Readers sound off on student protest criticism, reasoned thinking and medical advertising

What’s perverse is lofty pro-Zionist journalism

Brooklyn: In his comments about the ongoing atrocities perpetrated on the Gazan populace (“Campus protesters’ Gaza cause is no Vietnam War,” column, April 27), Harry Siegel absurdly states that “people expressing outrage about events that don’t directly concern them are engaging in a perverse form of fandom.”

Oh, I get it — since I’m safe in Brooklyn and not in the line of fire of the IDF, I should refrain from showing revulsion for Israel’s heinous behavior. Instead, I should rely on self-appointed experts like Siegel to let me know what opinion is permissible. Thank you so much, Harry, for letting me know who’s boss. I look forward to the day when your opinion will be tossed on the scrapheap of bad ideas. You sound a lot like Laura Ingraham, who once infamously told LeBron James to “shut up and dribble.” If you bemoan the radicalization of faculties and students, then you might consider laying the blame for that situation on Israel, whose rigorous oppression of Arabs long ago precipitated the dreadful scenario we presently face.

Opinion pieces such as this represent everything that’s wrong with journalism, which is firmly under the boot heel of Israel’s apologists. Although your awkward attempt at manufacturing my consent failed miserably, I still congratulate you for helping to get my blood boiling first thing in the morning.

The only good thing about this sorry mess is that I get to watch the “experts” fumble around trying to regain control. It’s just like Vietnam all over again. Déjà vu. Nick Smith

Escalation

Howard Beach: So, once again, lowlife thug students and agitators attacked the police who were there to disperse the crowd. One officer was actually hit over the head with a chair. Luckily, the officer had his helmet on. Charge them with a felony, have them get an attorney and see how these punks change their tune. Enough is enough with this nonsense. Manny Agostini

Of keen conscience

Woodside: Years ago, in the 1960s, the youth protested the Vietnam War. Now the youth are protesting Israel and its butchering of Gaza’s women, children and old men. It’s good to see the youth of today speak up and protest what they see as immoral. There is hope for our future. Richard Tobiassen

Funding sources

Howard Beach: I’m sure the majority of the demonstrators have their tuition paid by their parents. I wonder if they’ve asked their parents to divest any of their investments in companies that do work with Israel — maybe because their parents would tell them to go jump in the lake. George Martin

Existential threat

Brooklyn: The prevailing ideas of J Street and presidential candidate Jill Stein are the exact same reasons we lost 6 million of our Jewish people in the Holocaust. Both, along with others, should be ashamed of themselves. Am Yisrael Chai! The nation of Israel lives! Ed Greenspan

Free from who?

Manhattan: A ceasefire is what the useful idiots (thank you, Lenin) extolling the Palestinian cause seem to demand, but the Palestinians, through their Hamas-controlled government, refuse to agree to any such ceasefire, whether it is proposed by the United States, Egypt, Qatar or anyone else. They continue to show their ignorance by proclaiming “Free Palestine.” At last look, Gaza was controlled by Hamas. Have these know-nothings asked Hamas for their freedom? A Palestine free from Hamas will rebuild, certainly with U.S. aid. Remember the Marshall Plan. Hopefully, the people of a Hamas-free Palestine can emulate the success that Palestinian-Americans have achieved in business, science and the arts. Nicholas Kass

Collateral damage?

Bronx: To Voicer Cindy Roberts: I’d like to ask you, the United States has committed many acts of aggression and terrorism in many parts of the world throughout the years — would it be fine for, say, Libya to bomb the building you live in and kill you and thousands of others in retaliation? Richie Nagan

Bear witness, unbearably

Edinburgh, Scotland: Early on in the collective punishment of Gaza, I mentally processed IDF tactics as tantamount to a grouse shoot on an English estate. Palestinians have nowhere to run. The world knows this. The killing is beyond barbaric. Add to that the West’s attempt to assuage its guilt with a trickle of aid while selling arms to Israel and refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire, and anyone with an ounce of humanity is feeling queasy. For those who want to swallow Benjamin Netanyahu’s line that a huge proportion of the 34,000 dead people of Gaza are Hamas, let us simply concentrate on the 14,000-plus dead children. For Western politicians to crow about an infinitesimally small amount of aid while not just tolerating the slaughter but abetting it is perhaps the most sordid, dishonest, nauseating humanitarian outrage and immoral juxtaposition of the modern era. Amanda Baker

Untraceable transaction

Edison, N.J.: Why are we still having these problems all over the Mideast? From what I hear, a really great man has already solved this problem. Mar-a-Lardo tasked his tremendously great son-in-law Jared Kushner with this responsibility. Slender Man even received $2 billion from Prince Bonesaw. If the $2 billion wasn’t to help achieve Mideast peace, what could it possibly have been for? Thomas Morrison

Still a threat

Austin, Texas: I spent last week closely monitoring campus protests, the hush money case against Donald Trump, the arguments before the Supreme Court about presidential immunity and the latest presidential polls, which fortunately are not always accurate this early in the race. I held my nose and watched with disgust most of the network TV Sunday news shows. All of this prompts me to worry that the legal cases against Trump, even if decided before November, will not impact the 2024 election. Sadly, I continue to be amazed that so many potential voters don’t appear to care whether Trump committed crimes or engaged in despicable behavior. Moreover, despite all of President Biden’s accomplishments, too many are willing to vote for someone who, by his own admission, will use the presidency as a tool for revenge and will undermine democracy and the rule of law. Richard Cherwitz

Interference indeed

Staten Island: Over and over, Trump claims the trials are all election interference. Well, I hate to admit it, but he is right. The trial is about election interference — him doing all of it by doing everything he could to block the transfer of power or suppress bad press by paying someone off. Mark Tarasiewicz

Thoughtful stoics

Bloomington, Ind.: In this era of unprecedented political divisiveness, blessed are those who remain cautious and objective and can think for themselves. They have the temerity to resist a mob of revelers and zealots and are keen to explore nuance before forming an opinion. They are not the most fashionable, nor do they pay much attention to social trends. They pilot their own ship as they navigate curiously. They listen attentively to advice and are almost always respectful in disagreement. They will tell you what they think but not usually before they’ve been asked. Although their numbers are dwindling, a significant patchwork of these contemplative individuals is interwoven throughout the land. For now, it’s enough to keep us from going completely off the rails. Scott Thompson

Over-marketed

Ozone Park: The preposterous amount of medical commercials on TV has caused me to cancel my cable TV subscription. When they constantly push a drug for a condition that affects one in 200 people — that is half of 1% — something is wrong. How many of that minuscule percentage are actually watching TV at any given point? I suggest the mental health professionals should advertise their services. Almost all people have some sort of neurosis to talk over. At least it would get people away from watching TV for a while. Ray Hackinson

Pet distress

Queens Village: To Voicer Naomi Graseck: It was very disturbing to read about the Bronx cats being mauled by pit bulls. Dogs and cats are dying on our city’s streets and in our city shelters, and we still don’t have any spay and neuter clinics in any of the five boroughs. Why can’t this city and its politicians do more to help the countless numbers of dogs and cats residing here? Joan Silaco