Savage history in many colors

M

anhattan: Speaking of being oppressed, how about the Spanish conquistadors who raped and destroyed civilizations? Of course they were not white, so that would make a difference to the racist Melissa Mark-Viverito. The crews that went with Columbus were Spaniards. He probably didn’t have much control over them and maybe feared them. What about the king and queen who funded these savages. Are they honored along with Cortes, Pizarro, Ponce de Leon, etc., with plaques and statues? Should they be torn down too?

How about closing down the Hispanic Society museum on 157th St. and Broadway because of the honoring of their violent, oppressing history? If Mark-Viverito had been in her 20s when the FALN was bombing and killing, she probably would have joined them. After all, that terrorist she wanted in her parade is her hero! What a role model. In her eyes, you have to be white to oppress. George Cruz Brooklyn: Since we’re in the business of removing statues of our past leaders for their transgressions, while we’re at it, maybe we should remove the statue of Dr. Martin Luther King from the Mall in Washington. He was supposedly an adulterer. We’re going down a very slippery slope. Shaniqua James

Keep ’em standing

Staten Island: So people are protesting and rioting over the statues of Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jefferson, who were slave owners. What about George Washington? Or what about Christopher Columbus, who on his way to discover America bought slaves? What’s next — no more Columbus Circle or parade? We can’t change history and can’t blame President Trump for everything. And to Samantha Bee and the so-called women on “The View”: Get a life.

Glenn Matthews

Lee-ve him alone

Staten Island: This is ridiculous. Gen. Robert E. Lee was a graduate of West Point, a great general who happened to be from the South and was stationed at Fort Hamilton. I hope the U.S. Army keeps his name at the fort and any other bases that bear his name. He’s part of military history.

James Garofalo

Under the rainbow

Astoria: With mentally sick capons running the show, it’s no surprise that Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee statues are coming down. These same cretins demolished iconic, historical Penn Station and gave landmark status to a gay bar, the Stonewall.

Joe Ametrano

The price of war

East Norwich, L.I.: The Civil War was the most costly war, in terms of human life, in the history of the United States. In a period of four years it claimed the lives of 500,000 men, more than World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined. The statues depicting the bravery of the generals and the men they commanded are an indelible part of our history and should remain. To view Robert E. Lee as a traitor is a mistake. This war was not about the overthrow of government; it was about secession from the Union. It was about independence from the economic stranglehold the North had on the South, as well as the issue of slavery. Lincoln’s main reason for fighting the Civil War was to preserve the Union. He was well aware that should the United States be broken into two countries, they would fall to the European powers of Britain and France. Those Americans who are offended by the Confederate monuments should take comfort in knowing that the Confederates lost the war. Vincent Fiordalisi

For the birds

Brooklyn: Statues are for the birds and only for the birds who roost and dump on them. People come and go past these statues every day and never pay attention to what that statue is or represents. Leave history to our past, and leave the statues for the birds.

Bertha Husband

Giving to their country

Brooklyn: To Voicer Ronnie Partyka Deckert: I live in New York City, which is about onethird foreign-born. Only very few, mostly elderly immigrants, access any of the programs you think they use — food stamps or free medical care. You’re assuming this because these are available now, but most immigrants shun these because they came here to work, not take. Also, the majority of immigrant parents want their children in English classes, not English as a second language. They have made that clear to the principals in New York City public schools. As a second-generation-born citizen, I am impressed by how hard my immigrant neighbors work. You complain that your neighbors are not working, but the town where you live in New Jersey is mostly native-born. Patricia Lawrence

A life sacrificed

Brooklyn: Heather Heyer, Holocaust of one, rest in peace. Amen.

Steve Noble

In tatters

Toms River, N.J.: People of America, look around you. What do you see? I see corruption on all levels, drugs, rioting in the streets, killing of innocents and hate toward one another. To me it looks just as bad as any other Third World country. We don’t have to go to war with another country. We are at war with ourselves, so we will die within our own border.

Mary Anselmo

And in shreds

Bronx: To Voicer Alan Franks, who wrote, “Today I see a world more peaceful than ever”: What world are you living in?

Rebecca Sanchez West Hempstead, L.I.: I have been a longtime, satisfied reader of the Daily News. Your comics are a lighthearted balance to the more serious news, but I’ve never quite understood “Between the Lines.” It is rarely funny! The Aug. 15 edition was no exception. It was offensive and downright creepy. Kindly eliminate this “comic” from future editions of your great paper and replace it with something else. Anything would be an improvement.

Linda J. Sardone

A meal to remember

Manhattan: I am an 81-year-old white man. My story is the opposite of Voicer Gilbert Washington’s. When I was in seventh grade at PS 130, I had a wonderful black teacher named Mrs. Catlet. One day we were discussing food, my favorite subject. (I was a fat kid.) And she told me she loved Italian food. When I got home that day I said to my mom: Mrs. Catlet loves Italian food; can we have her over for dinner? And my mom said sure. She made a wonderful dinner: antipasto, spaghetti and meatballs and sausage, a big salad and a glass of wine, Italian pastry and espresso. Mrs. Catlet enjoyed her visit and we all enjoyed having her. I wish we could see more stories like mine.

Anthony Compoccia

Lights out on Night Out

Jamaica: New York City’s Night Out with the NYPD was a laudable attempt to foster stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities it protects. There was only one thing missing from many of these events: the NYPD. There were no more than three or four officers present, and they did not engage with the citizenry. There were more police officers monitoring the event than interacting with the families. This was proof that police officers do not want to socialize with black families on any civic level. Please refrain from calling this a Night Out with the NYPD, because five mannequins does not constitute interaction with the community.

Joshua Singletary

A housing success

Manhattan: My company’s $65 million rehabilitation project at Arverne View revived a distressed property after Hurricane Sandy and extended its affordability for the long term — all without capital subsidy. You’d never know that from Howard Husock’s Op-Ed (“Bill’s inflated housing numbers,” Aug. 29), which grossly mischaracterizes the project’s financing. In reality, nearly half the total capital costs comprised assumed debt that had accrued interest since 1970 and been in default for years — making Husock’s calculation of $212,000 in subsidy per unit misleading at best. Further, the project used no new tax-exempt bonds. Instead, it benefited from the city’s Housing Development Corp., which deftly facilitated the use of “recycled” tax-exempt bonds that were combined with a significant equity investment by L+M. Arverne View constituted smart housing policy, and today provides quality housing for more than 3,000 residents along a revived Rockaway coast, many of whom lived in substandard conditions — even before the storm dealt the property a crushing blow. That’s worth celebrating, not belittling.

Ron Moelis, CEO L+M Development Partners