Readers sound off on presidential immunity, a removed Banksy and a Coney Island casino

How will the justices rule on Trump’s immunity?

Washington: Donald Trump has argued that his actions after the election of President Biden, particularly on Jan. 6, 2021, were official acts. The case of presidential immunity, in which a sitting president had incited and/or engaged in an alleged insurrection, was simply too important for the Supreme Court not to hear. The justices can give a more in-depth analysis as to exactly what qualifies as an official act and who gets to decide what one is. Is that the job of Congress or can the president unilaterally decide which of his actions are official and which are not?

If Trump is reelected president, many have speculated that he could then pardon himself of federal crimes. I don’t think Congress or the American people would stand for it. But there is no guarantee he will be elected. I voted for him twice. I’m not so sure I want to give him a third vote. On the other hand, that certainly doesn’t mean I want to vote for Biden. As an Independent, I have voted for myself on numerous occasions. There’s also Robert Kennedy Jr. to consider.

I believe the Supreme Court will refine the executive immunity argument, but I do not believe the court will give Trump or any president immunity from prosecution for criminal acts committed while in office. Trump’s lawyers are only delaying his inevitable prosecution for alleged crimes. I suppose the conservative justices know the same thing I know: This time, it’s a Republican president asking for immunity. The next time, it could be a Democrat. Andrellos Mitchell

Right decision

Kew Gardens: The Supreme Court’s 9-0 rejection of a state seeking to ban an individual from a federal ballot goes beyond Donald Trump. It upholds the U.S. Constitution’s fundamental purposes and guiding principles. Moreover, it upholds the first three words in the preamble to our Constitution: “We the People.” One wonders about the prowess of the legal minds within these states who allowed this lame attempt, driven by personal dislike, to occur. Our Founding Fathers would be spinning in their graves if they had succeeded. Phil Serpico

Disqualifying

Shaftsbury, Vt.: Regardless of a court’s opinion, Trump should be left off the ballot for president. He is clearly guilty of helping to encourage a riot at the Capitol and did nothing to stop it. I call that insurrection. Keeping him off a ballot is the least he deserves as a consequence for his behavior. America needs a patriotic person as our president, someone who supports NATO and all our allies. Trump is clearly not the right person for president. Tom King

Filing error

North Bergen, N.J.: The reason Colorado and other states failed in their well-intentioned attempt to use the 14th Amendment as a tool to bar Trump from their states’ ballots was the fact that it was filed in the wrong venue. Had the 14th Amendment been invoked against a candidate running for local or even statewide office, the action could very well have succeeded. However, barring Trump from just a few individual states’ ballots raised an equal protection issue. Trump is running for office nationwide. Therefore, the action should have been brought in federal court to bar him from every ballot. Had that been done, I doubt the Supreme Court would have been unanimous in its shielding of him. Irving A. Gelb

Willful ignorance

Basking Ridge, N.J.: To Voicer Ilsa Ruthen: I think your points are spot-on. The problem is that it’s so far gone. The corruption and greed of politicians have taken over. Anyone who thinks any of them care about the issues, think again. There are a few who are straight-up, but not enough. Only the people can change this, but good luck with that. I’ve discovered that our country has more ignorant, uneducated people than I ever imagined. These people support a party based on their belief that what they are told is true but don’t look at facts. Watch Jordan Klepper interview Trumpsters and make asses of them, and they don’t get it. They have no basic understanding of the court system or the law. Some 1,200 people have gone to jail for Jan. 6 and their defense was, “I was doing what the president told me to do.” Joe Tierney

Art out of place

Manhattan: I am deeply chagrined to learn that a precious Banksy art piece is being hauled out of the city to Connecticut by the landlord whose building hosted the artwork. Banksy pieces are profoundly integral to the location the artist placed them. Put elsewhere, it is like a Stradivarius violin without a violinist. Susan A. Stark

No safe place

Ridgewood: People always complain about the crime in the city and on the subways, but it seems to me that the most gruesome crimes — with bodies and body parts scattered about — are in the quiet suburbs of Suffolk County. L. Tuthill

Didn’t get it

Manhattan: I love the comics and I’m so glad you have a large selection, but on March 4, the “Baldo” strip showed a young girl smoking, inhaling and looking at her phone. I don’t get it! And do I read this to my grandson? Billy Marks West

Double trouble

Freehold, L.I.: I realize that there are much more pressing issues in the world, but come on, guys, the “Word Search” yesterday was the same as one published last week. Otts Farner

She’s no Pistol

South Richmond Hill, N.Y.: Re “She’s a pistol” (March 4): How can you compare Caitlin Clark’s scoring record to Pete Maravich’s? She has played for four years; Maravich played three (freshmen were not eligible then). She has played 130 games while Maravich played 83. She has averaged 28.3 points per game; Maravich, 44.2. When “Pistol” Pete played, there was no three-point shot. Clark has made 509 three-pointers; Maravich, zero, and he shot very many from “downtown”! Also, there was no shot clock then. As great as she is — and she deserves all the kudos — Pistol Pete’s scoring record still stands. Apples and oranges, people. Joe Napoleone

Still holding

Astoria: My car’s registration was suspended due to unpaid tolls on Feb. 23. My car was towed to an impound lot in Brooklyn. After trying to contact E-ZPass for the fifth day straight on Friday just to make a payment, I still have no answers. I was informed last Monday that their system was down, and on Friday I missed another day of work waiting on hold for hours. Nobody can help me. All I’d like to do is pay my tolls so I can get my car out of the impound lot, which is $100 per day. Talia Antinucci

Hollow promises

Brooklyn: To Marie Mirville-Shahzada: After reading and rereading “Coney Island needs people who believe in it” (op-ed, March 3), I became extremely frustrated. I am a former Community Board 13 member who feels that Joseph Sitt, who owns this property, is selling Coney Island out. He has sat on this property waiting for the big money. What we need in our amusement area are more family-friendly affordable rides and attractions, not a casino that will eventually decrease our property values and bring more poverty, prostitution, drug sales and muggings. Has Mirville-Shahzada driven around our area to see what Coney really needs? Yes, I am sure the casino would provide more jobs, but who is to say that these go to our community? As a long-time resident of more than 60 years, I feel this project should be stopped immediately. We have heard promises to help our community before and they never seem to come to pass. Evelyn Strasser

Greater costs

Brooklyn: To Voicer Timothy Collins, who thinks electric school buses are too costly: What about the long-term health costs of our kids breathing diesel fumes? What about the costs of the planet overheating from continuing to burn fossil fuels? These costs already include billions in disaster relief and property losses from more floods, wildfires and superstorms due to our warming atmosphere, which is caused by burning fossil fuels like diesel. Don’t you want a healthy, livable future for your kids? Buying electric school buses will be money well spent. Joanne Boger