Penny didn't deserve charges

Having been a police officer and criminal defense lawyer for 30 years, I tried to analyze all the testimony at the Daniel Penny trial in an unbiased way [“Penny not guilty in subway chokehold death,” News, Dec.  10].

There should have been no indictment from the outset. The overwhelming testimony about Jordan Neely’s threatening actions and subsequent struggles seems to clearly indicate Penny’s response was not only laudable but appropriate.

The only remaining reason for the charges seemed to be politically motivated, to assuage the certain outcry over non-prosecution

 — Michael Wagner, Great River

Having worked nearly 16 years for the NYPD, I believe Daniel Penny’s actions were not intended to cause Jordan Neely’s death. The argument is that Penny placed Neely in a chokehold for six minutes. Anyone in a fight is not going to worry about counting minutes or seconds.

 — Timothy Ryan, Massapequa Park

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg made a major mistake in arresting Daniel Penny.

Jordan Neely had mental issues and was threatening other subway riders. Neely is said to have threatened other subway riders in the past, so this was not his first time. When Neely started threatening a nearby passenger, Penny saw a need to protect the other passengers.

Penny, a Marine, was said to be an upstanding person. Because of the district attorney’s actions, if I see others being threatened or assaulted, I will walk away, now fearing that if I hurt the assailant I could be charged with a crime.

 — Roger Kaufmann, East Northport

If my husband and I were on the jury, we also would have voted to acquit Daniel Penny. We recently were on a subway train where an apparently mentally impaired person was sitting next to us screaming loudly. Everyone in the car seemed terrified.

Thankfully, we got off at the next station. However, if that man had gotten out of his seat, we can understand how someone like Daniel Penny might have been trying to protect the other passengers.

The fault was not with Penny but with the system that allows mentally ill people to roam the streets and subways.

 — Irma Gurman, Smithtown

Jordan Neely should be alive now. No one had the right to choke a mentally ill subway passenger to death. Neely’s mental health and state of mind do not justify his being killed. He needed mental health counseling. This seemingly systemic racist and classist jury verdict adds insult to deadly injury.

 — The Rev. Arthur L. Mackey Jr., Roosevelt

Fortunately for the passengers, a brave man jumped to the rescue, putting his own life on the line. Daniel Penny has the mark of a public hero, something that’s becoming rare nowadays, because he ignored the risks and got involved in a dangerous situation.

The acquittal is a good indication of the flimsiness of the charges.

 — Jacques Hakim, Bayside, Queens

I find it sad that we can be fairly certain that no one is ever going to try to help anybody on the subway again.

 — Stephen Mantegna, Long Beach

Dec. 7 a day that won’t live in infamy

It’s not surprising that today’s youth are not familiar with the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor [“Survey: Its infamy has faded,” Long Island, Dec.  7].

It should have been made an official federal day of remembrance years ago. How long will it be before we forget about 9/11?

 — Judy Riccuiti, Farmingdale

Reading how today’s students don’t know about Pearl Harbor left me sad. I don’t understand why schools are not teaching such a significant historic event. Students need to learn about World War I and World War II.

It’s important for them to know what went on during these events. That goes the same for the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

This was part of our world, and everyone needs to learn about these events.

 — Barbara Nathan, Wantagh

The article reminded me of philosopher George Santayana’s comment that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
 — Bernard A. Bilawsky, North Massapequa