Readers sound off on Tyre Nichols' killers, Biden's cancer and reversing rules
Bronx: I had had Tyre Nichols' smiling photo pinned there since the day after his inhuman massacre at the hands, fists, kicks and scathing taunts of heartless policemen and later, medics — just watching. All murderous, battering, scathing and mocking men who would — thank goodness, I prayed — be brought to trial and found heartlessly and absolutely guilty of murdering a man who was known to shout upon coming home from his job, 'Hello, parents, I'm home!'
No! It was not to be another safe arrival home the night of Jan. 7, 2023, the night of Nichols' cruel, inhuman and unforgivable murder. I cried for him and cried for all who knew and loved him, but at the very least, I had the assurance that it was all on camera, clear and factually visible above their cruel hands, fists, kicks and taunts.
Everything despite his cries, his begging, even after he tried to run from these horrible, inhumane men — no, creatures — accusing him of absolutely nothing that warranted the most merciless and heartless treatment. These creatures, I'm sure, have their own families and friends who would later watch them become heartless, mocking, inhumane animals.
It was all on camera. It was all right there. No one could lie about it or make them less guilty or horrendous than what they were that horrible night. I had to take Nichols' picture down. It hurts too much. But I will never forget his smiling, sweet, innocent, promising face. Carmen H. Mason
Brooklyn: After seeing the violent tape of Diddy beating up Cassandra Ventura, I hope it's a quick guilty verdict. I can not see how anyone in their right mind needs any more facts. I hope Cassandra can put this violence she suffered past her and live happily with her family. Mariann Tepedino
Manhattan: Re 'Ill-fated Mexican ship was headed to Iceland on an around-the-world tour' (May 19): This is what the Daily News printed about the Mexican tall ship: 'Its main mast is 160 feet high; the Brooklyn Bridge is only 127 feet above the water.' Mathematics says the ship couldn't fit. Leonard Marshall
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.: Seventeen states, including New York, are suing President Trump for pulling the plug on federally approved offshore wind projects. These wind farms, which contribute to American energy independence, should be getting Republican support for using free, American energy sources and providing employment and economic investment offshore and onshore in wind port logistics and manufacturing. Thank you, Gov. Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and NYSERDA chief Doreen Harris for having New York's best interests at the forefront and fighting Trump's irrational wind ban. Catherine Campbell
Glen Oaks: The Daily News cites 144 recent deaths in Kentucky due to tornadoes, other storms and floods ('Death toll climbs to 28 from mid-South storms,' May 19). 'Oh, that's Kentucky!' we might answer, putting our climate breakdown out of reach and mind. Hey, that's America. That's our home. Moreover, that's a nearby state. C'mon, Albany, we've got about a week before it will be too late to pass our transformative NY HEAT Act and for Hochul to unstop our cap-and-invest program. Let's get both going and help turn the corner on climate breakdown! Kanwaldeep K. Sekhon
Delray Beach, Fla.: It's very sad to hear that ex-President Joe Biden has developed prostate cancer and that it is in a very aggressive stage. He did get checked every year at Walter Reed Medical Center, so why was this not detected sooner? Of course, he was given a clean bill of health, just like he was cognizant of everything. That was another lie. As we can now see, he was never in good health and was lying to the American people. Manny Agostini
Stratford, Conn.: So, crooked Joe has prostate cancer? With the best doctors in the country at his disposal? Maybe he should have spent more time in the doctor's office than at his beach resort in Delaware, or stopped lying about the millions of illegal immigrants he let into the country. I bet he doesn't care that I have prostate cancer, so why should I care if he has it? Peter Sulzicki
Cincinnati: Re 'The Dems are still hiding from Biden cover-up' (column, May 15): As his presidency waned, Biden transformed into a ventriloquist's dummy. As he crept into senility, his family and administration buddies became the virtual president, programming him as one would a robot. Several ventriloquists, one dummy. We survived because, as Otto von Bismarck noted, 'There is a special providence for fools, drunkards and the United States of America.' Unless they come clean about his deterioration in office, no Democratic presidential hopeful will garner enough credibility to compete in the 2028 presidential sweepstakes. Paul Bloustein
Brooklyn: Does everyone remember when AOC famously said that entering the country illegally is not illegal? That's all I have to say. Rocco Conte
Bronx: I read with horror of the woman in Georgia who is brain-dead and on life support and is 21 weeks pregnant. Her family is not allowed to take her off life support because the abortion ban is only concerned for the fetus' existence, not the mother's. In the government's eyes, the fetus must be delivered when viable. Now the woman must be kept on life support so she can deliver the baby by being cut open by Cesarean section (major surgery) to deliver the baby, who already has water on the brain. This will be done all without the family's right to have decision-making power about their daughter's life and what medical procedure they want for her. To all women in America who have daughters who potentially will have children: Be afraid, be very afraid. Lydia Milnar
Kew Gardens: In December 2023, Hamas proposed the release of all hostages in exchange for a total ceasefire and the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza. This proposal was widely supported by UN membership, but the U.S. deferred to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the proposal, stating that Israel would never agree to a total ceasefire until all their military objectives were attained, including the elimination of Hamas to the last man. So, the continuation of this war goes far beyond getting the hostages released. What is the real objective? This war now has the smell of imperialistic territory annexation. Normally in the Middle East, this type of military action involves obtaining oil and energy resources. Are there energy resources in the Palestinian territories? If so, none of our media is reporting that wealth is a contributing factor in the continuation of this conflict. Glenn Hayes
Dover, Del.: To Voicer Wendy Jackson: Apparently, you subscribe to the British/Zionist version of history. Just because the Zionist authors claim that no Palestinians were present in the area, Palestinians had several cities, resorts, an entire monetary system and universities prior to the arrival of Europeans seeking more land to colonize after World War II. Take a moment to explore the coins already minted in Palestine from the early 1900s, prior to the forced expulsions. Chalky White
Valley Stream, L.I.: Voicer Glenn Bischoff paints a valid picture when describing Pete Rose betting on baseball. In closing, Bischoff writes, '… the rules of law do not matter.' In America, we are proving that laws do not matter. We elected a convicted felon to our highest office. This person is continually turning the legal levers of the laws in our country, defying the courts. The corruption in his administration is never-ending, with no accountability for anyone in his cabinet. Getting back to Rose, I saw a sports talk program with Johnny Bench on YouTube. The host asked Johnny if he thought Rose should be elected to the Hall of Fame. Johnny's quote: 'Well, if you want to have Mr. Rose in the Hall of Fame, just tell your kids that there are no rules anymore.' That was several years ago. Unfortunately, in today's politics, sports and everyday life, it rings true. Vince Sgroi
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29 minutes ago
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Sending the National Guard is bad. Arresting 3,000 a day is worse.
ICE agents making arrests in the parking lot of a Home Depot helped set off mass protests in Los Angeles. But that wasn't an isolated incident. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is increasingly taking actions at courthouses, restaurants and other spaces it previously stayed away from. President Donald Trump and his top aides have long favored harsh immigration policies. But what's shifted in recent weeks is that the administration has set a specific goal of ICE arresting at least 3,000 people per a quota may help Trump accomplish his goals, but it is leading to overly aggressive tactics that are deeply unsettling Americans across the country. It was perhaps inevitable that a president who promised to deport more people than his predecessors would implement an arrest quota. In the first months of Trump's tenure, the number of deportations and ICE arrests wasn't that much higher than when President Joe Biden was in office. That reportedly frustrated Trump administration officials, particularly Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. So last month, Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem privately gave ICE leaders — and then publicly confirmed — the goal of making 3,000 arrests per day. The administration also replaced ICE's leadership with people it felt would be more aggressive. That's a huge increase: The agency was making between 700 and 900 arrests per day at the end of Biden's term and the start of Trump's. And it appears this new policy is being carried out. ICE officials say they arrested 2,267 people on June 3 and 2,368 on June 4. It's possible these numbers are being inflated by the agency to please Trump and Miller. But there are articles in news outlets across the country about unprecedented ICE enforcement actions in their communities, so I believe the agency is going beyond its usual moves. But this policy is misguided. Quotas are problematic in many contexts. 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Old robbery footage misrepresented amid LA anti-deportation protests
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San Francisco Chronicle
36 minutes ago
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The images of cars set ablaze, protesters tossing rocks at police and officers firing nonlethal rounds and tear gas at protesters hearkens back to the last time a president sent the National Guard to respond to violence on Los Angeles streets. But the unrest during several days of protests over immigration enforcement is far different in scale from the 1992 riots that followed the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. President George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to call in the National Guard after requests from Mayor Tom Bradley and Gov. Pete Wilson. After the current protests began Friday over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 4,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines despite strident opposition from Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Trump cited a legal provision to mobilize federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit Monday saying Trump had overstepped his authority. On Tuesday, Newsom filed an emergency motion in federal court to block the troops from assisting with immigration raids in Los Angeles. Unlike the 1992 riots, protests have mainly been peaceful and been confined to a roughly five-block stretch of downtown LA, a tiny patch in the sprawling city of nearly 4 million people. No one has died. There's been vandalism and some cars set on fire but no homes or buildings have burned. More than 100 people have been arrested over the past several days of protests. The vast majority of arrests were for failing to disperse, while a few others were for assault with a deadly weapon, looting, vandalism and attempted murder for tossing a Molotov cocktail. Several officers have had minor injuries and protesters and some journalists have been struck by some of the more than 600 rubber bullets and other 'less-lethal' munitions fired by police. Outrage over the verdicts on April 29, 1992 led to nearly a week of widespread violence that was one of the deadliest riots in American history. Hundreds of businesses were looted. Entire blocks of homes and stores were torched. More than 60 people died in shootings and other violence, mostly in South Los Angeles, an area with a heavily Black population at the time. The 1992 uprising took many by surprise, including the Los Angeles Police Department, but the King verdict was a catalyst for racial tensions that had been building in the city for years. In addition to frustration with their treatment by police, some directed their anger at Korean merchants who owned many of the local stores. Black residents felt the owners treated them more like shoplifters than shoppers. As looting and fires spread toward Koreatown, some merchants protected their stores with shotguns and rifles.
