Letters to the Editor — July 5, 2023
The Issue: A grand jury clearing Jordan Williams after he stabbed a man who attacked him on the train.
So a grand jury decided not to press charges against Jordan Williams because he and his girlfriend were physically attacked, but another grand jury decided to press charges against Daniel Penny because he wasn’t (“A Pointless Persecution,” Editorial, July 3).
So do you have to wait until you are stabbed or shot before you can defend yourself? By then it’s too late. Should Penny have waited until the perp stabbed someone before acting?
I hope members of Penny’s grand jury never have to face anything like this, but if they do: Make sure the culprit stabs you first. Then it’s OK to fight back.
Stephen Colasacco
The Bronx
A young man on a subway car killed an assailant who was attacking him. That young man used a knife to defend himself, and finally a grand jury did the sensible thing and did not indict him.
Consider now the case of Daniel Penny, who killed a possible subway assailant who was behaving erratically and threateningly toward passengers.
Penny did not use a knife; he simply used what he was taught in the military — a restraining chokehold.
The grand jury indicted him for second-degree manslaughter. Anyone understand why?
Walter Becker
The Villages, Fla.
I am glad to see that the grand jury realized that Williams was not to blame for this tragic incident involving Devictor Ouedraogo.
I hope that Daniel Penny will be treated just as fairly when he faces a trial in the equally tragic death of Jordan Neely.
The only way to prevent further tragic incidents like the deaths of these two gentlemen is to make helping the severely mentally ill a major priority and to stop all this “defund the police” insanity.
John Francis Fox
Sunnyside
It looks like there’s a double standard in the New York City justice system.
One man, Jordan Williams, acted in self-defense, stabbing a man to death on the J train. He was not indicted.
Another man, Daniel Penny, protected himself along with other passengers on a train and was indicted for second-degree manslaughter and criminal negligence.
It looks like the city is divided — and it could become worse with high-level politicians, like our mayor and governor, not addressing the problem.
People throughout the city are fed up with not being able to protect themselves or to walk the streets or ride mass transit safely.
Joseph Comperchio
Brooklyn
The Issue: Liel Leibovitz’s piece on how misinformation contributes to animosity toward Israel.
Why is it that of the 195 countries in the world, the tiny country of Israel is so often ostracized and singled out (“Teach the true story of Israel,” Liel Leibovitz, July 3)?
How is it that China, Russia, Iran and others wantonly commit crimes against humanity and are not censored or taken to task by left-leaning political entities?
The plain and simple truth is that Israel is a Jewish state, a fact that cannot be countenanced by Jew-haters.
Despite the extermination of 6 million innocents during the Holocaust, the centuries-old hatred of Jews remains alive and well-disguised in more politically correct attire.
Sheldon P. Hersh
Lawrence
Kudos to Liel Lebovitz for so well-stating so many obvious, though widely denied, truths about Israel.
He will surely be attacked by the hermetically closed-minded, but he is much appreciated by the still open-minded.
Richard D. Wilkins
Syracuse
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