Readers sound off on dying peacefully, animal migration and sugary drinks

Keep your beliefs from condemning us to suffer

Manhattan: Re Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s recent op-ed “Physician assisted suicide is not a good answer” (April 7): First, it is medically assisted death for the dying. It is not suicide or the killing of a sustainable life.

Dolan fails to mention the requirement of making your dying wishes known when you are of sound mind, as my wife did. Elizabeth had metastatic breast cancer. Four days after undergoing whole brain radiation therapy, she became almost totally incapacitated. She was a vibrant, intelligent woman who was in good spirits and talking about fashion with doctors during that treatment. We had planned a move to a right-to-die state. The doctor told her that her life would be extended for a year after the WBRT. But that was not to be.

In a N.Y. hospice, her IV hydration was stopped; no food, no water. She was condemned to die from starvation and thirst. I sat by her side, holding her swollen hand all night as I listened to her body devour itself. I was told she felt no pain. Yet she screamed in pain when being turned in bed as her skin was separating. After two weeks of this, I considered administering a hot shot of heroin to end her life. Her morphine doses were increased, which mercifully ended her life of pain and suffering.

We would euthanize an animal rather than let them suffer such agony. Dolan’s real opposition is his religious belief that death must be “natural” and that suffering is “God’s will.” There was nothing natural about allowing such horrific suffering for a terminally ill, beautiful human being. Vincent Novak

Losing issue

Auburndale: Ex-President Donald Trump’s announcement that he wants abortion rights determined by the states is nothing new. The Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has already done that. Anti-abortion laws have rightly cost conservatives at the voting booth. How do the exceptions for rape and incest apply? Many survivors of those crimes do not choose to report them. Does the perpetrator have to be found and convicted before the woman or girl can receive an abortion? Why is abortion even a political issue? It’s been practiced for centuries. Cathi Venis

Monopo-populist

Brooklyn: On the abortion issue, Trump makes the case for states’ rights and the “will of the people.” Yet, when it comes to the general election, he has no problem stealing both. Irwin Cantos

Decaying democracy

Little Egg Harbor, N.J.: Our precious government is a failure as an example to the world, and a failure to society in general. The shameful way the two parties believe that if a person who represents Republicans dares to agree with another representing the Democrats, they must be defeated, is not to our best advantage. The system was founded on the basic idea that the representatives of the people are working together for the benefit of those who chose them — to work together to form “a more perfect union.” No matter what party they belong to, they were not chosen to win a game but to work to keep our country an example for the world to replicate. All the backbiting and dissent due to certain egomaniacs who take the job to call attention to themselves have been a detriment to our society. Do the people you have chosen truly represent your values? Rose S. Wilson

Painless

North Bergen, N.J.: Why is it so hard to understand that there is no need to cut taxes for the rich? Any new taxes would be on new income, not acquired wealth. A billionaire will remain a billionaire. Even a millionaire will remain a millionaire. It won’t affect their lifestyle. They will still be able to make money while helping to relieve the tax burden on the less fortunate. What’s wrong with a fair tax system? Irving A. Gelb

Boat liability

Whippany, N.J.: President Biden, you are wrong. The taxpayers should not pay to replace the bridge in Maryland. The boat company that destroyed the bridge should pay the full cost of replacing it. Joseph Minardi

No easy out

Oceanside, L.I.: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wrangled a Target gang. They will “likely be deported.” I ask why? They will only return at the first chance they get. They should first spend a great amount of time in one of our prisons. Then they should be sent back to where they came from. If they return and get caught committing a crime, life in prison should be their next home. John F. Rossano

Migration patterns

Wappingers Falls, N.Y.: Fox TV’s Harris Faulkner recently reported a story of kind people who’d cleared a bit of the makeshift border to allow migrating animals to pass through, while Faulkner sneered, “They care more about animals than about people.” Wrong: We care about animals, period — there’s no “more or less” involved. The border issue has been so pathetically mishandled to the point that there is no restriction at all. Meanwhile, animals such as sheep and wolves, whose survival genuinely depends on migration for food and water, are the only ones who pointlessly suffer. The animals at the border are victims. Have a little compassion, Harris! Yliana Franco

In the hot seat

Fresh Meadows: I just realized why the MTA is bleeding money. If you get on any bus here in Queens, especially the following routes, Q25/34, Q64, Q65 and Q20 A/B, and say these five magic words: “Can I please get a ride?” Every bus driver will let you get on for free. I have been on buses all over Queens and all the drivers are either scared for their life if they get threatened for rejecting the person asking, or they just don’t care what goes on. How can this keep happening? This practice has to stop so that some of that money can be recouped. Jeffrey Stiefel

Outsmart sweet

Bronx: After reading your article on taxing sugar sweetened beverages (“New York needs to adopt a soda tax,” op-ed, April 12), I have a couple of questions. Are you referring to natural cane sugar beverages or the artificially sweetened and corn syrup-sweetened beverages? It has been proven that artificially sweetened beverages and beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup are the cause of obesity and various cancers. Would it not be better to ban the use of artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup? Cane sugar is more expensive and would make SSBs cost more and have the same effect as a tax. You may answer that a tax will help the communities that are affected by the unhealthy consumption of SSBs. Really? When have you ever seen a tax really help a community? Just look at the tobacco tax, MTA congestion tax plan and the marijuana taxes. Education is better. Daniel Correa

Took it to his grave

Clearwater, Fla.: Ever since the grisly murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994, O.J. Simson remained under a cloud of suspicion. Even his acquittal couldn’t remove the shadow of a doubt. And if he was in fact guilty, as many believe, his guilt will be forever buried along with Simpson. The heinous crime resulting in the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman will no doubt be remembered as the most sensational unsolved double murder case ever to be tried. The “trial of the century” will live in infamy. JoAnn Lee Frank

Lack of compassion

Brooklyn: Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House extends its condolences to the Simpson family? What bizarre world are we living in? No mention of the Goldman family? This family has suffered enough. The White House just proves how deaf they really are. Rot in burning hell, O.J. Mariann Tepedino

Rare events

Mineola, L.I.: To Voicer Rich Dooley: You are correct that “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon is the only song that contains lyrics with a reference to the total eclipse of the sun. But Bonnie Tyler had the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” I believe that is the only other song that has the word “eclipse” in both the title and the lyrics! Philip Martone