As a victim of Jordan Neely, I urge compassion
Brooklyn: On April 26, 2023, I was attacked by Jordan Neely at 7 a.m. on the N train traveling north between 14th St. and 34th St. He boarded the train at 14th St., and while the train entered 34th St. At the station he reached over another passenger and hit me hard on the head. I was stunned, shocked and traumatized.
The train was full of passengers and no one asked if I was okay or offered help. Everyone watched as Neely walked off the train, leaving me stunned in my seat. I couldn’t move and struggled to understand what had happened. I never made eye contact with him. The audible gasp from the other passengers when he hit me continues to echo in my head. After over a year of therapy, I can finally speak about the events of that day. I never understood the silence of victimhood until I became a victim of abuse.
Five days later I saw the news about a Navy veteran trying to restrain a fugitive passenger, and I saw Neely. Then the protests started. Mental illness is a serious illness that requires medical attention. Incarceration is not the solution. I believe Daniel Penny was trying to offer help to fellow passengers, unlike the passengers I was riding with. Our military trains our troops to defend and protect. I believe Penny took his training seriously.
To the protesters: Use your time and energy to advocate for the homeless who need mental health care. Neely didn’t deserve to die or suffer from mental illness. Penny does not deserve to be punished for trying to protect fellow New Yorkers. Safety, support for each other, outreach, care, and acts of kindness should be the mantra for all New York citizens and politicians. Maryan Davir
It’s a racket
Staten Island: I have been working with the New York State Office of Mental Health. New York’s mental health facilities are set up to the point where they can no longer function. They want to fill beds and then lose people within 30 days – it doesn’t matter where they put them. There is no real therapy, only medication, namely a patch. Once they are released, they stop taking the drugs, in which case they return – that is, if they don’t commit a heinous crime. The state’s mental health system is basically set up to make money and keep beds full with a revolving door. It’s all about making money, not fixing people. Joseph Dohner
With good intentions
Staten Island: To voice actress Sylvia Johnson: It’s sad that Jordan Neely died. I don’t think Daniel Penny will ever forget what he did, but he will always feel like he prevented someone from getting hurt. Being in my eighties, I hope I never encounter someone like Neely, but if I did, I can only hope that there would be a Daniel Penny to put a stop to what could be happening. Thomas M Bell
Menu highlights
Bronx: Before I jump to an unfair conclusion, could you please explain to me the purpose of one paragraph in the article “Without Cellies, Kill the Suspect All on His Own” (December 12) of some of the menu items available for Luigi Mangione in his prison in Pennsylvania, where it read, in part: “Thursday’s lunch offering… [of] Italian sausage, while dinner includes chicken parmesan. On Friday the food consists of a bean burger and pasta with meat sauce.” Oh, I know, a pure coincidence of factual reporting of course. If the menu had consisted of other ethnic favorites like sushi, rice and beans, or fried chicken, you would surely have added that crucial information, right? Mike Yorio
Profit over people
Valhalla, NY: Well, they caught the killer of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, like we all knew they would. And while I certainly don’t condone violence or murder, this terrible incident will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention to the medical companies’ defrauding of insurance companies. It has revealed that companies are only after profit. As everyone knows or has experienced, getting coverage for your medical problems can sometimes be like pulling teeth. “Deny, defend, depose” for a win is of course the theme! Perhaps the government should step in and help. I am certainly not in favor of socialism, but some rules could be introduced. Given the astronomical amounts of profits and salaries, perhaps there should be a limit on these things. Some professional sports have a cap, and it seems to work. Maybe put a limit on the profits these companies can make. After reaching it, they would have to put the extra amount back into coverage. Michael Grisanti
Player No. 47
Chapel Hill, NC: Having just suffered an ignominious loss in the World Series, the Yankees have now lost one of the best hitters in baseball, Juan Soto, destroying virtually any prospect of redemption in the upcoming season. However, they need not despair; there is a solution: Hal Steinbrenner should offer Soto’s position (and salary, of course, with a huge sign-on bonus) to Donald Trump. This would make the Yankees invincible. Not only can Trump simply ignore the rules if he doesn’t like them, he can threaten opposing team members with investigations and prison sentences if they hinder him on the bases or prevent him from scoring every time he hits. Trump will be the greatest baseball player in history! A World Series win is a certainty. MAGA will rejoice. Robert D. Rifkin
Misunderstanding it
Manhattan: In Thursday’s paper you called leftist Garrett Crochet a “right-wing ace.” Two days earlier you called late shortstop and outfielder Harvey Kuenn a pitcher. Are sports editors at the Daily News extinct? Jeffery Nelson
Clean power
Beacon, NY: With restrictions on climate education being imposed across the country, it is encouraging to hear that New York City is prioritizing the installation of solar panels in the city’s public schools, benefiting both students and their communities (“Schooling the city on solar energy,” December 11). Children know better than adults that we need to transition to clean, renewable energy to benefit our communities. Adding solar power to schools and other city rooftops is an admirable and important step. Governor Hochul has made it a priority to build solar farms across the state to meet our large-scale solar energy needs. It is important that this momentum continues into the new year. Currently, underserved communities are experiencing the worst impacts of dirty energy, a pattern that must be reversed as we strive to lift all communities toward the promise of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Christine Arroyo
From the ground up
Sleepy Hollow, NY: Voice actress Gina Ottrando is right. Local politicians can influence our lives more directly than national ones. With the new administration poised to eliminate major environmental regulations and climate initiatives, our state representatives and city council members must take action to keep New York leading the way in cleaning up climate pollution and keeping our air and water clean. Our local representatives can also work with those from other states to complement the positive impact on our lives. Together, they can create a large market for renewable technology and set an example for other states to reap the financial rewards of the clean energy transition, even as our president-elect continues to claim climate change is a hoax. Cathie Campbell
Rhetoric in the courtroom
Syosset, LI: Josh Steinglass stated in his summary of Trump’s hush money trial that Hope Hicks’ “testimony puts the nail in the defendant’s coffin.” I’m just curious: has there ever been a conviction of an injured defendant being allowed to stand where 1) a piece of evidence was referred to by the prosecutor in summons as something like a “nail in the defendant’s coffin”? ‘ and 2) that piece of evidence ultimately had to be excluded? Can you say double standards? Drew Oringer
Accepting reality
East Haven, Conn.: To all the liberals who are disowning their friends or family, tearing their hair out, or shouting into the wind about Trump’s victory: I want to help you. Go to the library and pick up Michael Savage’s book entitled “Liberalism is a Mental Illness.” Read it. I’m sure it will help you. Rob Mele
Political prediction
Scarsdale, NY: How long after the inauguration do you think it will be before we start seeing the bumper stickers? You know, the ones who say, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Harris.” Johannes Kern
