Trump indictment, Judge Aileen Cannon, phonics, Huntington ADUs, and potholes

Indictment signals pledge was violated

It was said that “I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law” and ”We can’t have someone in the Oval Office who doesn’t understand the meaning of confidential or classified.”

That was former President Donald Trump speaking during the run-up to his 2016 presidential victory and then months into his term “Trump pleads not guilty to docs charges,” News, June 14].

Reading his indictment, I am stunned at how intentionally, recklessly and often cavalierly, he violated his commitment to federal law. His retention and sharing of highly sensitive documents put this nation’s security and its protectors at risk, as well as that of our allies.

Few if any Trump supporters can argue with this indictment because it is so well documented with texts, recordings, pictures and near-contemporaneous notes of his counsel and allies.

Instead, critics condemn the Department of Justice and Special Counsel Jack Smith, fault President Joe Biden, provide false comparisons, and support defunding our law enforcement agencies.

This indictment will further divide our nation and rattle our politics, but it is of Trump’s own making. His inexplicable deception to illegally retain classified documents should exclude him from another term as our nation’s leader.

— Michael Lesman, Merrick

Believe it or not: Same judge will rule

Former President Donald Trump again got a judge who he had appointed assigned to handle his classified documents case [“Long sentence possible,” News, June 16]. How did this happen again?

Judge Aileen Cannon is likelier to be sympathetic to his cause, as shown by her previous ruling concerning the seized documents. Her ruling was overturned by a higher court.

The correct thing for her to do was to recuse herself, but she did not.

— Barbara Hansen, Smithtown

Phonics’ success dates back decades

I was a kindergarten teacher from 1991 to 2002, and phonics was the only way we taught our students to read [“Phonics to help kids read,” News, June 18]. I’m not sure when that proven method of learning went away and what replaced it.

Each year, the students would be given letter books, one book for each letter that we would work on diligently for days until it was completed.

There was sounding out, coloring, cutting and gluing of pictures representing the letter that we were working on. It worked, and the kids loved it!

In 1975, when I attended kindergarten, we had a program totally phonics-based, as well. Each alphabet letter was a person. The consonants were “Mr.” and the vowels “Miss.” My favorite was Mr. M with the munching mouth. I will never forget how much I loved those characters.

I’m happy to see districts bringing back phonics-based learning. It should never have gone away.

— Erin Bertuccio, Williston Park

Huntington ADUs: Not in my backyard

I am a longtime resident of Dix Hills. I strongly agree with many of my fellow property owners, that we should not allow basements, garages and other outlying structures to become accessory dwelling units aka apartments [“Huntington desperately needs ADUs,” Opinion, June 20].

Many of us came from the city to escape congestion and overcrowding, and to enjoy the peace and quiet of a single-family home with a big lawn and trees. We did this knowingly, paying higher taxes and needing additional vehicles, increasing travel time to and from work, all this cutting into our income.

These sacrifices were made to place our kids in schools with fewer than 30 pupils per class, better sports programs and a healthier environment.

Finally, traffic: Have you been on the roadways lately? Route 110 is like a parking lot. But some people still want ADUs, adding to our community more families, vehicles, overcrowding, etc. I, for one, say, “Not in my backyard.”

— Charles F. Gyss, Dix Hills

Where’s license plate showing LI potholes?

I see this as another state money grab [“Coming to LIE traffic jams: Long Island license plates,” News, June 13].

The Department of Motor Vehicles has a lot of nerve charging $60, including a big premium, for a license plate with a nice pastoral view of the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Especially when it doesn’t provide license plates showing a picture of our everyday reality — pothole-damaged highways and local roads, which rattle our cars and get fixed infrequently.

— Joe Cesare, Copiague