Reps are accountable for presidential misdeeds
Brooklyn: Recently, I contacted my congressional representative, Dan Goldman, and asked a simple question: Does he support impeaching President Trump? Goldman did not reply. This is upsetting, and I’m unhappy seeing this lack of foresight and leadership from my district’s representative.
The reasons Trump should be impeached are crystal clear. To name a few: He is wreaking havoc on the economy by lawlessly imposing tariffs, then stopping them at a whim (and at great profit to himself); he is capriciously pulling billions of federal dollars from our universities for false reasons, or for no reason at all, he is snatching city residents off the street without a warrant and sending them to rot in jails, with utter disregard for due process.
I get that Congress already impeached Trump twice in his first term, so it’s complicated. But I wasn’t asking Goldman to take any particular action. I merely asked him to state his position. Crickets. Why? It’s obvious that Trump is leading the country into authoritarianism. His threats to not leave at the end of this term are highly credible. He and his cabinet are lawless, unaccountable to our justice system, and have committed a multitude of crimes. If we don’t impeach him now, American democracy may not survive his path of destruction. I’m not willing to risk that. Our elected officials should not be, either.
I encourage Goldman to publicly commit to upholding his most fundamental democratic role — removing tyrants from office. Commitment to this basic fact will be a major litmus test for any 2026 candidate. Laura Brahm
Mother’s choice
Bronx: Voicer Mike Barrett’s claim that Trump defied the courts when he deported three children who are U.S. citizens, including a 4-year-old who has cancer, is inaccurate and untrue. The mother, who is not a citizen and was in the country illegally, was deported. The children could have remained here with their father or another legal relative or guardian, but she chose to bring them with her. They were not deported. The courts would have taken punitive action had their orders been defied, but they have not. The only thing that’s devastating is a biased media reporting inaccurately in an effort to prosecute a political agenda and those who subsequently buy into it. Where was their outrage and concern when Barack Obama deported millions? Charles T. Compton
Unreal riches
Woodstock, N.Y.: Don’t all you MAGAs ever ask yourselves why — if there was all this free money in the form of tariffs floating around and up for grabs for the last century, ready to make all Americans insanely rich — that someone besides the Orange Felon hadn’t already thought of it? Perhaps, like hundreds of people with doctorates in economics? Suzanne Hayes Kelly
Knowledge is power
Brooklyn: Black history is the history of our country. It must be included in all public forums, everyone’s formal education and all libraries and museums. Hiding from the truth allows for further injustice. Those who wish to erase it hope to repeat it. Tara Egnatios
Aborted bill
Pelham, N.Y.: As difficult as it is to believe, a pro-life bill that would ban infanticide nationally, in which babies born alive could be left to die, was blocked by Sen. Chuck Schumer. Even for pro-aborts, this is extreme. Cowardly Schumer is bereft of conscience and panders to the Democratic far left to save his own hide. He must be voted out of office. Wendy Packus
Disruptive students
Brooklyn: Nice to read that the current state budget calls for the banning of smartphones while school is in session. While this may be a major form of disruption during the school day, it’s not the end of the story. It is way past time to do something regarding the breakdown of discipline in our public schools. Legislation needs to be enacted regarding the suspension and placement of disruptive students in alternative educational centers. Why are reading and math scores worsening? The teacher has to spend too much time disciplining recalcitrant students. Ed Greenspan
Racial bullying
Manhattan: I read a recent article that brought tears to a grown man’s eyes. A 5-year-old Chinese boy clutching a blue blanket was repeatedly bullied on his front porch by several older kids from Eagle Ridge Middle School in Loudoun County, Va. — punks old enough to know how to record the incident. While terrorizing the child, the schoolmates uttered a barrage of ethnic slurs, such as, “Are you having dumplings for dinner?” All while the child’s pleading, “No! Don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me! Don’t do it. Save me!” As if that wasn’t enough, the punks from this upscale, “friendly” neighborhood posted the incident on the internet. Seeing the abuse online, the 5-year-old’s parents confronted school officials. The powers that be immediately threw up their hands: “It happened off school grounds.” James A. Fragale
Ballot backlash
New City, N.Y.: This is a reminder to all NYC United Federation of Teachers retirees and future retirees. It was Mike Mulgrew who went along with Mayor Adams when he wanted to change the health plan for all municipal retirees. The Advantage plan Adams wanted was inferior to the plan we have now. Voting will take place in May. Vote Mulgrew out because he sold out retirees. Dolph Rotter
Proper procedure
Manhattan: Re “After 60 years, Landmarks agency must refocus” (op-ed, April 25): For 60 years, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has safeguarded NYC’s historic buildings and sites. It is bound by the Landmarks Law and agency rules, and strictly follows the same procedures for each of the 12,000 permit applications received annually. Contrary to the authors’ assertion, most applications are submitted not by developers or lobbyists but by individual homeowners and small business owners. Every application is assigned to a staff preservationist for a preliminary review to ensure it is complete. With West Park Presbyterian, the application was submitted by the tenant, not the owner. LPC notified the applicant that owner signature was required to move forward. The requirement is not a step that can be arbitrarily overlooked. It is one of several ways LPC ensures landmark property owners are engaged with any changes and work is done safely and appropriately. Sarah Carroll, chair, Landmarks Preservation Commission
Licensed & trained
Brooklyn: “Ambulance driver”? Please refer to professionals by their correct title. Ambulance personnel are emergency medical technicians and/or paramedics, who are well-trained and educated and who must maintain their licenses by state law. They can not perform as first responders if they are only drivers, who only need to have a driver’s license. Alistine Aikins
Unintended consequence
Schenectady, N.Y.: One overlooked consequence of strict firearm regulations is the “chilling effect” they have on individuals seeking mental health treatment. Laws that restrict gun ownership based on mental health may appear proactive. However, research from Duke University and investigations by The Trace and NPR show these policies often backfire, creating fear among those who might otherwise seek care. When seeking help could mean losing constitutional rights, many choose silence over support. This fear isn’t unfounded. Harvard Health Policy Review and RAND studies reveal that even temporary or non-violent mental health diagnoses can result in individuals being permanently flagged in reporting systems. More troubling is the stigma these laws reinforce. Tying firearm restrictions to mental illness labels individuals as dangerous and irresponsible. We must protect our communities from gun violence, but not at the cost of driving people away from critical care. Max Micallef
Necessary violence
Margate, Fla.: There was no moral collapse of the West when, after 2,300 people were murdered by Imperial Japan in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States and its allies killed between 500,000 and 1 million Japanese civilians when Japan refused to surrender. There is no moral collapse of the West now when Israel is acting in self-defense after 3,800 Hamas sociopaths and 2,200 Gazan civilians savagely murdered 1,200 Jews on Oct. 7. Of course, many intellectuals in the West supported the antisemitism of Nazism, and many now support the antisemitic butchery of Hamas. One might say there is a “moral collapse,” just not the one Voicer Jagjit Singh posits. Richard Sherman
Still not there
Brooklyn: Another year without Johnny Maestro elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Andrew Cioffi