Readers sound off on the Daniel Penny case, Trump’s SALT statements and milkweed

Penny’s proceedings should see each of the facts

Opelika, Ala.: Re “Battle successful slay case” (Sept. 12): Well, well. There it is — successful the archetypal sentence, nary less: the obligatory “former Marine” attribution to Daniel Penny. Of course, it’s factual, but it’s besides designed to garner him sympathy for his chokehold sidesplitting of Jordan Neely arsenic the second-degree manslaughter lawsuit looms.

The Manhattan territory attorney’s bureau seeks to prohibit grounds from psychiatrist Alexander Bardey concerning Neely’s K2 usage and however it interacted with his intelligence well-being. Allowing immaterial records is simply a ploy to defile, demean and devalue Neely. What was successful Neely’s strategy erstwhile Penny killed him? That’s material.

The prosecution should telephone adept witnesses to attest astir a chokehold’s lethality. In 1982, the Los Angeles Police Commission prohibited their officers from employing chokeholds. Why? Within respective months successful 1982, 16 men successful LAPD custody died from police-exerted chokeholds; 12 were Black. In 1993, the NYPD banned chokeholds.

A May 4, 2023 New York Times nonfiction included a punctuation from the American Academy of Neurology’s presumption paper, which concluded that chokeholds are inherently dangerous. The radical recommended its prohibition “because there’s nary magnitude of grooming oregon method of exertion of cervix restraints that tin mitigate the hazard of decease oregon imperishable profound neurological harm with this maneuver.”

New York Penal Law 125.15: Manslaughter is defined arsenic causing someone’s decease without intent. Such cases impact recklessness, negligence oregon vigor of passion. Doesn’t that accurately picture Neely’s actions? Marc D. Greenwood

Necessary presence

Staten Island: To Voicer Neil J. Pollicino: I bash hold that the NYC Transit Authority is wasting wealth the mode it makes purchases. But making it escaped to prevention connected the disbursal of the constabulary is ridiculous. There volition ever beryllium transgression successful the subway. With nary police, it would beryllium overmuch worse. Where would they get the wealth for the employees, maintenance, caller cars and upgrading the system? They would rise our taxes truthful we would each beryllium paying for the transit system. Think astir that. Thomas Bell

Accountability: priceless

Brooklyn: Was bully to spot successful the insubstantial that Sean “Diddy” Combs wasn’t granted bail. It proves that wealth can’t bargain everything — not adjacent $50 cardinal for bail. Charlie Pisano

Artificial learning

Manhattan: A antheral successful a jam needs a plan. I work your sum of Schools Chancellor David Banks’ program to woody with the dire authorities of our metropolis schools (“Chancellor: With AI successful learning, who needs standardized tests?” Sept. 18) and wanted to shout. Instead, I’m writing. When the problems see corruption astatine the top, precocious pupil absenteeism, below-grade-level speechmaking and mathematics skills, assaults and worse during the schoolhouse day, educating non-English-speaking migrant kids and debased teacher morale, the solution is not artificial intelligence! It’s a hands-on committedness to improving the realities of each and each school-age kid successful the nationalist schoolhouse system. Do the hard, sometimes dirty, work. As outlined by Banks, the program would chiefly payment cronies who are looking for metropolis contracts to supply distant AI “services.” Sounds similar different bargain of a deal. Frankie Turchiano

Cognitive dissonance

Holbrook, L.I.: I watched immoderate of Donald Trump’s rally successful Nassau Coliseum, and the hypocrisy was breathtaking. Trump ranting astir Nassau County residents surviving successful a crime-infected “hell” was beauteous absorbing considering that Nassau was conscionable declared the safest region successful the country! I wonderment however the region enforcement and noted Trump butt-kisser Bruce Blakeman feels astir the satellite being told that surviving successful his region is “living successful hell.” Besides the hypocrisy, it was hysterical to spot the assemblage cheer Trump connected immigration. Almost each attendee has utilized oregon hired undocumented labour — landscapers, painters, tile setters, edifice workers, mill workers oregon workplace workers. Those radical person hired them each and ne'er cared arsenic agelong arsenic the enactment was cheap. I cognize — I grew up there! Michael L. Wilson

Rage rallies

Brooklyn: Do immoderate of the radical astatine these Trump spectacles ever consciousness that their quality is being trampled upon by this lying carnival barker? Why would anyone privation to beryllium determination and ticker this modern-day minstrel amusement of specified debased entertainment? Do his cult followers really person specified a debased sentiment of our American governmental strategy that they are consenting to enactment this raging hate-America fest? I’m proceeding that immoderate of these folks are walking retired of these events. I wonderment why. How overmuch nonsense tin anyone instrumentality earlier they recognize that the happening is atrocious for your intelligence health? Irwin Cantos

Not to beryllium believed

Rockville Centre, L.I.: Re “Trump’s invited SALT switch” (editorial, Sept. 19): Candidate Trump is not a “convert” connected SALT, nor is the GOP. The existent cap, arsenic noted, “is unfair, putting an other load connected radical successful states similar New York.” But that was the GOP’s intent then, and remains truthful today: retribution, to rise taxation gross to displacement to the affluent and show favoritism to GOP states. You present judge that Trump oregon MAGA volition enactment Chuck Schumer? That Trump’s ephemeral warmth for New York volition past November’s chill? That a azygous remark constitutes a taxation policy? This is the “art of the deal” — to exploit the gullible. Brian Kelly

Empty promises

Wyckoff, N.J.: You applaud the erstwhile president for telling his supporters that helium volition reconstruct the afloat taxation deduction for authorities and section taxes (SALT). I person 1 question: Will that travel earlier oregon aft Infrastructure Week, Mexico pays for a borderline wall, Trump releasing his taxation returns and his “coming shortly” large wellness attraction plan? However appealing to New York metro-area taxpayers, anyone who believes a connection coming retired of his rima simply hasn’t been paying attraction for the past 9 years. Marc Schaeffer

Thanks for that

Massapequa Park, L.I.: I would similar to convey Hillary Clinton for coming retired and giving her sentiment connected the upcoming predetermination (“Hillary Clinton cheers Kamala arsenic imaginable archetypal pistillate prez,” Sept. 14). You volition ever beryllium No. 1 successful my book! What I mean by that is you are the lone idiosyncratic successful this state who is hated much than Donald Trump! Remember, you mislaid to him. Raymond P. Moran

System particulars

Scarsdale, N.Y.: A caller missive informs readers that Trump volition beryllium a information to our ideology with nary existent respect for the Constitution. Problem: We don’t unrecorded successful a democracy! We person a typical signifier of government. As Benjamin Franklin archetypal announced, our signifier of authorities is simply a law republic. If we did unrecorded successful a democracy, determination would beryllium nary request for an Electoral College. Yet we person 1 arsenic provided successful the Constitution due to the fact that nether federalism, powerfulness is shared by the authorities and national governments. Peter McCarthy

Take Texas’ lead

Warsaw, N.Y.: Take with a large atom of brackish immoderate shadiness my authorities Sen. George Borello casts astatine Democrats regarding Gov. Hochul’s vigor acme (“Look who missed the NYS vigor summit,” op-ed, Sept. 18). Here are his ain words criticizing upwind and solar: “Vast quantities of precious earthy resources are consumed, and c dioxide emissions are created by their manufacture, transportation, and installation.” None of the alternate technologies helium champions — small, modular atomic reactors, hydrogen substance cells, c seizure — are going to beryllium built by magic either. As a Republican, Borello should exemplary his vigor advocacy connected ruby-red Texas, which produces the astir upwind vigor of immoderate authorities and wherever artillery retention has reached a caller high. Hochul indispensable instrumentality to New York’s genuinely cleanable vigor goals. Lynn Saxton

Spread the weed

Brooklyn: Back successful August, you printed a missive by Voicer Michelle del Pin astir however the milkweed plants connected which the monarch butterfly depends for its endurance are being mowed into oblivion by our road departments. For those increasing milkweed successful their gardens, it is accelerated approaching the clip erstwhile the effect pods ripen and disperse their feathered seeds into the breeze. In bid to not person thing but milkweed successful your garden, enactment rubber bands astir the ripening pods. When the seeds are acceptable to fly, unfastened the pods and merchandise the seeds successful vacant tons and discarded areas successful NYC. In the meantime, we tin anticipation for a much enlightened mowing regimen from the Department of Transportation. Ed Temple