Readers sound off on the gun lobby, vehicle emissions and rental renovations

Staten Island: Republican politicians often say guns in America should be more readily available to the average citizen for them to defend themselves against mass shooters. The GOP and its supporters claim that if a teacher or administrator, a clerk in a supermarket or even a pastor at church had a gun, the shooter may not have succeeded in killing as many people as he or she did. I’m still waiting to see that happen in sufficient numbers.

These inane reasons are used to proliferate guns. It’s now almost as easy to purchase a gun as it is to buy a loaf of bread. That teacher, administrator, clerk or pastor should not have to holster a weapon for protection if more stringent laws were passed by the braindead Republicans in Congress. Arming everyday Americans is not the answer. Would you be willing, with your small sidearm, to take on a mass shooter armed with an AR-15 and outfitted in tactical garb? I doubt you would, tough guy, and you shouldn’t have to, if only conservatives made it harder for mass shooters to obtain an AR-15 or any other weapon.

And please don’t tell me that if guns are outlawed, only outlaws would have guns. No efforts by law enforcement alone will reduce the stockade of weapons out there. But alas, until a politician who thumbs his nose at gun control has one of his own family members shot by a mass shooter, the future of this country will always take a back seat to the profits of the gun industry and its major donations to conservative politicians. Dennis Pascale

Forest Hills: The late Dr. Richard Strauss allegedly sexually molested as many as 150 members of the Ohio State wrestling team. When some of his victims complained to an assistant coach, a fellow named Jim Jordan, he did nothing to stop the abuse, telling one student, “I have nothing to do with this.” Later, when Jordan feared the scandal might hurt his political career, he lied about having been told of these crimes and pressured victims to recant their accusations. In an attempt to intimidate one wrestler, Jordan even had his cousin post the student’s Social Security number on social media. Now, this despicable phony expects us to believe he actually cares about crime victims? Alan Hirschberg

Brooklyn: Clearly, Voicer Daniel Correa did not understand my letter or wants to ignore what I said. I only commented on Donald Trump and his supporters’ vile comments about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, his family and the judge. It is despicable that a 76-year-old former president who claims to be a stable genius calls an elected official an animal, among other slurs. The jury will determine the verdict, as is the American way. I am sure Trump will get a fair verdict, and that is what he is apparently afraid of. Alan Podhaizer

Ossining, N.Y.: Voicer Robert Stiloski, with another kneejerk Republican comment, suggested that since Insurrectionist Trump was investigated, Democrats should “denounce the Clintons and Bidens.” But like the GOP, Stilosksi can offer no evidence that they committed crimes outside of a lie about a marital indiscretion by Bill Clinton. The Clintons were investigated for years by Republican committees. Hillary went through a dozen Benghazi hearings alone. No evidence of crimes was uncovered. President Biden released his tax returns and the comical attempts by Trump and his cabal of morons led by Rudy “My Hair Dye is Leaking” Giuliani to find something illegal also turned up nothing. Stiloski and his ilk cannot accept that their Dear Leader was the most corrupt, compromised person to ever hold elected office. And there’s plenty of evidence of that. Robert Rundbaken

Staten Island: Can someone please provide a coherent definition of “woke” and explain why it is so bad? Ralph D’Esposito

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Auburndale: Maybe it’s time to stop including babies’ genders on their birth certificates, or at least give parents the choice. This might help prevent some of the abuse and discrimination that transgender children are subjected to in so many areas. Prior to 1961, New York included the parents’ races on birth certificates. This served no useful purpose, and now people are free to identify with whatever race they are comfortable with. It should be the same with gender. Cathi Venis

Fresh Meadows: Creating low-emission truck zones addresses a health emergency (“Program creates zone to cut truck emissions,” April 20). Communities of color overburdened by dirty diesel exhaust need extra protection from their historic exposure to the heart and respiratory diseases and cancers it causes. And we can’t address the climate crisis without getting the gas out of transportation. The Advanced Clean Cars Act will end gas car sales in New York by 2035. The Advanced Clean Trucks Act, its rules finalized by Gov. Hochul’s administration in 2021, is phasing out medium- and heavy-duty trucks that spew particulates, nitrogen oxides and toxic climate pollution. We’ll have a healthier and climate-safer city and state. Sara Rebecca Storch

Brooklyn: Regarding your editorial “House of cards” (April 21), with great respect, I recommend that anyone with ideas to increase housing production read the article “Development’s struggle for sites and subsidies” (op-ed, April 16) by Michael Gecan in the Daily News’ Sunday edition. Francisco J. Castillo

Bayside: Mayor Adams and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development announced a new program, Unlocking Doors, that would fund private landlords to renovate “dilapidated and abandoned” rent-stabilized apartments. These apartments are abandoned and dilapidated because the rent-stabilization guidelines in some cases make it financially unfeasible for the landlord to renovate and get a rent return that will recapture the cost. The stabilized rent payment can be so low that the landlord could find it cheaper to leave it abandoned rather than experience the cost of the renovation. Although well-intentioned, it is a back-door fix to a front-door problem. The rules and allowances for rent-stabilized apartments need to be revised to financially encourage landlords to make the fix. NYC funding these costs from the NYC budget is just another tax for the people who pay taxes. Frank Macchio

Bayside: On April 15, Yankees pitcher Domingo German was checked for a substance on his pitching hand more than once. He continued pitching. Minnesota’s manager was ejected. Max Scherzer of the Mets had the same circumstance and was not only ejected but suspended 10 games. What a joke! The umpire should be suspended 10 games. Michael Sternbach

Sunnyside: Over the past years, there isn’t a government agency that exists that is deemed trustworthy by the American people. Those with authority presently lack credibility to perform honestly, as with COVID-19, which decimated the American people, killing millions. How many will listen to John Kerry when he tells people to stop using gas stoves, cars and trucks while he boards his own private airplane, as other bureaucrats do? The Department of Energy will flush millions down the green energy toilet, and the Department of Health and Human Services will push for radical medications and surgeries on children. The Deep State is able to take trillions allocated by Congress and spend it however it likes. The next two years will not get better! Francesca Tiatelpa

Brooklyn: This will be my final submission as a Daily News home delivery subscriber. After decades of loyal patronage and despite the decline in the quality of the newspaper, particularly of the Sports section, I will not be renewing my home delivery subscription upon expiration. This is due to the repeated failures of Daily News management to compel the delivery contractor to deliver the paper in a manner that it is easily accessible to a senior customer, despite continued assurances that they would resolve the issue . After more than a dozen phone calls to customer service and multiple letters, the delivery contractor has steadfastly refused to deliver the paper in proximity to my front door. In fact, the more I complained, the delivery person would spitefully leave the paper further away from my residence. This abysmal situation is clearly unacceptable and I am done with dealing with it. Donald Kempler