Readers sound off on new Mets players, Jesus and Christmas travel plans

Huntington, L.I.: Given that the undeniable magic of Christmas brings out reflection, humility, kindness and the best of the human condition, I wanted to share some of that spirit with my fellow New Yorkers. Contrary to popular opinion, and as a devout Yankees fan, I am thrilled to witness the excitement and joy that Mets fans are experiencing with the flurry of player signings made possible by their dynamic owner, Steven “Uncle Stevie” Cohen.

Almost a half-century ago (1973), George Steinbrenner led a 12-person group and purchased the Yankees from CBS for $10 million in cash. Today’s generation of fans aren’t all aware that the Yankees in the late 1960s and early 1970s were not very good in the post-Mickey Mantle/Whitey Ford era. Hence, when Steinbrenner infused his will and determination to make the Yankees winners again, it was like sweet music to my ears as a teenager growing up in Astoria, surrounded by my cousins and friends who were all Mets fans from Queens. With Steinbrenner at the helm, it was like Christmas every day as a fan.

Today, my Uncle George, a surrogate father and an original Brooklyn Dodgers fan who taught me and my brothers the game of baseball, will be at our dinner table. To Uncle George and all Mets fans, I am overjoyed that that old refrain “wait ‘til next year” may not be so automatic anymore! I’m thrilled that in our lifetime, he and all Mets fans now have a chance to feel the joy and excitement of a baseball season in New York. Play ball and merry Christmas to all Metropolitans fans, and to all us proud New Yorkers! Chris N. Karalekas

Brooklyn: This Christmas, as you all give presents to each other, can we all try to remember that activist/community organizer who is arguably the most famous victim of police brutality in history, a.k.a. Jesus Christ? If Christ was such a good guy, why would all the Roman police beat him up and then torture him to death under the hot sun? Surely Christ must have done some serious crime to earn the death penalty, right? Like the Salem witches! Mildred Manham

Bronx: Over the last couple of holidays, everyone had the same thought of not wanting to catch that dreadful COVID-19 and the holiday was not as merry. It was still celebrated, but with a lot more caution. Hopefully, our lives will go back to some sort of normalcy — and on that note, I’m wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy holiday. A special holiday greeting to the Daily News for giving me the opportunity to voice my opinion. Arlana Solomon Girven Walker

West Islip, L.I.: With all the canceled flights days before Christmas, I sure hope there are some Gus Polinskis out there — you know, The Polka King of the Midwest (a.k.a. John Candy). Sean Burns

Manhattan: You reported that a firefighter named Marty P. Party was charged by the NYPD with criminal mischief (“Firefighter desecrates Jewish hut: cops,” Dec. 24). Could you please let me know if today is actually April Fool’s Day, or whether any part of it is true, or whether the article was intended to be offensive? Ivon Katz

Brooklyn: Instead of the goose that laid the golden egg, with the price of eggs right now we have the chicken that laid the golden egg! Marie Walsh

Brooklyn: I agree with Voicer Bob Bergen. One reason I started watching the World Cup was because I was impressed how other countries fervently and respectfully sang their national anthem. The players were proud to represent their countries. Marian Mondiello

North Bergen, N.J.: There is a crisis at our southern border. The federal and state governments don’t seem to know what to do. They seem to think it would take billions of dollars they don’t have to process the thousands of people coming to America seeking a better life. The money needed to hire and train the judges and the thousands of Customs and Border Protection agents would be available if the feds really wanted to properly deal with the situation. Instead of the federal government spending billions of dollars to hire more than 80,000 IRS agents to police the lowly taxpayer, they should redirect the funds to deal with the so-called crisis at our border. Irving A. Gelb

Brooklyn: To Voicer Gregory J. Topliff: Reading your letter saddened me because it is an example of the very thing you decry. You are apparently a patriotic and dedicated American who served your country and protected your community. I applaud you for that. But the reason we are so divided is that Republicans and Democrats can no longer disagree about policy and what is best for our country without reducing every difference to something sinister and evil. The fault of that is complicated: politicians, 24-hour news media, the internet, human nature, etc. But when you say, “The Democrats have become the despots who would enslave the people,” that is when you contribute to the divide by demonizing your fellow Americans. We all want a better country with fairness and security and prosperity for everyone. We just don’t agree on how to get there. Lee Crespi

Spotswood, N.J.: The Jan. 6 rally was just that, a rally. It was not an “armed insurrection”! I watched it. Most people strolled in smiling, with coffee cups and flags. They took selfies. The police moved barriers for them. A tiny percentage of idiots got stupid and broke windows. It is a misdemeanor. The weapons that were mentioned? A couple screwdrivers and brass knuckles, which are legal to carry in most states. Many blue-collar people carry these items every day of their lives. Besides, nobody in history has ever taken over a country with a few screwdrivers! There was no plan to take over the government of the United States. It’s so ridiculous! It hurts the country to spread such political propaganda. Tom Scott

Orange, Conn.: Showing more courage and ethics than most if not all the scoundrels associated with Donald Trump, including Republican senators and House members, Cassidy Hutchinson stood up before the Jan. 6 Committee and the nation on national television, took the high road and told the truth! How rare is that in today’s political environment? In spite of threats and pressure, she spoke to the facts and outed the lies and falsehoods promoted by the gutless sycophants that are beholden to the former president. There’s more courage in her little finger than all of those lackeys who grovel before Trump. Fred Portoff

Manhattan: Sam Bankman-Fried seems to have stolen billions from rich and poor alike. His parents are college professors. How they can easily, and quickly, come up with $250 million in bail money for him shocks me. I guess it’s another example of the troubling concentration of wealth in this country. His dad’s a tax professor. Maybe Donald Trump will soon hire him! Francesca Turchiano

Bronx: If it’s the people who elect officials, then it should be the people who vote them out and it’s the people who should determine if raises are appropriate or not. Elected officials work for the people and it’s the people who should control the fate of those elected. Stephen Markbreit

Astoria: As Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, the U.S. helped many Afghans who were forced to leave their home country. Nearly 90,000 refugees who have been our allies and were at grave risk landed on our shores. They were being resettled with the help of government agencies, refugee organizations, veterans’ groups, employers and individuals, including Upwardly Global, an organization in which I currently serve as a member of its New York Leadership Council. For many refugees, their status in the U.S. remains uncertain. This is terrifying and unfair, and impedes their ability to resettle here, including their ability to find employment and with roles that we need filled, yet Congress just failed to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act. This is a huge disappointment to people who helped us in wartime. Yvonnie Phan