What is a captive elephant’s connection to us?
Brooklyn: Bob Dylan, in his memorable “Chimes of Freedom,” wrote: “Tolling for the searching ones on their speechless seeking trail / For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale / And for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail / And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.”
Behind the bleak prison walls reminiscent of a medieval dungeon — or the Metropolitan Correctional Center — her condition carefully and politically withheld from the public, an elephant named Happy in the Bronx Zoo had not emerged into view for days. Her captors — under the name-only Wildlife “Conservation” Society — kept telling the people who really care that “Happy is fine.” In their case, it evokes visions of a dead body in some elephant-sized freezer as icy as their hearts. God forbid.
What does Happy the elephant represent? More important, who does she represent? Happy represents happiness; the right of all of God’s creatures, great and small, man and beast, to life and liberty; to be loved, cherished, respected and held with dignity. She represents those “unharmful, gentle souls misplaced inside a jail” by a deliberate, hateful, oppressive mentality that finds happiness, love and peace odious and an outright threat because some have chosen to be miserable without cause, who flout every plea, every lawsuit, every rebuke, because they can.
May the same God who broke Pharaoh bring justice for this “speechless, lonesome-hearted” creature and her companion, Patty. Joy E. Goldberg
Degradation
Manhattan: As I walk down Ninth Ave. and up Eighth Ave., all I see are the homeless, the deranged and drug users. I have to cover my grandson’s eyes and protect him from these horrible sights. In front of these hotels, the begging has become annoying. What happened to my city? And please, pay your fare when hopping on the bus. Don’t we all want a better transportation system? Senior and proud New Yorker. Thanks for letting me vent. William Penza
A blind eye
Staten Island: What in God’s name is wrong with the bureaucracy in this city? The MTA complains that it comes up short $700 million a year due to fare-beaters who jump turnstiles and who refuse to pay their fare when boarding buses. Yet, the MTA is now going after cars in bus lanes and bus stops but refuses to simply have roving undercover police officers patrol buses. Then there’s the electric bike/mini-scooters who aren’t licensed or even insured who insist on driving on sidewalks. In the very least, if one of them hits you, you have no recompense to sue. That is if you’re not killed. With the current bureaucrats in office in New York City, it appears they care more about these criminals than average citizens. Dennis Pascale
Tragic habits
Brooklyn: A young teenager was riding with two friends on an e-bike on Coney Island Ave. While trying to make a turn, he lost control of the bike and was mortally injured when fell underneath a moving truck (” ‘Why are you crying, ma?’ ” Aug. 21). I see this too much every day while walking. Two or three riding on e-bikes, speeding recklessly, not obeying red lights or yielding for pedestrians. Once school opens, they will be riding recklessly through the streets after school in Bensonhurst. I’m sure no one was wearing a protective helmet, either. It’s a shame his mother grieves, but there is no true enforcement of e-bikes, e-scooters and motorbikes with no license plates. Insurance should be required for them. Obey all traffic laws, do not ride on sidewalks. By passing a law to regulate them, you make riders take accountability and responsibility for their actions. Joseph Comperchio
Crony cop
Forest Hills: Good grief, is it even within the realm of possibility that Mayor Eric “Hollywood” Adams can appoint someone who’s not a political crony? I actually have no problem with a mayor who appoints a known entity to run a city agency, but can’t a crony please also be qualified? NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda’s single qualification is his ability to steer votes to the mayor from his position as a leader of Latino officers. I believe everything the Daily News reported about the deputy sheriffs’ union’s complaints (“Union wants sheriff to get boot, claiming ‘hostile’ environment,” June 23). In my single interaction with Miranda, I found him to be a deeply unpleasant individual. Cheers to the union for fighting back! J.M. Culley
Unwise investment
Brooklyn: My gas rates are about to go through the roof. National Grid is raising $5 billion of our money to expand and strengthen gas infrastructure, installing pipes that will last 75 years when the state is committed to transitioning to clean energy. Our money will be buried under the streets in stranded assets. Thank you, Public Service Commission, for allowing this travesty. Building new gas infrastructure is how National Grid makes money, draining our wallets in the process. This is the steal that needs stopping, and the NY HEAT Act would do just that, aligning PSC regulations with the climate law to prevent unnecessary gas system investment, cutting costs to families and cleaning up the air pollution poisoning us. Gas companies are lobbying hard against it, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Gov. Hochul seem to be in their sway. What gives? Heather Falk
It is what it is
Bronx: To Voicer Douglas Weinberg: My cousin did teach his children to say “kill Arabs.” I saw him do it. Why should I be ashamed for writing the truth? As a Jew, you should be ashamed of wanting to hide the truth. Richie Nagan
Flustered
Kent, N.Y.: There’s a new candidate in the presidential race: low-energy Donald Trump. It seems Donnie can’t handle the nomination of Kamala Harris. It has taken a toll on him. And it shows. Rob Callen
Foreseeing fraud
Somerset, N.J.: The way things are going, we may soon be able to say, paraphrasing Trump’s own famous statement: The only way Trump can win the election is if it is rigged in his favor. He will certainly try with fake electors and phone calls the way he did in 2020. Arthur Bressler
Condiment shortage
Manhattan: Any truth to the rumor that Mar-a-Lago’s kitchen staff has already gone through the 20,000 bottles of ketchup they had hoped would last them through the entire Democratic National Convention? May be time to give Heinz a call. It’s gonna be a long week. Anne Stockton
Fooled by a fool
Whitestone: Voicer Raymond P. Moran claims Kamala Harris’s economic plan is to cut costs and lower taxes for the middle class — hence, basically buying your vote. That sounds like a much better deal than Trump’s plan, which is giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires, eliminating life-saving regulations, lowering the corporate tax rate, worshiping Vladimir Putin and praising the poorly educated — yet, still receiving their vote, even though they can’t afford a gallon of milk for their child because they bought yet another “F Joe Biden” T-shirt. I wonder if, perhaps, Moran is spelling his last name incorrectly. Robert LaRosa Sr.
Test of character
Whitestone: We have a plus sign and a minus sign. See which you pick: One who is always putting himself first and everyone else down, or one who is thinking of the welfare of others and making the world better. If you picked the second one, you’re the winner. Sally DeFelice
Historical insight
Manhattan: Recently, I read Jimmy Breslin’s 1966 (Dec. 3) short column on Sen. Robert Kennedy’s impromptu jaunt to a high school football practice (“Will all those kids vote for Bobby?”). I heartily recommend presidential candidate Kamala Harris read it. And because vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was once a coach, he should enjoy Breslin’s take immensely. I found it in “Jimmy Breslin: Essential Writings” published by the Library of America. It would be terrific if The News has the desire and ability to print it. Susan A. Stark
Toxic takes
Huntington Station, L.I.: Boy, it used to be fun reading “The Voice of the People” every morning with the interesting insight and witty banter that was found there. Now the discourse has mainly devolved into schoolyard name-calling and partisan insults. I wish I could say it will stop after Nov. 5, but I am afraid that might not be the case. Nancy Macri Kennedy