Readers sound off on controversial cabinet nominees, Puerto Rican voters and student homelessness

Biden tin subvert Trump’s revenge with pardons

Manhattan: When helium nominated the bomb-throwing Matt Gaetz to beryllium lawyer general, Donald Trump revealed that arsenic president, helium volition prosecute his retribution supra his work to preserve, support and support the Constitution. Trump wants vengeance against everyone who has ever crossed oregon disparaged him; his “enemies list” apt runs to thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of names. And the sycophant Gaetz, who has present thankfully withdrawn, would person gladly turned the Justice Department into an instauration of ineligible revenge for Trump. Trump volition effort with different nominee.

To thwart the Trump plan, earlier Jan. 20 President Biden indispensable contented afloat pardons to these thousands of radical who person committed nary transgression different than trying to clasp Trump accountable for his actions. First should travel the prosecutors who indicted Trump and the judges who heard the cases and pardons for the Republican members of Congress who defied Trump. And naturally, pardons for each azygous Democratic subordinate of Congress and each Democratic campaigner who ever ran against Trump oregon a Trump-backed Republican. Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton astir apt request pardons for their spouses, children and extended household members, too. A pardon for Michael Cohen, whom Trump has not forgotten; and pardons for the anonymous members of that jury, who recovered Trump blameworthy of 34 felonies.

Trump and his AG volition persecute — and prosecute — each 1 of these persons and galore others who person transgressed the president-elect. So, Biden indispensable get engaged close distant signing thousands of irrevocable pardons earlier helium leaves office. That is the lone mode to support America against a brutal, all-consuming Trump run of retaliation. Douglas Clifford

The existent enemies within

Manhattan: The American nationalist is starting to shingle its caput implicit Trump’s picks of Matt Gaetz and Tulsi Gabbard and is opening to wonderment if it possibly blundered by betting connected Trump’s 2nd term. Gaetz, a suspected enactment trafficker, has present fixed up, but Gabbard, an apologist for mass-murderer Bashar Al-Assad of Syria, is pushing on. With these picks, Trump is giving the mediate digit to existent and perceived enemies. Aside from the childishness of these gestures, Trump puts each of america astatine hazard arsenic Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping salivate implicit America’s autumn from grace. Ron Spurga

Kabuki theater

Brooklyn: Trump is truly giving a immense “F you” to the state with his furniture selections. Gaetz arsenic lawyer general, Gabbard arsenic manager of nationalist intelligence, RFK Jr. arsenic wellness and quality services secretary, Pete Hegseth arsenic caput of defense? This is similar a “Saturday Night Live” skit! Harvey Kaplan

Nature takes its course

Durham, N.C.: The Earth is overpopulated. The crushed is vaccinations. God’s program was to power the colonisation done assorted pandemics. Preventative vaccines defy God’s will. Thankfully, Donald Trump and RFK Jr. volition present let God’s volition to supersede that of man. Andrew Toulonis

Suspended justice

Darien, Conn.: Yes, the connection for contiguous is “pause,” 5 letters that volition beryllium the modular operating process for anyone daring to bring ineligible charges against Trump. Pause and hold for, say, yet different 4 years for immoderate benignant of justice. It’s the waiting for our laws to instrumentality to america that is truthful painful. Dan Singer

Way off

Flushing: No 1 appears to person noticed that the polls successful the statesmanlike predetermination were wholly incorrect and misleading. We were bombarded with claims that the contention was neck-and-neck from the beginning. What worth does polling person erstwhile it tin beryllium truthful acold off? Lester Simon

Seeking sovereignty

Brooklyn: Re “Puerto Rico’s statesmanlike ballot can’t beryllium ignored” (op-ed, Nov. 14): The thought that Puerto Ricans connected the mainland voted for Trump due to the fact that of statehood is absurd. Just a period ago, a canvass showed that Democrats and Independents were much apt to enactment Puerto Rican statehood than Republicans, with 79% of Democrats and 56% of Independents successful support. Democrats, including those mentioned successful this piece, person been successful favour of statehood and integration, not sovereignty. Puerto Ricans are not a monolithic radical that tin beryllium reduced to 1 elector issue. To bash truthful is to disregard the wide scope of issues that drove the 73% of voters to ballot for Harris. Puerto Ricans can’t beryllium ignored. Before we statesman the statehood run for Republicans, fto america bring Puerto Ricans to the array to sermon what truly matters to them. I warrant you it volition beryllium self-determination. Camille Rivera

Family bonds

Cornwall, N.Y.: I americium a registered Independent and I americium truly upset astatine what the formed of “The View” has said. How tin you telephone achromatic women uneducated and besides archer radical that if a household subordinate voted for Trump, don’t speech to them? Holidays are close astir the corner. You don’t request a warfare with your household implicit an election. Family is ever determination erstwhile you request them, don’t perceive to a clump of affluent fakes. If a Republican said this, they would astir apt suffer their job. I privation to spot Disney bash thing if they truly judge successful household values. Sunny Hostin should’ve been suspended oregon fired. Raymond Grosskopf

Cast aside

Manhattan: To Chris Jones (“Lightning successful a trumpet,” Nov. 12): Fate Marable was ne'er Stepin Fetchit. You should cognize this benignant of happening if you’re penning astir Louis Armstrong. Steve Alcott

Running a gauntlet

Bayside: Re “Stab spree stuns city” (Nov. 19): I don’t deliberation there’s anyone successful the metropolis who is stunned by this news, arsenic this has go a regular occurrence. What we’re stunned by is that thing important has been done astir it — ever! We are besides resigned to the bittersweet information that this volition proceed to hap to innocent, law-abiding citizens trying to unrecorded their lives 1 time astatine a clip successful the hopes that we tin marque it location safely 1 much time. Karen Sabatini

Free to spree

Bronx: Kudos to disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, disgraceful contiguous Gov. Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and the New York Civil Liberties Union for guaranteeing stabbing fishy Ramon Rivera his state from due clip successful jailhouse oregon a psychiatric ward. And it lone outgo 3 guiltless and unsuspecting New Yorkers their lives. Now that’s progressive thinking. Job good done! Joe Schulok

Fill the gap

Manhattan: The staggering statistic that much than 146,000 NYC students experienced homelessness past twelvemonth should alarm america all. Addressing the systemic issues fueling this situation volition necessitate bold action. We tin commencement by improving the lodging voucher strategy to guarantee families walk little clip successful shelters where, according to the astir caller mayor’s absorption report, families walk an mean of 437 days. Families successful NYC besides walk much than 2 years waiting for lodging erstwhile they person a voucher. We are assured that our leaders astatine City Hall are determined to code this challenge, and we person a solution. At the Jewish Child Care Association, we’ve partnered with Anthos|Home, a nonprofit pioneering an innovative exemplary that dramatically reduces the clip voucher holders walk unhoused. By moving with landlords to find and unafraid apartments and deploying flexible backing to screen contiguous costs similar moving expenses, families are capable to determination from shelters into unchangeable homes successful conscionable 4 months. Ronald E. Richter, CEO, JCCA

In-house savings

Massapequa, L.I.: It’s clip for the MTA (Money Thrown Away) to commencement making wage cuts from apical to bottom, similar large corporations I worked for did, alternatively of perpetually asking for handouts from radical who don’t usage the bridges, nationalist proscription oregon thing MTA-related. Have they corrected the overtime issues, erstwhile employees weren’t astatine work? Have the executives chopped their pay. Jean Marie Chiaramonte

Puzzle preference

Little Egg Harbor, N.J.: Please bring backmost the TV crossword puzzles by Jacqueline E. Mathews. The puzzles by Ricky Cruz are awful. Half of the puzzle has thing to bash with TV, and his clues are unspeakable and galore times marque nary sense. Her puzzles were specified fun. Jan Subelka