Readers sound off on Biden’s speech, downing the balloon and FDNY brass

Peters Township, Pa.: I applaud President Biden for presenting a spirited and comprehensive State of the Union address, surely knowing that parts of it would trigger insults and heckling from the many Republican members of Congress who want to humiliate him and deny him any further accomplishments. Although he mangled a number of words as he often does, he managed to present a detailed list of accomplishments and a wish list.

The president did not shy from controversy, proclaiming before the justices who took away the right to an early-pregnancy abortion the need to codify reproductive rights. He spoke at length about the threat to democracy we faced in recent years and how it continues. He struck the proper balance between gratitude for law enforcement while also pleading for legislation to enact police reform, stating before the grieving parents of the late Tyre Nichols the need to ensure that no other family suffers the death of a beloved son to out-of-control officers.

Biden called for an increased level of taxation on American billionaires and a quadrupling of the tax on corporations’ stock buybacks (from 1% to 4%). Neither proposal is likely to gain traction with those on the right, who are certain to protect their wealthy donors.

On many occasions, Republicans applauded and even stood. The president laid a path for cooperation with reasonable members of the opposition. He warmly greeted Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, congratulating him on his election. Will there be Republicans who accept the olive branch to address our many problems or will we see two years of investigations of the president and his family? Which path is the one which voters want? Oren Spiegler

Manhattan: I hate both fraudulent parties, but I find Backrub Biden kind of charming (and he gives great backrubs). However, he told super-lies just like all politicians do. The two biggest were that he created 12 million jobs in just two years and that we need even more expensive training for police so they stop beating us to death or shooting us in the back. Firstly, any idiot can create jobs! Fakest metric ever. An arsonist creates jobs — all those homes need to be rebuilt! Muggers create jobs as we have to buy new stuff to replace our stolen stuff. More crime creates jobs; less crime creates jobs! Consumers create jobs. Politicians do not. “More training” means huge overtime for a Saturday cop keg party and barbecue, and this is an open secret. Lastly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders was the worst person they could’ve chosen for the rebuttal. No charisma. Stanley Sifton

Brooklyn: I must say, I feel that something is going on having to do with the China spy moon. It’s just weird that the president did not take immediate action and deal with it sooner. After all, it was in our airspace. Why was Biden so detrimental in dealing with it immediately? I feel there is so much more to this story that we are not privy to. The duty of our country to protect our security was horribly neglected! There’s more to this than we’ve been informed about! Who’s covering up what? Rita Nanes

New City, N.Y.: During World War II, the Japanese launched balloon bombs against the United States, an act of war. Now the Chinese have sent balloons into sovereign U.S. airspace. These balloons certainly constitute a serious hazard to aviation. Additionally, how do we know if they contain nuclear, biological or chemical agents considering increased Chinese aggression? I have been making a concerted effort not to buy Chinese products. When fewer Chinese products are sold and their economy contracts, their leaders will learn there is a price to be paid. They need to learn that peaceful coexistence is the only way forward. Donald Reid

Manhattan: Funny how the United States can lob scores of deadly drones into Yemen with complete immunity but God forbid another nation flies a balloon over our spacious skies without our throwing a hissy fit. How, dare I ask, was this any different from that of the U-2 flight of Gary Francis Powers over Russia in 1960? Good manners discourage me from suggesting that some inquiring minds would like to know what it cost the American taxpayer to dispatch military assets to shoot down a balloon that had essentially ceased to become a threat to anyone over land, in the air or on the sea. Sheer balloonacy. Aydin Torun

Milford, Pa.: I just heard on the news that we are trying to “ratchet down” tensions with China over the shootdown of their spy balloon. The reason is that we depend on China for many things in our supply chain. If we would manufacture more of the things we need here, that wouldn’t be a problem, would it? Robert K. Greco

Brooklyn: Reading the letters on Tuesday, I began to wonder if I somehow logged in to the N.Y. Post by accident. Almost all the letters ignored reality to spout right-wing snark, especially where the Chinese balloon was concerned. The military blocked its signals and then shot it down in a safe location — more than was done the three times China floated balloons over us during Trump’s rule. He says they didn’t tell him. They were probably afraid he’d start WWIII since he and his followers have such a need to prove their masculinity that their first instinct is to respond with force. No matter how this was handled, these people would have found something to complain about. Ilsa Ruthen

New Milford, N.J.: Every day when I read The News, I am mildly annoyed at the misspellings and grammatical errors that are sprinkled throughout the paper but I have never bothered to comment on them to you editors. But Tuesday’s bold headline above the Voice of the People, “Immortality pays as long as you do it in business,” was too much! I was anticipating a screed against God, but found only a complaint against misleading advertising. Deborah Flynn

Nyack, N.Y.: During a 2016 rally in Iowa, Trump intimated that anyone who invoked the Fifth Amendment certainly must be guilty of a crime: “You see the mob takes the Fifth. If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?” And yet, on Aug. 10, 2020, during his deposition to the New York State attorney general’s civil fraud investigation into his real estate business, Trump pleaded the Fifth more than 400 times. So, I guess we could say that the 45th president should now be called the for-the-Fifth president. Stanley Cracovia

Flushing: Fast-forward to 2043. Newsflash: Investigators continue to amass evidence against Donald Trump for various infractions over a 20-year period. The 96-year-old former president has been charged but never prosecuted and no indictments are pending. Trump was recently hospitalized after splitting his sides laughing. Lester Simon

Far Rockaway: So what’s next? Will Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ban “Little Red Riding Hood” from classroom libraries because the wolf was a cross-dresser? Ora Reed

Brooklyn: Re “Shakeup at top of FDNY” (Feb. 7): I have some questions: Why were the three other chiefs demoted? Has any of these men ever worked for a woman? Would they disrespect a male commissioner in the same way? The FDNY has a lot to be commended for, but it’s also a very white and male institution. Just because Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is doing something different doesn’t mean she’s doing something wrong. Anne Stevens

Bronx: With all the news about criminals with prior arrests, why can’t anyone convicted of multiple crimes have to wear a bracelet that cops can track at a moment’s notice? In today’s world of high-tech know-how, this could be a game-changer. Criminal miscreants with prior rap sheets would think twice if they knew they could be placed at a crime scene. No bail, just electronic monitoring. John Cirolia