The damage Schumer has done
Yonkers: I am very disappointed that Sen. Chuck Schumer has declared his opposition to the nuclear agreement with Iran. The deal worked out over two years by President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry guarantees that Iran’s progress toward developing a nuclear weapon is halted for at least 15 years — real progress from the present situation in Tehran. If Congress votes against this agreement, there will be very serious consequences. Iran will go back to finishing the construction of a nuclear weapon, and Israel and/or the United States will bomb its nuclear sites, starting another Middle East war, with dire consequences for the people there and assured growth of the forces of extremism in that region and throughout the world.
With the exception of Israel, this agreement is supported by all the major countries in the world. Imagine the damage to American credibility if it is rejected in Congress. Who would support reimposing sanctions? Who would look to America for leadership in any new crisis situation?
Republicans, without even one exception in either the House or the Senate, cannot find any positive in this carefully constructed peace deal. It is disappointing beyond words that Schumer has chosen to line up with them to kill an agreement that offers a real prospect for peace.
And of course, the Republicans will trumpet his decision as proof that the Democratic leadership is divided, and that they have bipartisan support for killing Obama’s signature peace agreement.
Gerry O’Shea
A loathsome smear
Flushing: To Voicer Andre Jones: Your comment that Sen. Chuck Schumer represents Israel and the Jewish people over American concerns is totally off-base. In all of Israel’s existence, not one single U.S. soldier was sent to battle for her. I can guarantee you that no son or daughter of any state in the United States will ever go to battle for Israel. Your statement smells of anti-Semitism. Just for the record, a huge percentage of Jews fought in the American and British armies — including my own late father — to save England and Wales. Josef Flaschner
The source of this conflict
Staten Island: Why do you insist on telling only one side of the Israeli-Palestinian story? Israel has a long history of carrying out terrorist actions on a daily basis against Palestinian civilians by seizing their land, invading their homes and keeping a military presence in varying levels in the West Bank and Gaza, where Palestinians are the overwhelming majority. The source of this conflict is not anti-Semitism — that is a very convenient lie. Rather, it is theft, occupation and murder. William Jackson
Ex post facto
Washington: A story had me describing the recent U.S. Postal Service quarterly financial report as an impressive “turnaround” — but left out why (“Postal Service lost ONLY $586M — a big improvement over last year,” Aug. 11). Here’s why: The Postal Service, which provides Americans with the world’s most affordable delivery service without taxpayer money, has a $1.2 billion operating profit so far in 2015. That’s better than last year, which in turn was better than 2013. As the economy improves, letter revenue is stabilizing. And as New Yorkers and others shop online, skyrocketing package revenue makes the Internet a net positive — auguring well for the future. Fredric Rolando President, National Association of Letter Carriers
Overexposed
Rockaway Beach: The only thing missing from your paper lately is vagina shots. Come on, celebrities, dress up! I have never seen so much ugly skin in my life. People: Show some class, and cover your . . . derriere. Maureen McNelis
Read it for the articles
Wantagh, L.I.: When I opened the Daily News the other day, I thought I was reading Playboy magazine. It was in poor taste to show the breasts of the mother nursing the two children. You should have blacked that part out.
Jo-Ann Maginnis
The last straw
Staten Island: I am writing to you today to let you know that after more than 60 years of reading your paper, I am absolutely finished. I canceled my subscription because of the filth I see every day, usually on the second page. The woman breast-feeding two children was the last straw. Breast-feeding is a beautiful thing. Seeing it in the newspaper is another thing. Enough is enough! Janet M. Callahan
Only one life
Norfolk, Va.: Americans should keep their cats inside. Free-roaming cats are exposed to myriad dangers, including contagious diseases, extreme temperatures, speeding cars, stray dogs, coyotes and cruel people who shoot, poison or set cats on fire. Recent incidents include four kittens in New Jersey who died after crawling into a car engine, a cat in Buffalo whose leg had to be amputated after she was shot, a cat in Mattydale, N.Y., who was shot and killed, and seven cats in Ithaca who were poisoned with antifreeze. The average life span of an indoor cat is 12 years, versus just two to three years for cats who live outdoors. There’s no question about it: Cats are safest and happiest living indoors.
Teresa Chagrin Animal care & control specialist, PETA
Look them in the eyes
Silver City, N.M.: Please consider printing the pictures and stories of dogs (and cats) euthanized at city shelters, which can be found at nycdogs.urgentpodr.org. If you did, I think people in New York might protest the killing of so many really adoptable dogs and cats. Let people look at their pictures. Let Mayor de Blasio look! Let his administrators see what’s being done daily. I know New Yorkers have big hearts, and I know they love dogs and cats — but is any dog or cat in New York City really safe? The Animal Care & Control powers-that-be need to network with no-kill shelters, both in and out of state. So many dogs and cats that would make fine, loyal companions meet death after they cross into the shelter system. Carol Hogan
National rug sale
Blue Point, L.I.: A Daily News editorial said Donald Trump is exhibiting symptoms of “a unispherical, psycho-pathological cult of the self,” which can progress to extremes, as in the case of Kim Jong Un. If Trump is elected in 2016 will we, as Americans, have to wear that Trump hairdo? Lora Jill Polla
New rules
Perth Amboy, N.J.: There is a danger to our republic that has been growing like a cancer over the past decades: dynastic succession. A hereditary succession will seldom be as good as a person who is selected on his or her merits and talents. The way to prevent this is to pass a constitutional amendment that would prohibit anyone from running for President who is the spouse or ex-spouse, son or daughter, brother or sister, nephew or niece of a President. And banning anyone over the age of 65 from running for President would prevent a senile candidate who campaigns on his or her good looks — helped by the usual lies in the corporate media.
Ronald A. Sobieraj
Legalize it
Bronx: People are in an uproar about K2, or synthetic pot. I know how to solve the problem: Legalize the real thing. One, marijuana is safer. Two, the people demand it. It’s my body; let me choose to use the plant or not. We know it’s safer than tobacco and alcohol. We can learn from the other 20-something states that are allowing the use of marijuana with certain restrictions in place. People die everyday from overeating, yet I don’t see cheeseburgers banned from consumption. Pharmacy drugs are more harmful to us, especially with all the side effects, yet those aren’t banned. K2 will be around as long as marijuana is illegal in this state.
Raymond Rivera
Black and white
Bronx: Rather than constantly accusing cops of racism in the wake of police shootings, it seems to me that a more sensible approach is to draw the competence card. Any cop who shoots a black person because said person is black is incompetent — and black people should be marching up and down saying we need competent cops policing the country. The problem with that approach is it takes critical thought, something that seems sadly lacking in what passes for leadership in the black community. I am black, just for the record.
Robert George Gallimore