Trump indictment, gun violence, LIRR, Jones Beach theater, and the American flag

America’s crossroad in seeking unity

Where do we go from here [“Trump case a test for nation,” Editorial, June 10]? As a country, do we continue to descend even further down the rabbit hole of vitriolic divisiveness in our daily lives as partisan politics destroys relationships at all levels of American life?

Can the once-vaunted Republican Party, which included accomplished but disparate figures like Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, move on from a polarizing, twice-indicted former president who has a hard time with truth and facts as the party proceeds recklessly down the path of right-wing ideology?

Can the Democrats regain integrity and become the party of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, or will they continue to slide into the abyss, more and more to the left, becoming unrecognizable? Will they stubbornly support the candidacy of an elderly president who at times exhibits questionable mental capacity?

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, I hope and pray that America comes to its senses and embraces competent leadership . . . a president and Congress that can lead effectively from the center while representing all Americans.

Are we beyond redemption? I hope not. I think not.

— Joel Reiter, Woodbury

I’m sure I am not alone in thinking how sick and tired I am about continually seeing stories and headlines about a habitual pathological liar and narcissist who is morally bankrupt [“Trump pleads not guilty to docs charges,” News, June 14].

The media would be better served by relocating Trump’s antics elsewhere in their presentation. As the famous philosopher Obi-Wan Kenobi said, “Who’s the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?”

— George Borris, Port Washington

Guns aren’t only cause of violence

A reader conveniently leaves out part of the Second Amendment [“Coddling criminals increases shootings,” Letters, June 13]. Here’s the full sentence: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

I don’t disagree that coddling criminals is unhelpful, but to ignore the kind of people committing mass shootings, most who had never committed a crime, doesn’t make sense. The ease with which most people can get guns, with no background checks, and then our thinking that a flood of guns doesn’t affect the problem, also doesn’t make sense.

Did the writers of the Second Amendment foresee semiautomatic rifles, designed for war, to be put in anyone’s or everyone’s hands? As a lifelong hunter and legal gun owner, I respectfully reject seeing the number of guns as the only cause of this terrible problem of gun violence in our country.

— Stephen O’Connell, Mineola

It is clear to me that an honest, complete reading of the Second Amendment doesn’t say that it guarantees everyone the right to bear arms, unless they are involved in a “well regulated militia.” It does not, of course, prohibit people from owning guns. The states can do that.

The Constitution does not guarantee the right of everyone to drive a car, but it also does not prohibit anyone from driving one. The states can do that, too.

— Stewart Karp, Roslyn Heights

A way to switch from Madison train to Penn

As articles and letters have attested, the new Long Island Rail Road schedules have disrupted many people’s routines [“LIRR overcrowding: Are my eyes lying?,” Letters, June 5].

Recently, on a weekday afternoon train to Manhattan, I noticed that I was on a train to Grand Central Madison rather than Penn Station. I wondered how I’d reach my destination and asked the conductor. She told me that at Woodside, the next-to-last stop, we’d arrive on Track 2. I should get off and take a few footsteps to Track 3.

Shortly, a westbound train could take me nonstop to Penn Station. I followed her directions and arrived at Penn just about the time I would have expected to if I had been on a Penn train in the first place.

The takeaway? Hop on the wrong train, and it’s possible for those stopping at Woodside to switch from a “Grand Central” train to a Penn train.

— John B. Haney, Port Washington

Physically challenged deserve upgrades, too

I read about the upgrades being made at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater “What to expect at Jones Beach Theater,” flash!, June 13]. However, nothing was mentioned about any future upgrades to assist the physically challenged. Aren’t they also paying customers?

— Ray Caluori, Uniondale

Flag deserves better position on plate

I think many Long Islanders would have preferred to see a view of the Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by President George Washington in 1792, with Old Glory flying prominently in the foreground rather than hardly noticeable in the background on the new Long Island license plate “Coming to LIE traffic jams: Long Island license plates,” News, June 13].

— Shelly Albrechtsen, Centereach