No negotiating with terrorists

Washingtonville, N.Y.: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is not a hero, and he probably was not a POW. He is a deserter. He left his weapon and walked away from his outfit because he didn’t like the war he served in. Now his mother said he probably forgot how to speak English. What a disgrace. When he gets back to the United States, he should be arrested for desertion and court-martialed. Then he will have plenty of time to relearn English.

William Knapp Ridgefield, Conn.: I hope that the release of Bowe Bergdahl, in exchange for five terrorists, does not result in the deaths of innocent people when these characters get back into operation. And I hope it does not result in an increased effort by Al Qaeda and other terror outfits to kidnap civilians with the idea of exchanging them for captured terrorists. It may seem cruel, but it’s a big mistake to make deals with terrorists. George Corday

Phase two

Brooklyn: I think it was brilliant of the U.S. military, before releasing the five terrorists from Gitmo, to implant LoJack chips in their bodies to track their whereabouts after they’re finished vacationing in Qatar. Then we can set off the smart bomb chips that were also implanted. Ain’t technology great! Maureen Mallon

The VA’s ill-defined mission

Flushing: As a Vietnam-era veteran (Air Force, 1964-68), I’m entitled to receive VA medical care, but I shouldn’t be. The VA was initially mandated to treat only those vets whose physical and mental injuries and illnesses resulted from military service. That changed after aggressive lobbying by veterans groups created an expanded mandate, which is one reason why veterans who really deserve treatment wait so long for it even as World War II and Vietnam and Korean war-era vets are treated for age-related ailments like cataracts and prostate cancer that have nothing to do with their time in uniform and are — or should be — covered by Medicare. Conversely, many vets who deserve VA medical care don’t get it because their discharges are other than honorable. G.I.s call these “bad paper” discharges, and they are often death warrants for military veterans who desperately need VA help, but are denied it. Richard Reif

Playing politics with vets

Forest Hills: Before everyone goes blaming Obama for the VA mess, here are just a few programs that the GOP has blocked for veterans: The Veterans Health Bill, Wounded Veterans Job Security Act, Veterans Job Retraining Act, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Project and Veterans Business Center Act. There are a few others, but I’ve made my point. Stew Frimer

The wrong way

Massapequa Park, L.I.: I am a Vietnam-era veteran and I have been receiving my medical services for over 20 years at the VA hospital in Northport. In all those years, I have never once been mistreated or misdiagnosed. I am disgusted with the hospitals that have done many of our heroes wrong. We all make mistakes, but to purposely falsify appointment records to make things look good is so wrong. Jim Fetterman

Fit to print

Eastchester, N.Y.: Why do the media publish photographs of alleged mass murderers? They deserve absolutely no public forum. This is, in many cases, what they crave. The only photographs published should be of the victims of these murdering cowards. Bill Fruhauf

Discipline first

Brooklyn: Sol Stern is so right when he talks about the UFT contract being the same old thing (“Failing to learn,” Op-Ed, June 1). As always, nothing is said about class sizes and the complete lack of discipline in far too many of our schools. How could a vote be taken when it hasn’t even been determined how health costs will be saved? No matter which programs are put in and how many hours are spent on teacher training, it will not matter as long as schools are not able to discipline the unruly.

Ed Greenspan

Not-so-common courtesy

Brooklyn: To Voicer Clifford Zeman: I found your comment so sad. What about teaching your children good manners? I remember riding the subway when my son was young. I could have gotten up to give my seat to pregnant women, but I made him do so. Being pregnant is absolutely not a disability, but getting up for someone is called respect.

Joan Caserta

Sympathy for Charlize

Stateline, Nev.: I understand what Charlize Theron meant (“‘Monster’ mouth,” May 31) — that she feels violated at times by how she is treated. She feels that she’s under attack and her privacy is being compromised. I know this because, when I was young, I endured a great deal of sexual harassment, and that’s how I felt. She is not saying it’s the same as being raped. She is using rape as a loose metaphor for the way a person feels when strangers constantly examine, judge and criticize them. I hope you will be kinder to our entertainers and stop attempting to stir up hatred toward them. C. Williams

Sisyphus in NYC

Manhattan: I would like to know how much money the city is paying to constantly paint and repaint the bike and bus lanes along First Ave. The paint that they use apparently wears out very quickly. Do we really need to paint the street green for bikes and red for buses? I’m sure this is money that could be put to better use. Maureen Young

One party giveth

Manhattan: If we get a raise in benefits, we get a cut in food stamps. Thanks to the Republi- cans, we can’t live. Maybe if every Republican had to get the same medical insurance as us, then they would show some heart. I doubt it, though, because they are so heartless to the needy and the poor. Helen M. Murphy

Taking it too far

Staten Island: Is Voicer Edward Petitti suggesting that the CEO of Target should get the same pay as cashiers, stock people and team leaders? What next, the guys and gals working the concession stand at Yankee Stadium making the same as Derek Jeter?

Angela Gonsowski

The real traitors

Manhattan: Your attacks against Edward Snowden are filthy (“Edward Snowden, traitor,” Op-Ed, June 1). Snowden is one of the courageous persons of this world. He has sacrificed his freedom and security and risked his life on behalf of the country he loves. We should all be grateful. Those who have branded him a traitor are not upholding the principles our country is supposed to stand for. In a way, they are the traitors. Anyone who attacks him is furious that he tore the cover off the concealed and hurtful manipulations of powerhungry bureaucrats. So we are being spied upon, eh? All our personal data are being grabbed and exploited for purposes unknown? You can’t put that genie back in the bottle. Carol F. Yost

The real point

Manhattan: Why is there any discussion of Edward Snowden? He is 100% irrelevant. He’s just the messenger. The right wing and corporate media changed the subject from “America’s government is committing international crimes and national crimes and lied to all their allies” to, “Is Snowden a traitor or villain?” which is a pointless, evasive question. Did you see Republicans say Snowden’s info was false? Nope. It was all true. We have met the enemy, and it’s our own government. Just like in 1776. And that is the only thing we should all be discussing as the GOP destroys our nation.

Janice Amato

Blame where it’s due

Mahopac, N.Y.: How shocking that the Daily News chose to use the UC Santa Barbara shooting as another excuse to go all in with your anti-gun rant. Nicely done. Never let a good tragedy go to waste, and never blame the psychopath who actually committed the crime. It’s much easier to go after the NRA, Republicans and even Joe the Plumber.

David Moody

Tuning in

Nanuet, N.Y.: It seems our politicians today are less like “The West Wing” and more like “House of Cards.”

Joseph McKenna