Love, happiness & healing to all

Walhalla, S.C.: Taking this time to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with joy and happiness. May we bond together in love and caring and keep the stars adjoined in the glow of a peaceful outcome for the problems faced in this world. The battle of life is difficult and peace hard to find, but each of us has the ability to take that moment to feel the joy of peace and love, if only in our hearts. Who knows, one day we may all join together with the wisdom, strength and grace to become part of a lasting and eternal peace. I know that looking at the world as it is now, that is hard to imagine. Keep the heart of love always present and find the joy that is there within you. Perhaps one day the hate and violence will be a thing of the past. We must look forward to a future filled with beauty and love. If we do not do this, we become the embittered remnants of all those who have been the catalysts for all things evil in this world. Love is the promise, God is the gift, and we must be the answer. God bless you all. Gary Carter

Don, tend to the schools

Brooklyn: The old axiom “If ain’t broke don’t fix it” has a reverse inference: If it’s broke, fix it. The U.S. public school system is clearly broken. We consistently rank lower than many other countries that spend a whole lot less than we do per student. We elected Donald Trump to fix many of the ills plaguing us, and this should be no different. It’s time to try something else.

Avi Scherman

Independent voices

Jackson Heights: I’m tired of all the attacks by some in the media on their fellow journalists for continuing to speak out. Donald Trump doesn’t need any apologists! It is the job of the press to speak for the people, whether it is the majority opinion or not.

Christine Fasano

Flim-flammer in chief

Brooklyn: I am very glad that Donald Trump has decided to separate himself from his business to work full-time as President. There is only one problem: Since he never released his tax returns, how will that claim be verifiable? If you don’t know his business interests, it’s a meaningless statement. I’m getting really tired of his non-verifiable claims.

Shelley Mitchell

Failure to deliver

Manhattan: Okay, call me a big-city East Coast bleeding-heart liberal, but I think all Americans should be able to get the medical care they need, all children should get the education to move ahead, and women should be free to make their own decisions without a government investigation or “religious” restrictions. I don’t understand why people vote for Republicans who oppose those things, who want to “fix” Medicare and Social Security so that banks get a cut of the profits and the rest of us just get cuts, who insist on making the rich richer and leaving the rest of us on a downward slide. And I can’t “respect” Trump just because he won almost as many votes as Hillary Clinton. Sorry, Trumpers, but he’s still the same greedy narcissist he was a year ago, and he’s not going to make America “great again.” Carol Robinson

It can’t be changed

Cedar Grove, N.J.: For Hillary supporters like myself, this talk of recounts and faithless electors is nothing but pie in the sky. And even if the result were to get reversed, it wouldn’t come without turmoil — and if it leads to riots where people are getting hurt then, the price will have been too high. I don’t expect Trump to serve four years because it’s probable that he’ll get himself impeached sooner or later, so let’s just ride it out. Like past Republicans, he’ll screw things up so badly that not even Fox News will be able to justify him.

Keith Biesiada

Race to the bottom

Brooklyn: Once again, Shaun King is finding racism where it does not exist (“Louisiana says Joe McKnight’s black life doesn’t matter,” column, Dec. 2). A man killed a man. That’s the fact we know. King alone is jumping to judgment. He was not there; all he knows is what he was told by people whose statements may or may not be true. Is he an editorialist or a journalist? If he’s an editorialist, please put him in appropriate section. Mark Felcon

Noah after the flood

Trumansburg, N.Y.: I was born in Brooklyn in 1947. I saw Jackie Robinson play at Ebbets Field. I was very sad to see Jon Stewart leave “The Daily Show.” From within that frame of mind, I have felt somewhat critical of Trevor Noah in comparison. It wasn’t until recently, since the election of Donald Trump, that I have felt induced to observe the reactions of various segments of the culture through videos uploaded to YouTube. I would say now, after more considered evaluation, that the aforementioned gentleman is absolutely stunning. His greatest strength is in interviews and conversation. I’m referring to an interview I saw of him, and his interview with Tomi Lahren. He is absolutely brilliant! More than that, I see a wisdom in his civility. He has transfixed me.

Dennis Dore

Living the faith

Powhatan, Ark.: I think it’s wonderful Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” to stand up for their beliefs. As a Christian, I certainly feel the same way. Most churches, especially here in the South, do not agree with homosexuality. It is clearly stated in the Bible to be a sin. I don’t want to see it on television as much as other people do want to see it. So where do you draw the line, which side do you make happy? I know some people don’t believe in the Bible or church but as a Christian I do. I applaud the Gaineses for living for Christ and being an example for Christians.

Eylan Mclaughlin

Cracking down

Brooklyn: As a former deputy commissioner at the city’s Department of Homeless Services, I would like to know if the city is going to withhold rent on the landlords where they have 3,000 cluster-site apartments for homeless families. These apartments have been notorious for failing inspection. The city must hold them to the same standards as these other landlords.

Robert Mascali

Saving money to save lives

Kvikne, Norway: “Nice ‘saves’ by FDNY guy” (Dec. 1) was a great article for a couple of reasons. One, it’s nice to see some positivity in the news. And two, it’s great to know guys like Jomar Pichado are out there taking some initiative and implementing change where they can. He helped out the department, not necessarily because he benefited directly, but because it could be done. Props to Jomar! Julian Lahuerta

Kindness of strangers

Brooklyn: Thanks to good samaritan Nina Mickens, who found a cell phone on the train. She called me, seeing my phone number on the phone caller list. I called the owner of the phone to notify him and he joyously went to retrieve his lost phone at Mickens’ job. The world is a better place because of special people like you, Nina! Hoping Nina’s good deed will inspire others to do the same. G-d rewards people when they do good deeds. I hope Nina, if you ever lose anything during your lifetime, a kindhearted person like you, will come to your rescue!

Chaya Lipschutz

Left alone

Manhattan: With everything that is happening to our children today, what a stupid woman Christine Grosso is. She thought Cindy Schultz/Times Union Dunkin’ Donuts was more important than her 3-month-old son Liam? And to top it off, she was on her phone. I feel sorry for the baby but not for her. Where is she going to leave soon little Liam next, in a bar? Maureen Rettberg

Signs of the times

Bellmore, L.I.: If federal bureaucrats decide that the signs advertising tourism in New York State should be taken down because they’re distracting, then, to avoid being hypocritical, the signs advertising politicians should also be considered illegal. These political signs go up every autumn and blow away during the winter and spring. They’re distracting and potentially dangerous.

Debbie Cuttitta-Pekoff

Proper etiquette

Howard Beach: My nieces, who are more educated than me, address their envelopes to “Aunt Ann & Uncle Sonny.” Whatever happened to third-period English? Ann D’Angelo

Money talks, but not English

Forest Hills: Yoenis Cespedes is getting paid millions of dollars to play baseball in this country. Yet when he did the press conference, he needed an interpreter. Spend some of that money learning the language of the country that is giving you freedom, rights, a career most people only dream about (most fans can’t even afford game tickets for their whole family) and a lot of American dollars for hitting a ball.

Sherri Rosen