Letters

The long knives came out in response to my recent letters condemning the violence toward ICE agents doing the hazardous work of finding illegals to screen for deportation. My sense is that the recent ballot success in New Jersey, Virgina and New York City has reawakened a Democrat voice that had been gagging on the Trump agenda and its broad implementation.

Steve Crispinelli [“Useless Durak,” Letters, November 6] is perfectly free to defend the woke agenda, defend what he believes is free speech and how successful this first year of Donald Trump’s second term have been, but the name-calling adds little, if any, weight to his argument.

I don’t find the demonstrations by a small number of perennial malcontents about the collection of illegals a compelling statement. I also disagree with the claim that it is racist in its inspiration. If millions of Eskimos had crashed our party, would it be racist to look for Eskimos to evict?

As for free speech abroad, if Mr. Crispinelli isn’t aware, it is under serious assault in the United Kingdom and Germany. Merely discussing topics there mirrors the attempt at codifying woke values here in the states. This administration put a welcome stop to the narrow group-think Democrats had embraced. It has demonstrated great skill in honing in on Democrat overreach and neglect in foreign and domestic policy. This has added to their hysteria.

While it is true that poll numbers reflect a decline in Trump’s popularity, this is not unusual or uncommon immediately following an election. It reflects the fading of the relief from the ineffectual Democrat leadership we had to endure with the hapless Joe Biden presidency. A current ineffectual example of a Democrat agenda was the recent shutdown of our government, essentially to demonstrate hatred of this administration. Their sanctimonious infliction of financial pain on innocent families should never have happened. This need to ignore the elephant in the room has been adopted by Democrat governors and mayors.

Crime in our cities is whitewashed or disputed by Democrat leadership defending an abysmal record. Their refusal to accept federal help in returning safe streets to their residents bears witness to the Democrats’ priority of resistance no matter who suffers. We all need to keep in mind: Hatred blinds us to rational thinking.

Marie Levine says she reads my letters in disbelief [“No Empathy,” Letters, November 6]. She claims she is a fan of the Frances Genovese style of writing, which, from my experience, must be an acquired taste. Ms. Levine and I have very different views that are legitimate and worthy of debate — so, to my fellow letter writers, make your case, and don’t try to demonize me or my point of view. I’m far from alone.

Ed Surgan

Westhampton