Readers sound off on Roger Ailes, the circus, President Obama and much more

Naugatuck, Conn.: Linda Stasi goes way too far, completely over the top in this column (“Shed no tears for sexist sicko Roger Ailes,” May 19). Yes, he was a complete, disgusting sexist pig. Yes, he did enormous damage to the women at Fox News, and created an atmosphere there which encouraged and allowed other piggish men there to do the same. However, the bottom line is that however deeply flawed and disgusting, he was still a human being. This guy wasn’t Stalin or Lenin or Hitler or Pol Pot or Assad or some other mass murderer or serial killer. Ailes most likely damaged and/or destroyed some women’s careers by his pigdom, which is really bad. But he’s dead now.

When I was young, I had too many terrible encounters with men just like Ailes in positions of authority in various workplaces. Yep, it was to varying degrees a nightmare. It’s terrible, not okay, and beyond shocking the degree to which it is still going on so rampantly these days.

Stasi even takes a potshot at Ailes’ wife who said she loved him. Even though he was a pig at work, and possibly elsewhere, this woman claims he had been a good husband. That could be true. This whole gross scandal destroyed that marriage and left him living alone, and his wife living through this hell on her own, too. Can’t Stasi at least have the decency to leave that woman alone right now? Guess not.

Alice Tomlin

Respect the dead

Hixson, Tenn.: I was born in New York and lived in New York for 55 years and now live in Tennessee. I miss New York. That’s why I still read the Daily News. I feel very strongly for women’s rights as I have found myself being treated poorly in the working establishment in my lifetime. As for Roger Ailes, I agree that his approach with women was terrible and my sympathies go out to them. However, I do take exception to Linda Stasi’s column about Ailes’ death. If not out of respect for the dead, she could have at least shown some to his family. I found her article to be extremely in bad taste. Let us hope when her time comes she will not be subjected to the same treatment. Julianne Whittle

Venomous writing

Manville, N.J.: The publishing of Linda Stasi’s disgraceful column hurts the reputation of the Daily News. Someone should have flagged this horrible discharge of hate speech before it was published. It would have been the decent thing to do. I feel sorry for Stasi and anyone else who harbors that much hate. She needs to seek counseling. Thomas Sobol

Get it right

Manhattan: It’s “you don’t speak ill of the dead,” not you “should speak well of them.”

Dan Bernstein

Thanks, Obama

Wynnewood, Pa.: I’ve said this before and it bears repeating. Barack Obama is the reason that the well qualified, respected and experienced Hillary Clinton was not our President for the past eight years. Obama was young enough to wait for the 2016 nomination. Instead of biding his time, he entered the 2008 quest and won, even though Hillary received the majority popular vote in the Democratic primaries.

Charles McCabe

Biased journalism

Manhattan: Like the Daily News, I did not support President Trump, cared not for his appeals to fear, and reluctantly cast my vote for Hillary Clinton as a kind of stop-Trump effort. I must warn, you, however, that your “journalism” toward him is more about editorializing against the man now. It’s too deeply one sided (against him) to be considered fair and accurate. Keep the antiTrump train in your editorials. In the news copy, balance out. In your opinion page, balance out.

Edner Pierre-louis

Justice for the animals

Malverne, L.I.: When Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus shuts down after Sunday’s performances in Uniondale, it will have only itself to blame. Times have changed, and people who care about animals are appalled when they’re chained and beaten until they have no choice but to perform. But instead of modernizing and featuring only willing human performers, Ringling stuck to its failed, archaic business model. Its demise closes one chapter, but work still remains, and other animal exploiters would be wise to take note. Unless they get with the times, their days are numbered, too.

John Di Leonardo Anthrozoologist and president Long Island Orchestrating for

Nature (LION)

Charter advertising

Brooklyn: If charter schools have so many children on waiting lists hoping to get in as you claim in “Charters Hot” (May 18), why did they plaster my neighborhood (Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill) with advertisements for their schools? These neighborhoods are hardly “high need” areas, and the ads cost thousands of dollars, money that should have been spent on the classroom. Furthermore, nowhere do you point out the millions donated by private/hedge funds going to charters (for example the Walmart Waltons recently donated millions to NYC charters, including $24 million to the Success network alone). And why only mention 2016 scores and not mention previous years’ scores, when the exams were new and charters couldn’t “game” them, and DOE schools (while testing all students, including Special Ed and ELL), and under all kinds of regulations charters don’t have to follow outperformed them. Considering this, praising charters for (in 2016) having scores a point or two higher than DOE schools is a hypocritical, self-serving joke.

Herman Kolender

He’s no hero

Fishkill, N.Y.: As an American and Puerto Rican, I find that yes we have plenty of heroes all over this great country of ours, but don’t mention the name of Oscar Lopez Rivera in any context other than as a criminal. My father was a big fan of the FALN until the day he had to choose the between terrorists for the island or his son. I think today he would turn over in his grave. I don’t go to parades but this time I have a great reason for not being there. Benny Rosario

The truth is out there

Brentwood, L.I.: Why can’t those on TV pronounce former FBI director (now special counsel) Robert Mueller’s name correctly? Would they pronounce mule (the animal) as “mull”? His name is not “mull-er”; it is “mule-er.”

W. J. Van Sickle

Pox on both houses

Pearl River, N.Y.: Both political parties, especially since the 2000 election, have been guilty of hypocrisy and hyperbole. Since the election of Donald Trump, the Democrats have risen to new heights, almost bringing both to an art form. Their holier-thanthou stance regarding everything Trump borders on psychotic. They insist that they represent the feelings of “all” Americans, forgetting that a good portion of us showed our disdain for much of what they espouse. Please, get over your pique and get on with governing. Let the Justice Department decide what Trump did or didn’t do. Thomas McNaughton

Obama hate

Brooklyn: To Voicer Paul Bloustein: Your comparison of Barack Obama to Donald Trump was pathetic. Using an innocent error to imply he wasn’t aware of the 50 states to write something that asinine just further lets me know you definitely have a bad case of “Trumpitism” (I hear it’s lethal). DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES Obama wasn’t an habitual liar. Trump lies so much he can’t remember half of the things he’ saying — and that’s most of the time. In the future, try not to make yourself look so much like your fearless leader. Mary Henderson

Kaepernick not worth it

St. Louis Park, Minn.: Re “Tony Dungy uses questionable analogies — animal cruelty and violence against women — when discussing Colin Kaepernick situation,” (May 17): No owner has to sign him! It’s that simple. They don’t think it would be worth the trouble and it’s their right to feel that way! It’s their team and their money to do whatever they want with. If they don’t think Kaepernick is worth signing, why not just accept it and quit talking about this? Countless other football players have been let go and haven’t received the attention he has. Let it go! Gary Edward Goetz

Pols don’t admit hatred

Manhattan: Re “Boy, 14, cuffed for sparking fierce Manhattan synagogue blaze” (May 17): Burning a synagogue is a hate crime — 14-year-olds do know better. Our politicians once again attempt to deny the hatred that exists. Plaques honor Vichy France leader Philippe Petain, and concentration camps guards roam free, while we Jews live with our backs up. Anti-Semitic hatred occurs daily but goes unaddressed by government. Has there ever been a Jewish History Month celebrated in a state institution?

Barbara Marcus