Readers sound off on Daniel Ellsberg, affirmative action and RFK Jr.

Los Altos, Calif.: I am writing to express my profound admiration for Daniel Ellsberg, who courageously exposed the deceitful practices of the U.S. government during the Vietnam War despite great personal risk (“Ellsberg, leaker of Pentagon Papers, dies at 92,” June 17). His decision to leak the Pentagon Papers revealed a stark contrast between government statements and the truth they possessed about the war.

Ellsberg’s actions challenged the government’s narrative and shed light on the war’s severe consequences for American soldiers and the Vietnamese people. Henry Kissinger’s label of Ellsberg as the “most dangerous man in America” speaks volumes about the impact of his actions. Rather than being a condemnation, it emphasizes Ellsberg’s unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth and confronting those who sought to suppress it. Despite facing threats, legal repercussions and personal hardships, Ellsberg remained resolute in his pursuit of justice.

Today, we recognize Ellsberg as a champion of transparency and defender of democratic values. His brave act sparked a nationwide debate on government’s role and the importance of an informed citizenry. It serves as a reminder that the responsibility to hold our leaders accountable lies not only with the media and whistleblowers, but with each engaged citizen.

In this era where the need for government accountability remains pressing, we must remember the remarkable example set by Daniel Ellsberg. May his courageous actions continue to inspire future generations to question authority, defend truth and safeguard the values upon which our society is built. Jagjit Singh

Manhattan: Maybe I’m missing something, but isn’t our National Guard, as well as that of Canada, available right now to help put out the terrible wildfires affecting millions of people? Aren’t they both meant to guard the nation? What are politicians on both sides of the border/aisle waiting for? Firegeddon? Just askin’, all the while coughing. Stamos Metzidakis

Brooklyn: After seeing Diana Ross at Radio City Music Hall, I realized how much our youth has lost! She dressed elegantly. There were no guns, no bullets flying and no trampling at this stellar concert. There was no attitude or diva qualities, just pure beauty, positivity and sheer elegance! Maria Ciarametaro

Dallas: I had to respond to Elizabeth Forel’s excellent op-ed (“NYC must end its shameful carriage horse trade,” June 27). When I lived in the city 40 years ago, I believed that horse-drawn carriages were quaint and charming. I even helped hire one for a friend’s wedding. Now, I know the truth. Carriage horses suffer. They spend their sad lives in small stalls or breathing car exhaust on crowded streets. This is no life for an animal that was built to run. I hope that a ballot initiative to ban horse drawn carriages can achieve what politicians beholden to the unions cannot — an end to an ugly business. Susan Oakey

Dallas: As much as I love the city when I visit, it pains me to see these beautiful animals subjected to terrible traffic, heat and very loud noise. This practice should be outlawed. The money should be spent elsewhere and the mayor should be on board. The cruelty will eventually tarnish the city badly if not stopped. John R. Murrell

Manhattan: Re “Affirmative action is banned on campus” (June 30): There is no clear way to know if affirmative action has worked. The research about what percentage of these students actually graduate to reap the benefits of higher education is a swamp with no clear answer. If a parent has benefited from reduced admission standards and if his or her child or grandchild also requires affirmative action, did the program work? I have never seen a multiple generation study to examine this issue. Ingrid Eisen

Greenburgh, N.Y.: I found the Supreme Court’s decision eroding affirmative action a little hypocritical. Many members of the Supreme Court, past and present, were appointed by presidents of both parties because they wanted to diversify the court at the time of the appointment. If sex or ethnicity was not a factor in the appointment process, the makeup of the court would probably have been different. Paul Feiner

Merion Station, Pa.: The nine Supreme Court justices who unanimously ruled in 1964′s Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. vs. U.S. that a business open to the public must accommodate all the public just turned over in their graves. What will this dystopian Supreme Court permit next? A sign shop that refuses to make a Black Lives Matter banner or a Pride Month flag? Paul L. Newman

Bronx: Suggested new name for the Supreme Court GOP justices: The Sinister Six. Michael S. Wilbekin

Bronx: The idea that sending alerts to citizens via cell phones sounds like a good idea, but how do you know the alert will reach the people it was meant for? If you only use the area codes, you may miss people who got their cell service in a different area or state. You may also send alerts to people who have moved but kept their cell service. I miss a lot of NYC alerts because I kept my Pennsylvania cell service. Find a better way to target the right people for your alerts. Robert O. Rowe Jr.

Bayside: Borough President Donovan Richards: If you’re truly concerned about carbon emissions, please ban gas-powered leaf blowers. Thousands of gardeners are wearing a gas engine strapped on their backs all day, exposed to noxious fumes and loud noise constantly. These leaf blowers also contribute to the creation of fine particulates that exacerbate asthma and other breathing conditions. Regarding the proposed laws applying to pizza restaurants: It’s just another attack on small business thinly veiled as an environmental concern. Margaret Dabraccio

Brooklyn: The mayor thinks he’s the smartest guy in the room. That cost him an excellent police commissioner. Also, he’s forgetting that the 250,000 retirees whose Medicare plans he’s taking away are voters too. This is the same guy who, when running for office, called the Medicare Advantage plan a bait-and-switch. Andrew Cioffi

Bronx: The Mets need to get rid of Starling Marte and Daniel Vogelbach. They can’t hit or steal bases. Why would you try to steal a base in the bottom of the ninth with one out and down by one? The Mets need a lot of help. They are not a happy team or a good team. Ralph Canzone

Howard Beach: It could finally be dawning on Donald Trump that there are many people in his inner circle who have testified before grand juries looking into the secret documents, Jan. 6 insurrection and Georgia election interference cases. Trump’s fear is that the people testifying may not cover up their actions in aiding and abetting Trump’s illegal and unethical activities. Trump may have thought that their loyalty to him would protect him but may now be realizing that not everyone is Allen Weisselberg, who went to jail rather than testify against him. Barbara Berg

Flushing: I listened to RFK Jr.’s town hall on cable TV on Wednesday night. He is more kooky than I had believed him to be. Besides being a recovering street drug addict, having spent 14 years on such drugs, by his own admission, he is on his third marriage, the second of which ended in his wife’s suicide. He said he wouldn’t prevent anyone from taking a vaccine, only require companies to prove there would be no future effects using all kinds of double-blind studies. We would still be waiting for the mRNA COVID vaccines if he was president — but he would gladly approve LSD and other psychotropic drugs (without testing for effects down the road). Enough said! Any vote for him will only be another vote for Trump. Ben Jordon