Readers sound off on homelessness, Keechant Sewell and House investigations

Manhattan: It’s 5:13 a.m. on the South Ferry-bound No. 1 train at Marble Hill. Police: Nowhere to be found. Homeless people on the train: at least seven, from my count — three in the third car from the back (my car), one stretched out and two acting the fool and just being a nuisance. One passenger attempts to rouse the prostrated person into another position so he can sit down, to no avail. Acting out, the homeless woman decides she wants to expose us to her privates and tells us!

Any wonder why straphangers are fed up and have no faith in the mayor’s plan or the MTA? This scenario plays out all day, every day.

This transit patron has a novel idea: Since the state of New York runs the city transit system, why doesn’t the state provide a comprehensive homeless plan for its residents? This means evaluation, treatment and quality aftercare services that may include a permanent involuntary commitment to a psychiatric facility.

Some may say this is cold and inhumane. My response is that if you continue on the current path, it will fail because there is no end solution and you will end up right where we are this morning. That scenario is inhumane for homeless people and unacceptable for the paying riders of the NYC subway system. Jim Ralston

Staten Island: To my fellow Staten Islander, Voicer Dennis Pascale: Your suggestion, in theory, deserves accolades. But the fare evaders, with their hubris attitudes of avoiding paying, are the very same folks who would simply not be threatened by getting a summons, let alone paying it. Myra Goodman

Alexandria, Va.: Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Jess Dannhauser smears everyone who fights the enormous harm the “child welfare” system does to children when he claims, “Some say, if you care about child safety, then you are perpetuating our country’s history of racism and oppression” (”Protecting children & protecting their families,” op-ed, Dec. 15). Who said that? Give us the link. Show us the quote. You can’t. Those of us who want to curb the enormous power of ACS know it’s children who are hurt most by the trauma of needless investigations, the high risk of abuse in foster care and the fact that all the time wasted on false reports distracts workers from finding children in real danger. Richard Wexler, executive director, National Coalition for Child Protection Reform

Manhattan: Re “New look clears cops” (Dec. 15): New York’s top cop, without even a reprimand from her boss, the mayor, has rebuked the all-civilian review board’s and departmental trial officers’ recommendations entailing penalties for cops who violate department rules and, in many instances, disrespect their badge as they insult and abuse citizens. Ignoring — indeed, overruling — CCRB’s recommendations, short of even a meeting with the CCRB commissioners, begrudges accountability through civilian review of police behavior. Sewell faults the roar of the people who protest improper police actions while copping a plea for our understanding and tolerance of aberrant cops’ misdeeds. Save us from the lackadaisical police boss who derides punitive measures as the viable means of controlling and stopping police misconduct. Michael Meyers, president, New York Civil Rights Coalition

Staten Island: Kudos to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell for having the backbone to not only reject the uber-liberal CCRB recommendations and penalties on certain cases, but also for defending her police officers. Thomas Fraumeni Jr.

Staten Island: Legal Aid Society shyster Jennvine Wong whines that dismissing garbage charges by the Civilian Complaint Review Board will “erode the general public’s trust in the NYPD.” No, most people support the police and recognize that they are under continuous attack by the criminal element in NYC and its supporters. It’s fools like those of the Cop Accountability Project that are making us all unsafe, and we’re sick of it — and them. John Colella

Manhattan: I feel sad for all Republicans and conservatives who don’t get to do gift-giving at Christmastime. They sincerely believe their spiel that free gifts is wicked communism that destroys the human spirit. If children don’t work and earn their toys, they will grow up to be worthless communist humans, expecting freebies every December, they say! Probably on their birthdays, too! (Weirdly, they think the hyper-capitalism of Xmas is Communism 101, haha. I’m starting to think cons don’t know what words mean). What’s that you say? All cons give commie gifts to their kids? Do you mean they don’t really believe their talking points? Also, is it too soon to remind everyone what the police did to Jesus Christ? They didn’t just bloody him and torture him with a crown of thorns (he must’ve lunged at them very badly!). They tortured him to death under the hot sun! Jesus must’ve done some really evil crimes, according to police and pro-big government-authority conservatives! Janice Amato

Wappingers Falls, N.Y.: To my friend Voicer Sheila M. Richardson: I resent your classification of all conservatives being pathetic. It’s painting with a broad brush and puts anyone on the right together with radicals, which is simply not true. It dilutes your argument and frankly is pathetic. No one listens to anyone anymore and comments such as yours only widen the gap. You can do better, can you not? If so, it may lend some credibility to what you say in the future. Think about that. Michael Lanza

South Hempstead, L.I.: Is President Biden intentionally trying to destroy this country, or is he just incompetent? Michael Quane

Massapequa Park, L.I.: Now that the GOP has taken control of the House of Representatives, it did not take long for them to announce a major investigation into Hunter Biden and President Biden. There may be a lot of shady business dealings between Hunter and foreign countries, and leaders of countries that may not have the United States’ best interests in mind, but what should be first and foremost is an accurate account of what transpired on Jan. 6. Thousands of hours of video from inside the House need to be made public. All communications between Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Muriel Bowser, the chiefs of the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metro Police and anyone else responsible for security at the House should be released. These should include three days prior to Jan. 6 and three days after — any and all requests made regarding security, who they were from and who they were directed to. This day is a stain on America, and all truths and mistruths must be made public. Raymond P. Moran

Hope, R.I.: Selling trading cards depicting him as a superhero? Donald Trump has officially jumped the shark. Arthur Hayek

Staten Island: Voicer Wendy Packus writes about a “flurry of anti-Trump letters,” saying, “they can’t let it go and move on.” Seriously? If anyone can’t move on, it’s him. Not a day goes by since losing the 2020 election that we haven’t had to hear, ad nauseam, that it was rigged, stolen, voter fraud, etc. In fact, as you may recall, he even said prior to the 2016 election that he won that it was going to be rigged. Some tweets from October 2016: “The election is absolutely being rigged by the dishonest and distorted media pushing Crooked Hillary — but also at many polling places — SAD”; “Election is being rigged by the media, in a coordinated effort with the Clinton campaign, by putting stories that never happened into news!” We are on the threshold of 2023 and there is no let-up. We’re getting the seven-year itch. I suggest he will “let no man write his epitaph” — he will write it himself: “It was rigged.” Michele Corelli

Brooklyn: MAGAs refuse to think or are incapable of thinking. They’ve become little Adolf Eichmann, unable to ponder the consequences of their actions. Ken Miller