English paves road to success

Manhattan: To Voicer Carmelo Burgos: So many people feel entitled in our day and age. It’s rampant. America’s first language is English, as it is in England, Ireland, Australia and Scotland, just as Spanish is spoken in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, to name a few. The people in France speak French, Japan Japanese, and so on. That being said, Americans resent that they have to press “1” for English and “2” for Spanish. Why? The fact that people come to this great country for the American Dream and refuse to assimilate and learn its native common language is disrespectful.

Parents who refuse to learn English and speak their native language at home do a huge disservice to their children as well, as schools teach lessons and give tests in English. If children can’t speak, read or write English, they will fall behind in school and slow down the progression of the rest of the class.

Everyone knows that great vocabulary, proper speaking and writing skills lead to higher education and thus better, higher-paying jobs. I couldn’t imagine moving to Paris and refusing to speak French. You have no rights in this country except to work hard and raise your children properly, so please get off the “my rights” bus. Ardina Cerra

Building up costs

Albany: The Scaffold Law has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with enriching trial lawyers, no matter what Voicer Gary La Barbera says. A Cornell study peer-reviewed by the National Academies concluded that the law significantly increases the rate of construction site injuries. Despite La Barbera’s attempt to paint the opposition as shills for the insurance industry, the reform coalition includes advocates as diverse as the School Boards Association, Conference of Mayors and Habitat for Humanity. And the socalled transparency act he touts is nothing more than a red herring. In fact, the Department of Financial Services already collects claims data for the few insurers left writing policies in New York. Unless we have reform, costs will continue to balloon in all construction sectors as judges stretch the Scaffold Law to cover even one-foot falls. It is time to have a real conversation and finally fix this unjust and expensive legal absurdity. Adam Morey Lawsuit Reform Alliance

of New York

Handsy Herbert Walker

Greenwood, S.C.: Re “Papa Bush hit as groper,” Oct. 25: Granted, sexual abuse is a big deal. However, I have to take this article with a grain of salt, I’m afraid. Look at the picture. It is not unusual for folks to put their arm around someone during a photograph. If he’s in a wheelchair, the arm would be at a lower level. I fail to see how past Presidents are relevant to what is going on today. It would be a stretch to say she was sexually assaulted. And this happened in 2014. It’s really convenient for an actress to mention something like this three years on, especially if they think they need the publicity. What an opportunist. When is the press going to learn that it’s being used by people with ulterior motives?

Emily Wallace

Restoring America I

Whitestone: America is the land of freedom to all. America was built on love for all, freedom for all, respect for all. Let’s take out the hate and invest our love, invest our deeds, invest our respect back into America. Only then will we shine once more.

Sally De Felice

Restoring America II

Staten Island: You cannot be a patriotic American if you choose to celebrate a burning cross or proudly refer to yourself as a neo-Nazi. It’s also not American to subscribe to any form of white supremacy. For those who claim to be good Christians and believe in the godless idea of white supremacy in any form, you’re not a Christian and you will be judged appropriately. Victor Briggs

Kelly zero

Belleville, N.J.: I am appalled how a four-star general and Gold Star parent allows himself to go out and hold a news conference and do this so-called President and draft dodger’s work. He has disgraced Gold Star families — is this job worth it? Gen. John Kelly is a representative of President Trump, and we as Americans should have the right to question what he says, and to prove what he says is wrong.

Roseanne Safonte

Kim Jong Un’s ‘right’

Massapequa, L.I.: Why does Donald Trump take issue with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un arming himself? Isn’t Kim just claiming his right to protect himself? This is not altogether unlike those who claim the Second Amendment guarantees their right to arm and protect themselves with any amount of firepower, without restrictions.

Paul Pepe

Taxing times

Biloxi, Miss.: So let me understand this (“Sorry, mayor: Bridge tolls are progressive,” Op-Ed, Oct. 25). New York neglects its infrastructure to the point of decay due to a “lack of funding”? One of the highest-taxed cities in America doesn’t have money to fund infrastructure? Where did the tax money go? Where was it spent? Now to solve this problem, you want to institute a new tax on “wealthier” residents, or use “congestion pricing” (a fancy, politically correct name for a tax). Why not drive a few more million people out of New York due to high taxes? Maybe it’s time to get rid of all the tax-and-spend politicians and put people in office who know how to live within a budget, like hundreds of millions of Americans do on a daily basis. I know it’s a novel idea, but give it a try. Your way didn’t work. Michael J. Lorenz

Too much to forgive

Jackson Heights: I was hoping with all my might that the police would quickly find and arrest the killer of the 91-year-old grandfather Waldiman Thompson (“Betrayal was fatal,” Oct. 24). And I wish now, that in addition to second-degree murder, Suzette Trautman gets charged with depraved indifference as well. I have profound admiration for Mr. Thompson’s 100-year-old widow, Ethlin Thompson, for having survived the brutal attack. However, noble as it sounds, I find it impossible to believe that Mrs. Thompson truly knew what she was doing when she forgave the killer immediately after the attack, given that 1) she was in shock (as reported by the police) and 2) she still did not know that her husband of 30 years had been killed (as shared earlier by her family). Judith Natkins

Red-faced support

Hicksville, L.I.: I agree with Voicer Robin Mazzia, but the phenomenon of Republican candidates being too embarrassed to include their party affiliation on campaign materials isn’t confined to New York City politics. Very few Republicans running for office on Long Island these days have the integrity to include their party name. Not surprising, really — would you want to be associated with the most evil, heartless, xenophobic, homophobic, sexist, racist and downright corrupt political party the nation has ever seen?

Steven Malinofsky

Coarse covers

Ozone Park: The Daily News should really be wrapped in brown paper because of its consistently raunchy, disgusting headlines and writing that appears on the front page. This was always a technique the “rags” used to attract attention and increase sales. I guess readership has decreased so much that this once very respected newspaper has gone the same route. I will be canceling my subscription, as the one and only reason I continued it was because of the delivery guy who I’ve had for 15 years.

Nancy Contino

Get back in business!

Manhattan: The Daily News should bring back the business section. It was very informative and helped the reader to be aware of what was occurring in the business world. Jose A. Torres

Headline help

DAVID SCRIVNER/AP Brooklyn: Poor Mickey Calloway, new Mets manager. I can only guess at all the silly backpage headlines being dreamt up by your sports writers. “Slip him a Mickey” when he gets outmanaged; “Mickey Mouse” when he make a move that seems to lack courage, “Give him a mulligan” when he is second-guessed (Calloway golf reference). He’ll have to endure his name being dragged through the stupidity of sensational headlines that your paper is hung up on. What happened to the good old days and a simple headline that just gives the winner and score? Glenn Brown

No Gracie for Yankee haters

Bronx: Bill de Blasio can’t “constitutionally” root for the Yankees because he’s a Boston fan. We should ease his dislike for New York by voting him out and giving him a one-way ticket back to Massachusetts. I’m a Mets fan and I pulled for the Yankees.

Justo Edwards