January 6 - when democracy was defended against TFG "mob-ism"

After losing a certified, fair election, the lame duck candidate takes a page from Nazi propagandists, and creates a falsehood stating the election was stolen. He then urged them to fight back in order to get the type of government they want. A mob (incited by TFG) forms and proceeds to attack the US Capitol building while assaulting its defenders.

January 6 protest organizers say they participated in planning meetings with members of Congress and #TFG's White House staff.

Echo opinion letter published in Staten Island Advance SILive.com:

Many thanks to those who put their lives in the path of violent insurrectionists on January 5, 2021, when the US Capitol was invaded by an evil Trumpzi cult mob. 

As the House investigation into the Jan. 6 attack heats up, some of the planners of the pro-Trump rallies that took place in Washington, D.C., have begun communicating with congressional investigators and sharing new information about what happened when the former president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. 

Once inside, they hunt for members and threaten the vice president. To whitewash this as anything other than an attempt to disrupt the government would be foolish.

As we remember December 7, and 9/11, we must never forget January 6 as the day the government was attacked at the urging of a lame duck president.

The jury is still out on Afghanistan. So far 80,000 people have been rescued. The biggest mistake the administration made was to think the Afghanis would fight for their freedom longer than 11 days.

B.H.Cohen is a New Springville resident- a neighborhood in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.

The Big Lie and serving water as an election felony

Opinion echo published in Staten Island, New York, SILive.com

By Dr. F. Michael Westhafer

The Big Lie continues, the fallout from it expands, and revisions to the facts are broadcast from the #formerguy Big Liar himself.

For those still wrapping themselves in their fears of a multiracial society and their Trump flags: Have your eyes joined the Big Lie?

"Have your ears joined the Big Lie and can’t hear the howls of 'Hang Mike Pence' or see the gallows they brought with them waiting outside? "- Dr. Michael Westhafer

Trump claims the rioters represented “zero threat” to the Capitol police and lawmakers. 

Did Brian Sicknick die from old age? 

Did the 140 or more officers sent to the hospital due to the riot all slip and fall on a giant banana peel? 

Were those Trump and American flags that so many of you still display just playfully brushing the downed officers, not beating them? 

Have your ears joined the Big Lie and can’t hear the howls of “Hang Mike Pence” or see the gallows they brought with them waiting outside? 

Is that the latest version of reality that you’re ascribing to?

Perhaps you can explain how making it a felony to provide food or water to people waiting in line to vote improves election security?

Would you accept voting hours that end at 5 p.m. before you get off work? How does that improve security? 

If a Democratic majority in Albany forced through laws that included the ability of that same legislature to choose the outcome it wants and not the one the people vote for, is that OK for you? That’s the direction that Georgia is taking. Is that how you define democracy?

Republicans have made it clear both in court and in public statements that disenfranchisement is the only way they can win. 

Republican Arizona State Representative John Kavanaugh: “We don’t mind putting security measures in that let everybody vote — but everybody shouldn’t be voting.” Where in the Constitution does it say that not everyone should be able to vote? What is conditional about your citizenship? Is your skin color a hurdle to overcome to vote, regardless of having been born in the US like a white voter?

A lawyer appearing for Arizona before the U.S. Supreme Court outright said that voting restrictions are necessary because “It gives the Democrats a competitive advantage” to have more U.S. citizens vote. So disenfranchisement is the answer to a lack of policy initiatives? Violating the rights of U.S. citizens — remember, as much as you might not like it, people of color are full citizens, too (just read the Constitution) - is the only way you can win? Is that what your Trump flags stand for, making Americans beholden to an idea-free, bigoted minority?

(Dr. F. Michael Westhafer is a New Dorp, Staten Island resident.)

Trump’s coronavirus response is a failure

Echo opinion letter published in the Staten Island, New York electronic newspaper SILive. 

....the coronavirus prompted New York's governor to declare a state of emergency

Let’s hope the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus doesn’t mirror its response to the families of asylum seekers at the border. Trump’s family separation policies traumatized children and showed not only his administration’s lack of concern for others, but it’s gross incompetence. Children were taken from their families, even though the government lacked appropriate facilities to house them and the lack of adequate record-keeping complicated family reunification, adding immeasurably to their distress.

And now another problem hits home with COVID-19, the coronavirus. Only this time we are in the cross-hairs, not “illegal” brown people. So far, Trump’s xenophobia resulted in his knee-jerk reaction to deny entrance for those traveling from China, and he says this has “contained” the outbreak.

This may have stopped some infected people from entering but was a woefully shortsighted attempt to stop the coronavirus. There was, and is, insufficient effort to ramp up testing capacity and this, according to medical experts, is key to stopping community spread of COVID-19.

According to Vice President Pence, one million test kits were supposed to be available by March 6, but this did not happen. Meanwhile, people with symptoms, including health care workers who care for vulnerable populations, are not being tested. This will directly result in more deaths, no matter what Trump says about the “mildness” of the virus.

So far, (stupid!) Donald Trump is more worried about the stock market than the realities of the coronavirus outbreak. He seems unable to give us the facts we need, especially if they may in any way reflect negatively on his administration.

I hope I am wrong and Trump’s incompetence and disinclination to listen to experts will not make this crisis worse. But frankly, I am not hopeful.  From Maria Dolce, an Annadale (Staten Island) resident.

When will Congressional Republicans find an anecdote for stupidity? Echo opinion

By Norman Ladner published in silive.com (Staten Island, New York)

I am so tired of stupidity.
Blackmailing another nation to interfere with our election is treason, but to Trump’s lackeys, treason is wanting nutrition in school lunches. The coverup is as ludicrous as Trump’s hair.

Even Sondland, a Republican who handed Trump $1,000,000, said everyone in the loop knew what Trump was doing. The truth is, as long as the oligarchs get tax breaks and the racists can sleep, that’s (the eveil reality) of what matters.

Last summer, Pence and his whole entourage traveled 181 miles out of their way to sleep in a Trump hotel. Military stopovers in 5-star Trump hotels aren’t normal. That’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s all impeachable and nobody does anything.

The Mueller Investigation noted 10 instances of obstruction. Each one is impeachable. Nothing happened.

Donald Trump (now forever known as IMpotus- "impeached President") threatened a witness while she was testifying in Congress, but that’s not witness intimidation in the Land of Oz.

The draft dodger has threatened blood in the streets if he is removed. He is threatening us with revolution. Perfectly fine!

Trump and his adult criminal family have to pay back over $2,000,000 that they stole from charity. What kind of lowlife would steal from charity? But, it’s anti-Christian to say Happy Holidays.

Everyone knows that Stephen Miller, the architect of America’s immigration system, is a white supremacist. He would wear a hood, but they won’t take Jews in the Klan. This sick white supremacist is running American immigration. It took 30 months and a freshman congresswoman to say something. So they attacked her.

Stone, Cohen, Manaford, Flynn all have three things in common: They have the best legal representation. They are all pals of Trump. And, they are all in jail.
The President is a racist‚ an embezzler, a thief, a liar, a bully, an admitted molester, says and does insane things and in a rational world not one of these things would be open to denial. The oligarchs who could dump Donald by Kwanzaa were invisible until Warren said “wealth tax,” then they went ballistic.

One literally cried that people didn’t like him because he is rich. I don’t dislike him because of his billions. I hate him because he is an oligarch. I shouldn’t quote myself, but I am so tired of stupidity!

Feliz Navidad!  (Norman Ladner is an Eltingville resident.)

Donald Trump is racist, an embezzler, a proven liar, a bully and stupid - an echo opinion letter

Echo opinion letter published in Staten Island, New York news SIToday By Norman Ladner

I am so tired of Republican stupidity and ignorance about the truth!


Blackmailing another nation to interfere with our election is treason, but to Trump’s lackeys, treason is wanting nutrition in school lunches. The coverup is as ludicrous as Trump’s hair.

Even Sondland, a Republican who handed Trump $1,000,000, said everyone in the loop knew what Trump was doing. The truth is as long as the oligarchs get tax breaks and the racists can sleep, that’s what matters.

Last summer, Pence and his whole entourage traveled 181 miles out of their way to sleep in a Trump hotel. Military stopovers in 5-star Trump hotels aren’t normal. That’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s all impeachable and nobody does anything.

The Mueller Investigation noted 10 instances of obstruction. Each one is impeachable. Nothing happened.

The President threatened a witness while she was testifying in Congress, but that’s not witness intimidation in the Land of Oz.

The draft dodger (bone spurs infected Donald Trump!) has threatened blood in the streets if he is removed. He is threatening us with revolution. Perfectly fine!

Trump and his adult criminal family have to pay back over $2,000,000 that they stole from charity. What kind of lowlife would steal from charity? But, it’s anti-Christian to say Happy Holidays.

Everyone knows that Stephen Miller, the architect of America’s immigration system, is a white supremacist. He would wear a hood, but they won’t take Jews in the Klan. This sick white supremacist is running American immigration. It took 30 months and a freshman congresswoman to say something. So they attacked her.

Stone, Cohen, Manaford, Flynn all have three things in common: They have the best legal representation. They are all pals of Trump. And they are all in jail.

The President is a racist‚ an embezzler, a thief, a liar, a bully, an admitted molester, says and does insane things and in a rational world not one of these things would be open to denial. The oligarchs who could dump Donald by Kwanzaa were invisible until Warren said “wealth tax,” then they went ballistic.

One literally cried that people didn’t like him because he is rich. I don’t dislike him because of his billions. I hate him because he is an oligarch. I shouldn’t quote myself, but I am so tired of stupidity!

Feliz Navidad!

(Norman Ladner is an Eltingville New York resident.)