Letter: Readers react to President Donald Trump’s profanity

Readers reacted strongly to reports that President Donald Trump used profanity in a White House meeting to describe Haiti and some African nations. The word has been widely reported in the news media, including by Newsday. To avoid repeating it endlessly, we have decided to use [expletive].

— Editors of the opinion pages

I’m a Haitian-American U.S. citizen brought here legally by my parents in 1975, when I was 18. As a big supporter of President Donald Trump, I think maybe enough is enough on his rhetoric [“Crude comment on immigration,” News, Jan. 12].

Let’s see all the lawmakers who were at the meeting with the president parade to all the TV channels and weep as I have, as some anchors and commentators have, to repeat exactly what Trump said to them.

On Friday morning, a reporter said she contacted everyone who took part in that meeting for an appearance on the WNBC-TV, and everyone declined. Why? What are they afraid of?

If they do not come out forcefully, these lawmakers are phony and are protecting the president.

That makes these lawmakers the real racists.

David Duchatellier, Elmont

I have no problem with President Donald Trump’s “vile” comment [“The president’s vile comment,” Editorial, Jan. 12]. There is no doubt that the countries he referred to are totally dysfunctional, and the proof is the huge numbers from those nations who have entered the United States legally and illegally.

Trump’s comment only repeated what millions of Americans believe about those nations. It’s great to finally have a president who has thrown leftist political correctness out the window.

People coming from those nations aren’t the cream of the crop. Those who come are often uneducated, unskilled, unable-to-speak-English and those who never seem to assimilate into American culture and adopt American values. They become a heavy burden on our taxpayers and many wind up in our prisons. The areas they settle in soon begin to look like the [expletive] countries they left.

James Wood, North Babylon

President Donald Trump’s racism has been documented throughout his life. The discriminatory housing practices of his father, Fred Trump, affected the formation of Donald’s racial hatred.

Yet as an American who has lived through the civil rights movement, with its dog attacks on marchers, baton-wielding police, killings of innocent children and assassinations of leaders, I admit the current status of the nation is utterly depressing.

Recent political campaigns in New York City have been based on the idea of two conflicting cities. The Big Apple truly is divided by wealth and opportunities. The divide is so wide. America, held together by the blood of the Civil War, is being torn apart by political wars instituted for personal gain without consideration for the cancer they cause.

Edward Horn, Baldwin

President Donald Trump used a vulgar term to denigrate Haiti, El Salvador and the continent of Africa, implying that people from these lands are not worthy of immigration to the United States. In my opinion, there is nothing more antithetical to American patriotism than this deplorable attitude.

Growing up, I had a unique view of the parade of immigration flowing into our country, as my parents were in the taxi business in New York City. Every wave of immigrants seemed to pass through my family’s taxi garage on its path to the American dream.

My father, who treated people with dignity and respect, took great pains to help me understand that America was the only country where these people were free to work as hard as they wanted to make a better life for their children. All of my patriotism is wrapped up in that notion — our country as a beacon of freedom to the entire world, regardless of race or religion.

Trump’s comment exposes him as a racist who knows nothing about what makes America great. No red hat can hide that.

Ellen Meister, Jericho

“The Irish fill our prisons, our poor houses . . . Scratch a convict or pauper, and chances are that you tickle the skin of an Irish Catholic. Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country.” That’s what the The Chicago Post wrote in 1868!

If Donald Trump had been president 100 years ago, my grandparents never would have gotten off the boat. They started by doing the jobs no one else wanted and died knowing their children were educated and never had to struggle as they did.

I, the third generation, the first to graduate from college, followed the Civil Service tradition of my kin and now am teaching at the college level. Would they be amazed!

The occupant of the White House has no conviction of principles and no compassion for the downtrodden. This is very dangerous for a man in such a powerful position.

James P. Kelly, Huntington

During my 42 years as a respiratory therapist, some of my colleagues were from Haiti, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. Others were nurses, nursing aides, support staffers and graduate students.

My 89-year-old mother’s nursing home relies on staff from these countries. These health professionals perform difficult resident care, sometimes for inadequate compensation. We need to appreciate and support these professionals regardless their country of origin.

James Mantle, Lynbrook

The reason we allow people from [expletive] countries to come to the United States is because Americans are descendants of people who came here from [expletive] countries.

These are the people who risked their lives to start new lives here in America. They are the people who make America great. How is it that President Donald Trump doesn’t know this about our country?

Kenneth Cusick, Bayside

I fully understand why Haiti is incensed by President Donald Trump’s offensive remark, calling its country a [expletive].

As a sign of rebuke, Haiti should refuse the billions of dollars in foreign aid we give them. That’ll teach Trump.

Brad Morris, Astoria

I’m once again subjected to reports of the president making crude, racist, divisive comments regarding immigration. They follow his previous comments that some very fine people attend white supremacist rallies, and his attacks on the press, Black Lives Matter, previous presidents and federal law enforcement.

On Friday, I had the pleasure of seeing former President Barack Obama interviewed by David Letterman. He was gracious, humble and intelligent in his comments.

Aside from policy issues, I really miss having someone in the White House who makes me proud.

Cynthia Lovecchio, Glen Cove

We see the big media uproar about President Donald Trump’s alleged question about why we are admitting people from “[expletive] countries.” Oddly, no one seems to want to answer his question.

So I’ll rephrase it: Why would we want the world’s most destitute, illiterate people from the most backward regions of the world, who refuse to speak our language and assimilate into our culture, while draining precious resources from actual American citizens, into our country?

Perhaps a tweet by actor James Woods put it best: “We bring people from [expletive] countries because [expletive] Democrats need [expletive] votes so they can turn America into a [expletive].”

Eugene R. Dunn, Medford