United, we defeat threats foreign and domestic
Manhattan: Respectful Americans stood up intently and kindly in the afterglow of our kindred spirits, citizens and symbols torn away by 9/11’s ungodly terrors. Traumas handled and rehandled, we refused to go backwards, as evil from afar had hoped. Optimistically, we forged forward, renewing our democracy. Even the tragedy’s disabled and ill have striven tenaciously against frustrations to repair or find peace with the help of some sensitive leaders, and despite the denials and ungenerosity of some greedy, self-serving, hypocritical so-called public servants.
Phenomenally, Americans today stand, or fall — some rebuilding, some rebelling — atop varied planes of a different Ground Zero, this one being our whole nation wickedly shaken to its constitutional core by Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 insurrection. A wildly perverse aspect of this demonic treason is that the J6 coup attempt represents both the quasi-culmination and, shockingly, an ongoing unpunished, seditious regrouping of domestic terrorism, concocted and still driven by, of all entities, a justice-evading wannabe dictator and lawless overthrower of democracy, the actual worst pretends-ident in U.S. history — dub him Adonalf J. Bin Trumptin. I need not detail the extensive catalog of blatant, well-known, sinister abuses, failures, deceits, distortions, prejudices, cons and crimes of this cheesy, unfit, unhealthy, nonsensical, mean-spirited, good-for-nothing traitor.
Sane, soulful Americans will again serve each other’s better natures and legacies by simply voting only blue across this election’s ballots so as to not suffer more abominations by any such lowlife terrorist-at-large. We must never let such a prison-due miscreant and his MAGA cult obliterate our democracy, our nearly 250-years-vibrant ideals-in-progress. Honor our better angels! Phil Vanaria
Nothing to celebrate
New Windsor, N.Y.: As we observe the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, lawmakers are attempting to make it the 12th federal holiday. This is wrong. It should be a day of observance and remembering the 2,977 innocent souls who went about their normal day on that gorgeous Tuesday morning. Little did they realize it would be their last. Hundreds will forget all about it and go looking for sales, going to the beach for one last gasp of summer, etc. We must never, ever forget that tragic day. May they all rest in peace, especially our friend Billy Esposito, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. We miss you. Todd Schuster
From the ashes
Wantagh, L.I.: The story of 9/11 has many chapters. Some describe the absolute horror of the day while others profile the extraordinary bravery and self-sacrifice displayed by so many just to help their fellow man survive. Despite the vulnerability and despair Americans felt that morning, when people were jumping from the upper floors of the towers to their deaths and images of the Pentagon in flames made it seem the very future of our existence was in doubt, we put aside our differences and wrote perhaps the most important chapter of the story. The resolve of our great country was put to the test and we responded in true American fashion, banding together to defeat our enemy and rebuild what was taken from us. Thomas Urban
Gone, but not forgotten
Brooklyn: A while back, the NYC Department of Transportation removed two signs honoring firefighters who were killed on 9/11 (for construction/repairs), firefighter Carl Bedigian and Fire Lt. Andrew Desperito, who lived in my Greenpoint neighborhood. We have reached out to the DOT with no luck. Please reach out to the DOT and ask them to put the signs back up. If thousands ask, they may respond! Jeffrey Kulikowski
Rewritten history
Bayside: Sad that the Daily News allows former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to publish an article regarding his mishandling of the pandemic and placing the blame elsewhere (“N.Y., COVID and nursing homes,” op-ed, Sept. 8). It amazes me that this idiot is still thinking he can cancel the truth. His policies were all incorrect and caused the death of many citizens. Then Cuomo and government employees wrote a fantasy book on the taxpayers’ dime. Cuomo must think the citizens of New York are morons and will forget. I will never forget Cuomo’s policies of killing grandma and grandpa as they sat in nursing homes, his sexual harassment of young women, etc. Timothy Collins
Running cover
Holliswood: Re “Stumped by Trump on the stump” (editorial, Sept. 7): You write, “So that leaves the press as the predominant force for trying to assess Trump’s mental sharpness, an effort that should be pursued with as much gusto as it was for Biden, and with the objective of giving the voters the information they need to make an informed decision — not partisan, not biased, but in keeping with our duty to accountability.” The lamestream media is a partisan joke. What were you doing in the first three years of Biden’s presidency? Covering for him. If he walked offstage the wrong way, looked confused, went to shake a hand that wasn’t there, had to be escorted offstage by Barack Obama or fell off his bike while standing still, it was all described as perception, cropped camera angles or what have you. He was described as being “sharp as a tack” behind closed doors. Gregory W. Chupa
Gobbledygook
Howard Beach: Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump has shown that he has command of the issues. Did this woman hear his answer when he was asked about what he would do about child care costs at the Economic Club of New York forum? His answer was so incoherent that they couldn’t even figure it out on Fox News. Barbara Berg
Guy talk
Queens Village: What the hell is that supposed to mean, Voicer Gary Miller, asking if that “joyful” woman owns a dress!? That sounds like something JD Vance would say in a sexist rant defining his interpretation of what it means to be a woman. Should we say how come Trump always wears a blue suit and red tie? Only an arrogant guy would say that! Joan Silaco
For the record
Manhattan: Re Bertha Lewis’ Sept. 9 op-ed, “Why Randy Mastro mustn’t be corporation counsel”: I’ve never met her. But her piece is really about Rudy Giuliani, not me. She apparently doesn’t realize there is a difference between serving in an administration and being the mayor. As I testified at my confirmation hearing (which Lewis ignores), I wish our administration had done a better job communicating and connecting with communities of color, because resentments persist to this day. But I am also proud of what I achieved during my four-year tenure. Indeed, upon my departure from City Hall in mid-1998, I was dubbed “the administration’s conscience” by one of my Democratic colleagues, and the Daily News praised me for doing “the seemingly impossible” and “ma[king] contributions to the city [I] served so well that will last a lifetime.” So Lewis’ anger, like that of certain Council members, seems misplaced. Lewis also criticizes me for clients I’ve represented in private practice, not realizing that it is a lawyer’s professional duty to represent clients zealously and ethically, even in controversial cases. And she ignores the extensive pro bono work and community service I have done, including representing peaceful racial justice protesters assaulted by federal authorities at Lafayette Square in June 2020, and serving as chair of Citizens Union and vice chair of the Legal Aid Society. Of note, Lewis was among only a handful of speakers who testified against my confirmation, while more than 50 prominent endorsers were kept waiting for hours to support me, including a former governor, other top elected Democrats, leading judges and lawyers, and five corporation counsels from four administrations. Randy M. Mastro
Nothing’s perfect
North Brunswick, N.J.: Re (“Mayor’s cruel view,” column, Sept. 8): So, Leonard Greene, in your perfect ideation, nothing slips through the cracks? Give us a reprieve from your lame commentary and offer a solution to absolute safety during mass crowds at outdoor celebrations! By the way, if you suggest gun control, you are embracing the myth of the Sisyphus; thankfully, the NYPD confiscated the many guns that they did! My condolences to those lives impacted by this, and kudos to the NYPD for mitigating the same! Ya dig? Ea A. Mingo
‘Til next time
Manhattan: OMG! The headline on the back page (“Wait till next century,” Sept. 9) should read “Wait ’til next century,” not “till”! ’Til is a shortened form of “until.” Till is a place to put money, or what you do to a field. Proofread! Joie Anderson