Meryl’s Global dump on Trump

Brooklyn: I love Meryl Streep and her enormous body of work, and I am glad she received the Hollywood Foreign Press Association lifetime achievement award, as it was well deserved (“Weepy Streep hits Don,” Jan. 9). However, using that platform to bash the incoming President was wrong on so many levels. While she is a voting American citizen first and an actress second, as many argue, she’s on that stage solely because she is an actress. If she wanted to use her celebrity to promote her candidate, then she should have been out on the campaign trail as an American voting citizen. It is so easy when you have a captive audience to give your version of the facts, then walk away without rebuttal. I still love Meryl Streep as an actress and hope my box-office dollars continue to line her pockets. Linda Calabrese College Point: Meryl Streep states “violence incites violence.” I guess she would know as the movie industry glorifies gun violence in its pictures and posters. Guy Breen

Streep Throat

Woodside: I think that Meryl Streep is perhaps the greatest actress of our time, and I have great respect for her talent. She has her opinions, but her acting talent doesn’t make her opinions any more valuable than mine. We (the country) have a new President-elect, and his name is Donald Trump. Whether you agree with his politics or with the way he behaves, he is our President-elect. Now we have to give him a chance; in four years, we will all have an opportunity again to voice our concerns. May we have the same respect for Trump that we give to Streep for her talent? Perhaps Streep and Trump might want to consider the same charm school at some point.

Joan Bergen

Trump award

Amsterdam, N.Y.: Trump tweeted that Meryl Streep is “overrated.” Enviously, he’s probably thinking he should have won an award for his past and continuing performances. Judy Draus

Meryl’s best performance

Lindenhurst, L.I.: After seeing the montage of the many diverse roles she’s played on film, no one could deny the brilliance and talent of Meryl Streep. She is an American treasure, and she makes our country proud. During her acceptance speech after receiving the DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, Streep exercised her right to freedom of speech, stating facts about our President-elect’s behavior and offering wise words about disrespect begetting disrespect and violence inciting violence. She noted bullying behavior “performed” by the Presidentelect that she witnessed against a physically challenged reporter during a rally in Nov. 2015. In Streep’s opinion, it was the most stunning, and at the same time, upsetting, performance she had seen. The audience listened silently and intently as she bravely and eloquently expressed her feelings. Once again, Meryl Streep continues to share her gifts, give us hope and provide a voice for the sentiments of millions of Americans.

Larry D’Angelo

Hollywood hypocrisy

Brooklyn: Howard Stern made a great point about Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes. He had no problem with what she had to say about President-elect Trump. But he does think she is being a hypocrite by not saying anything about Mel Gibson, who was sitting in the audience. Did Hollywood forget about all the anti-Semitic and racist comments that he made? Danny Mizrahi

Wall tokens

Islip, L.I.: I think that I have a simple solution to Donald Trump’s wall and how to finance it: Put turnstiles in it.

Gordon Cockrum

Double agent?

South River, N.J.: There are two questions President-elect Trump needs to answer: Are you a Russian operative? And if not, can you prove it to the American people? Papers, please.

Cindy Tobias

Reasonable retribution

Manhattan: I applaud the Daily News Editorial Board for making an important point about Gov. Cuomo’s commutation of accessory-to-murderous-gang Judith Clark’s sentence (“Judith Clark’s clemency,” Jan. 8). The News’ highbrowed competitor has overlooked — or is ignorant of the point — that one of the purposes of criminal punishment is, as the editorial puts it, “society’s special obligation to mete out punishment to convey the severity of criminal offenses that offend the common moral code.” When I taught criminal law, I knew this by its formal term, “condemnation.” Most academic writers focus on rationales to decrease the severity of punishment, so condemnation (let alone retribution) is out of fashion these days. Worse for Cuomo’s decision, he embarked on a flight of eloquent blather about reformation (aka rehabilitation) and redemption that looks suspiciously like notorious “white privilege” with a dollop of middle-class goodness for extra flavor. Peter Lushing

She’s paid the price

Brooklyn: From all accounts, it does not appear that Judith Clark’s activities or convictions during her many years of imprisonment were ever motivated by self-interest or calculation. Simply enough, she has earned the right to be paroled. The governor’s action in making parole possible should be supported by all those who recognize the contributions she’s made and the moral purpose she’s demonstrated. John Garvey

Gov misses the boat

Wall, N.J.: Are you kidding me? Gov. Cuomo asks, “The older I get, the correction system — what are we accomplishing in the first place? Lock up a person up to 10 years, and you have accomplished what?” Oh, dear governor, what if a family member was a police officer at the scene or (I hate to say it) your father was murdered? How long would be enough? You weren’t there, either at the scene or in the courtroom, so keep your opinions to yourself and let the system do the punishment for the individuals responsible for these heinous crimes. Keep up the great job you’re doing and Happy New Year! At least you’re here to enjoy it. Kenneth Dixon

Language of freedom

Stamford, N.Y.: Let me get this straight: Lissette Vidal and her two daughters have lived in her NYCHA apartment in Brooklyn for 15 years and she doesn’t speak or read English (“NYCHA wages 18-month court battle to boot innocent family,” Jan. 6). Why not? You live in this country — learn the language! If she had been able to read the document she signed, which was a promise to vacate the unit, I doubt she would have signed it, thus avoiding this whole situation of being evicted. It certainly would have saved a lot of heartache. Do I feel sorry for her? Not in the least. This situation is her own fault. Learn to speak English!

Maryann Dwyer

9/11 leftover business

Brooklyn: Your article on Guantanamo shows all Americans that justice is being denied to 9/11 families (“Teaching Trump about Gitmo,” Thomas Wilner & Andy Worthington, Jan. 9). It has been 15 years, and the trial of 9/11 terrorists is still in pretrial hearings. The hearings last two weeks, and lawyers return to the United States for two to three months. At this rate, terrorists and family members will be dead of old age before a verdict. Federal courts would have convicted and sentenced them 10 years ago. Save money, and bring them to NYC, scene of the crime. Bring them to true American justice in federal court, like we always have done.

Jim Riches

Budget tradeoff

Great Neck, L.I.: Gov. Cuomo has stated that the repeal of Obamacare will cost New York $3.7 billion. There is a simple solution. On the day that Donald Trump repeals Obamacare, simply repeal every New York City police officer surrounding Trump Tower — better known as Trumpcare. The savings will help offset the $3.7 billion cost. Let the National Guard and the Secret Service protect him, the cost of which goes into the federal budget. If and when Mr. Trump has replaced Obamacare with “something better,” then you can restore the police with “something better.” Eliot Gonshorek

Presto change-o

Getty Images Bronx: I was reading an old issue of The News. An article stated that a man turned himself into the 75th Precinct. Now, that is an impressive feat of magic.

Anita Mulé