it watched during working hours? Are the officers who watched it being disciplined? I am so sick and tired of having centuries of men's double-standard determinations of how women should act shoved down my throat. Joanne Lee
Manhattan: What hypocrisy! Normal Siegel wants to end homelessness ('New York City can really end street homelessness,' op-ed, March 9) although he has been legal counsel to supporters of the Elizabeth Street Garden who are opposing affordable and low-income housing on that street. It seems that he advocates for housing unless it affects his friends and clients. Unfortunately, he isn't the only person who supports housing in the abstract but not when it can actually be built — the exact definition of NIMBYism. Alec Pruchnicki