Readers sound off on NYPD smears, Hillary Clinton and transgender service – New York Daily News

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Friday, July 28, 2017, 7:00 PM

Manhattan: Attorney Damien Brown, representing Tymel Abrams, who was shot by police officers and arrested on gun charges last Friday night, was quoted as saying that Abrams is adamant that he was unarmed, and that we should look into the actions of the officers involved in the incident (Atty: Client shot by cops wasnt armed, July 23).

Its one thing for a lawyer to plead his clients innocence and quite another to impugn the integrity of police officers without factual basis. Actually, it is an outrage given the overwhelming evidence in this particular case. These brave officers responded to the sound of shots fired and saw Abrams pursuing another man while clearly armed with a handgun. They confronted him and ordered him to stop, and when he turned toward them, with the gun still in his hand, an officer fired, striking Abrams in the thigh. Abrams continued running and tossed the gun to the sidewalk, where it was immediately recovered by police. Much of this incident is captured on video, including the foot pursuit and Abrams discarding his pistol.

Has the reflexive disparagement and resulting distrust of our hardworking police gone so far that members of the public now casually question cops honesty simply because a criminal with a history of gun possession adamantly denies his current charges after being caught in the act?

This is precisely the behavior I spoke about earlier this month at the funeral of Detective Miosotis Familia, who was targeted, ambushed and assassinated by another criminal with clear disdain for our uniformed men and women, and our nations rule of law. This is how cops the very people who choose to step forward to protect our neighborhoods and everyone in them become vilified by the public: when unfounded, outlandish accusations lacking footholds in reality are offhandedly uttered at arraignments and repeated in the next days newspaper.

As I said two weeks ago in the Bronx: Hate has consequences. There is a distinct apathy among some of those we serve regarding the work and role of our dedicated police officers. Adding to a misguided narrative by smearing the honest efforts of societys greatest protectors is both disingenuous and contemptible.

Last Friday, these officers went directly toward the danger and possibly saved a life by interrupting Abrams actions. As far as the attorneys suggestion that someone should look into the actions of the officers, I certainly will, and very likely will commend them for taking another gun, and another dangerous, armed criminal, off the streets of New York City. Police Commissioner James P. ONeill

Brooksville, Fla.: Hillary Clinton ignored and insulted the basket of deplorables, and destroyed thousands of emails. Her shady pay-to-play as secretary of state is the only cause of her losing last Novembers election. She continues to exhibit bad judgment with another poor-me book that does not matter to anyone but her (Hillary Clintons election book titled What Happened, July 27). A cynical view is that she is doing it for the money. Apparently, no public service can go unexploited by her. Everyone knew she wanted it too much anyways. Why? She could not even serve out her secretary of state position. Maybe the joke is on the public either way, but most of us feel better off without her. Michael Connelly

Manhattan: I see squadrons of so-called traffic cops who do nothing but ticket parked cars. I get that it produces revenue, but if New York City cares little for human life as is evident in paltry failure-to-yield summonses and simultaneous green lights and walk signs for pedestrians in the most dangerous places in the city then perhaps they will be inspired to hire and assign more cops to enforce speeding and other traffic laws. Linda Reynolds

Utica, N.Y.: Sen. John McCain risked his fragile health to fly across the country, in order to cast his vote to take health care away from 25 million Americans (John McCain, A Man Of Supreme Honor, Op-Ed, July 25). I ask Richard Cohen: Is that the act of a wholly honorable man? No, it isn't. That would be the act of one of those drizzle of apparatchiks that you see in Washington, one of the coterie of sycophants who have gathered around President Trump. A truly honorable McCain would stand up to Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell. He would, loudly and proudly, vote to allow those 25 million Americans the same health benefits that enable him to fight his terrible cancer! Time for McCain to act with supreme honor. Jeff Ganeles

Bronx: I remember when the last President Bush looked the nation in the eye during a State of the Union speech and said he supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, and I remember the super-conservative Attorney General John Ashcroft going out of his way to publicize his prosecution of an anti-gay double murder. It was easy to be proud to be an American with examples like them, even if I wasnt always happy. Now President Trump uses Twitter to stab his attorney general and transgender servicemembers his most loyal employees in the back, and pride doesnt come so easily. But I know that I want to see things get better, I know who I and the rest of us are, and I am an American. Jorge Sierra

Manhattan: Trumps senseless persecution of transgender Americans is cowardly and disgusting. His so-called justifications are fabrications and out-and-out lies. Who are these expert advisers? Let them come out of their closet for all to see. Can Trump go any lower than this? Time will tell. Dick Ziegenfuss

Houston: Former transgender Navy SEAL Kristin Beck says that being transgender does not affect military service. But transgender is not acceptable as normal by the majority of American society. There are only two genders. One should not force their beliefs on others, as the liberal agenda attempts to do. Joe Wojcik

Staten Island: The LGBTQ community should pull an Atlas Shrugged on the current administration by going on strike to protest President Trumps latest smack in the face to transgender Americans regarding service in our military. Let every one of us, working in every single type of business across all of the United States, stop working for several days. Perhaps then Mr. Trump will see how important, valuable and even vital LGBTQ people are to the success of the American way of life. Lillian Pennino

Marion, Ky.: Sex is the ultimate driving force of all species and many times it causes violence and death within a species. To argue otherwise is ignorant. Its hard enough to control straight folks within the military. Throw in transgenders. Now thats even more of a problem. Remove transgenders from the military by all means possible. Its just not the place for them. The only purpose it serves for transgenders is they get a free sex change. Bill Frazer

New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arthur Caplan argues that, sometimes, medicine must say no more (After Charlie Gard, learning tough truths, July 25). Medicine cant talk. Medicine cant think. Medicine cant act. People do so. Caplans sleight of hand substituting medicine for people is a good but dirty trick. He knows that it leaves no one responsible and makes the end of treatment easier. Tom McFarland

Manhattan: Football can be fun. Its fun to run and dodge, its fun to throw, catch, tackle and block. Whats not fun is running head-first into a brick wall at 30 mph. Thats the impact equivalent of a helmet hit that occurs over and over, until your brain is permanently damaged. Lets dump all the collision gear that has turned our players into crash-test dummies, and start playing the game again. John Van Couvering

Ridgewood, N.J.: An eye for an eye. Tow their cars, bar armed feds carrying weapons, check them at the door, from all city buildings. New Yorkers governing bodies should cut all special protections from federal buildings, and Trump properties. If feds want someone for immigration, make them get a judicial warrant, not just an ICE detainer. Peter J. Peirano

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Readers sound off on NYPD smears, Hillary Clinton and transgender service - New York Daily News