Readers sound off on Jewish lineage, Iranian protesters and leafy litter

Cedarhurst, L.I.: In your latest piece of half-truths and drivel, you state that Matthew Mahrer is a Jew, the grandson on his father’s side of a man who is a Holocaust survivor. Had you taken the time to Google what defines one’s Jewish lineage, it would have informed you that Judaism is passed through the mother-to-child process. Unless his mother and her mother before her were Jewish, Mahrer definitely is not.

The saddest and most damaging message of all, one that now serves the evil ideology we call modern-day justice and democracy, the one that has elevated those who excuse and explain away every kind of crime under the heading that these criminals are mentally ill and should be coddled and cared for in spite of their criminal actions. Their victims suffer yet again as blind Lady Justice lets their tormentors go free and clear.

We have fallen so low as a nation and as a people who once exemplified to the world the beauty and honor of the American way of life. It is difficult to even relate how far we have fallen. I recall The News once being a great newspaper and imparter of unbiased reporting — honest and truthful conveyors of news. Today, sadly, you have become a large part of what ails us as opposed to being a vehicle for bringing us the truth — instead of unbiased and unembellished purveyors of the truth serving to heal and bring us together. Rachel Bluth

Manhattan: I opened my edition of the Thanksgiving paper thinking that at last, we’ll have some good news. Page 2 did have photos of the Macy’s Thanksgiving balloons, but all the rest of the paper (except for the cartoons and sports) had the usual parade of violent attacks and murders. Yes, I realize that is part of the news, but at least on Thanksgiving, couldn’t you find positive stories about good people? And cute children and animals? We do need some good news and the Thanksgiving edition would have been the perfect one to feature positive stories. Suzanna Deutsch

Princeton, N.J.: Crime in New York City is out of control. Businesses are leaving, brazen shoplifting is common, people are being pushed onto subway tracks and, most importantly, the murder rate is frightening. Charles Winfield

Brooklyn: I think crime is the worst problem we have right now in NYC. It is the reason my friends and I have seriously cut back on our trips into Manhattan to see Broadway shows, visit museums and do other activities. But the crime issue is not only guns. As we’ve seen, knives and being pushed or punched can also be disastrous. Much of this is due to anger and mental illness, which must be dealt with. And that again brings up the question: What happened to the nearly $1 billion of ThriveNYC money intended for this purpose? Louise Veneroni

Newton, N.J.: Kyrie Irving has a constitutional right to freedom of speech, distasteful as it may be. He also has a constitutional right to act like a total jerk if he wants. However, Irving does not have a constitutional right to play in the NBA, and I challenge his apologists to demonstrate otherwise. By the way, I’m not Jewish. Michael Schnackenberg

Southport, Conn.: In 2018, Kyrie Irving said, “The Earth is flat.” He was not joking. Since my 5-year-old and 3-year-old sons both know that Kyrie is wrong about the shape of the Earth, why would we listen, let alone care, about his thoughts on the Jewish people? My family is Jewish, and if Kyrie thinks that Jews cause all of the problems on his flat planet, that is his right. And if he also believes that the moon landing was faked, the Holocaust never took place, Bigfoot is real and King Charles is a vampire, Kyrie is entitled to his uneducated opinions. Andrew Ginsburg

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Washington: On Tuesday, the Iranian team will play against the United States in the World Cup. This is the time to show solidarity with the Iranian protesters, as the American soccer players can afford to express their position freely, unlike the Iranian team. Some people may say that sports should not be politicized. Yet, this would be showing empathy and comradeship. It would put into practice the values that sports teach. Athletes in the U.S. have been kneeling in several matches. It would not make sense that during a match with Iran, the same athletes would not stand for human rights, in support of the people of a country that are dying for freedom. The U.S. team should find the confidence and courage to show that the people in the West are not indifferent. Anna Mahjar-Barducci

Rosedale: Re Mike Lupica’s “Zach it up!” (column, Nov. 20): There is a team from this country with a real chance of having the whole country get behind it. It’s the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, the current reigning, two-time World Cup champions. Wouldn’t it have been great if Lupica had spoken about us getting behind this team the way Brazil, England, Argentina, etc. do for their teams? Shirley Jordan

Elizabeth, N.J.: Somehow I do not see the compatibility of Hamas, Taliban and Whoopi Goldberg. Somehow the name Goldberg does not fit with an uncertainty about whether or not the Taliban and Hamas are terrorist groups. These yentas on “The View” need to be better educated before they comment on either the Holocaust or the survival of Israel. Let them visit Yad Vashem in Israel and Auschwitz, Treblinka and Majdanek in Europe. Joel M. Glazer

Manhattan: In a week of many outrages, Mayor Adams added to the list. He appointed a retired female dispatcher with whom he lived for a while to be in charge of police morale and mental health for a salary of about $250,000 a year with benefits galore. The words “corruption” and “incompetence” came to mind. The words “in the public interest” do not. This appointment should be challenged. Frankie Turchiano

Brooklyn: Former President Donald Trump, also known as a genius, announced his candidacy. He’s the right guy for the right job to bring economic and social change, as the criminals will be shuttled to jail for decades for their crimes. We will not be comfortable if he’s not elected. I can’t think of a more suitable guy to be the leader of our Free World. Raquel Hanon

Bellerose: I have heard from a number of people that our fellow residents in New York are somewhat rude. Well, I disagree. We have been through a lot because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us have lost loved ones and been sick ourselves. Our doctors, nurses, EMS workers, police, firefighters and the rest of our first responders helped us get through this and still do and need our praises. In my opinion, we are not grinches — many of us have tried to help our neighbors in need. I have lived in New York most of my 73 years and have tried to help others. As we approach the holiday season, let’s offer a friendly smile and a hello to all we meet. Our lives can only be defined by what we share with others who are in need of acts of kindness. Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Maspeth: Our block had the tree-trimming group (seven people) come through. Even equipped with a leaf blower, brooms, etc., they left a horrendous mess in their wake. I asked the supervisor (a guy who sat around with a clipboard) if they were going to clean up the assorted branches that were strewn across the street and sidewalk. He said, “I’ll ask them.” Excuse me! Isn’t that part of their job, especially if they make the mess? Needless to say, nothing was done about it. Nice to know these people are earning their exorbitant pay with the least amount of effort. What a racket! Veronica Kwiecinski