Readers sound off on GOP oversight, NYPD abuse and LIRR commutes

Brooklyn: Has common courtesy joined truth in being gone from this country? Last week, I witnessed the disgraceful spectacle of the so-called examination of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland by those who hold themselves out as upright, lawful, decent and sensible civil servants fit to represent this populace in Congress. It was the most distasteful, classless and disrespectful performance I have ever witnessed.

These senators, who come from supporters that claim to be Bible-believing, apostolic and evangelistic, displayed behavior so vile that it put the most uncivilized barbarian to shame. Why the attorney general sat there, took that kind of vitriol and even attempted to answer the unanswerable, I do not know. Is this why we are proud to be Americans?

Mr. Attorney General, you have the power. Please use it. You do not have to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to anyone — in particular, not to people acting like maddened Komodo dragons.

Also, I should like to point out that if the homes of six justices were subjected to “rioters,” I have not heard that their windows or doors were battered down and pulverized as were the Capitol’s. Neither did I hear that any policeman was murdered at their hands as the Capitol policemen were, nor did the justices have to leave their homes and seek shelter as the very Congress members who were shouting and fulminating at the attorney general had to do on Jan. 6, 2021.

Have we finally lost our minds? Shirley Forde

Howard Beach: Don Trump Jr. called Sen. John Fetterman a “vegetable” who should be a bag boy in a grocery store. Jr.’s cruelty is sentiments from an individual who hasn’t accomplished one thing on his own, every bit the “loser” that his father so despises — and he knows it. Barbara Berg

Hammonton, N.J.: If people around S.E. Cupp truly care about her, have an intervention already. With all the news and topics to write about every week, her columns reveal her deep, unhealthy obsession with Donald Trump. Let it go already. She sounds like a jilted school girl in love with the crazy man. Someone help her find a topic to write about that has nothing to do with Trump, for the love of God. William Cook

Middletown, N.J.: A thank you to Voicer Chris N. Karalekas for his moving tribute to my favorite president, Jimmy Carter, a truly good man who is a role model for all of us. Carter is a quiet man whose life showed us by his example how to truly change the world, one step at a time. A glorious thank you to Jimmy and his Roslyn for all they have done for our country and for the world. Catherine Bottaro

Sunnyside: I read about the city’s decision to award $6 million to protesters who were involved in the demonstrations that occurred after the racist murder of George Floyd (“City OKs total of $6M to 300 ‘20 Floyd protesters,” March 2). Before we applaud this decision, we must remember what then-NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said at the time. He pointed out that many who were arrested were in possession of hammers, lighter fluid, gas masks and fireworks. That proves that not everyone involved in these demonstrations were peaceful protesters. The leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement must condemn the individuals who were in possession of these weapons. At the same time, the leaders of the Republican Party must condemn Trump, Rudy Giuliani and their far-right supporters who took part in the terrorist insurrection on Jan. 6. We must never make excuses for extremists from either side. John Francis Fox

Oak Ridge, N.J.: Thursday’s Daily News front-page headline should have said, “Bustin’ out the riot patrol,” not “ ‘Shame’ on NYPD,” (March 2). Jim Heimbuch

Staten Island: Your headline should have been followed with “Shame on the Daily News” for printing something so absurd! They have the toughest job in America and you make them look like the criminals! Fred Marcucci

Brooklyn: The NYPD wants to basically make it easier for those coming into the police academy to pass the physical fitness test. They say running a timed mile and a half is not needed, yet if officers have to run down a suspect in the street for, say, 10 blocks, they need to be in shape. A police officer needs to be physically fit overall to cope with many situations in the streets. Joseph Comperchio

Brooklyn: Maybe Mayor Adams is right. Maybe there should be prayer in our schools. That way, the students can pray that he is quickly removed from office. Every time he opens his mouth, incompetency and stupidity ooze out. Now’s the time to remove him from a job that he clearly can’t do, and begin to save our great city. Gary Butler

Manhattan: If the 250,000 city retirees were able to vote for their union representatives, they wouldn’t be worried about having the regular Medicare coverage taken away and replaced with a Medicare Advantage program. With this mayor, it’s all about him. I made a mistake voting for him in the primary. Richard Benedetti

Manhattan: Now that the LIRR has full access to Grand Central, those of us who do not wish to or need to use that access get screwed. My morning commute into Penn Station is now almost 20 minutes longer despite my train arriving in Seaford a minute earlier. Going home is an absolute nightmare! Babylon trains from Penn run at 3:38 p.m., 4:25 and 5:16. Who thought it would be a good idea to schedule rush-hour trains 40 minutes apart?! The 4:25 (which replaced the 4:34) is an absolute cattle car, with people standing in the aisles and vestibules from the outset. Even the stop in Jamaica does not alleviate the crowdedness. I took the 3:38 from Penn to see if it would be any different and found the same extreme overcrowding. This is a travesty and a huge inconvenience for us Penn commuters. Patricia N. Ravel

Staten Island: Please, enough from the one-note, all-so-predictable Voicer James Hyland. Where’s Voicer Bob Pascarella when we need him? Anthony Biancoviso

Whitestone: So defeated Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is whining and crying that she didn’t get enough votes because of her gender and race. It’s very simple, Ms. Lightfoot: You are incompetent. Sorry to inform you, but it has absolutely nothing to do with your race or gender. The people of Chicago finally came to their senses and are tired of your weak, incompetent mayoral skills, so they voted you out. I hope you enjoy dancing in the streets that you created in Chicago. Bye-bye. Gene O’Brien

Bronx: In Wednesday’s edition of The News, a special section was devoted to women’s contributions (“Illuminating women’s history,” March 1). I was amazed that somehow, you didn’t even mention Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and only had a picture of Sonia Sotomayor. If I were to grade it, I would give it an incomplete. Martin Sandok

Brooklyn: With the ending of “Dilbert” (“Note from the editor: Daily News is dropping ‘Dilbert,’ ” Feb. 26), may I make a suggestion? With TV and streaming companies stuffing the public with old movies and sitcoms, why wouldn’t The News join in by bringing back those wonderful, real comics of the ‘40s, i.e. “Dick Tracy,” “Smilin’ Jack,” “Tarzan,” “The Gumps,” etc.? I recall we used to wait on Saturday nights at our local store for Sunday’s edition. Anthony Bruno

Brooklyn: Bring back “Dilbert” now! Anyone who doesn’t like it doesn’t have to read it. Censorship be damned! Richard Capellini