This new America denies sanctuary to innocents Bradford, Ontario: American Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is approaching. Religious folk will gather in their places of worship, but this year will be different. America’s immigration police intend on invading the places where people g ather to worship and socialize and harassing clergy like has happened in Chicago. Nothing like this has happened for almost 100 years in America. Churches were attacked by the KKK and rioting whites throughout the South. The Alabama massacres, disappearances of Civil Rights workers, and beatings and murders of progressive folk throughout America come to mind as innocent people doing what average Americans do are being prosecuted in what should be neutral territory. Places of worship should be protectorates where the authorities can’t force entrance. Children are gathered up as their parents are arrested and maybe deported. How can a civilized society allow this? Is America becoming uncivilized? Imagine that these Hispanic and non-white folk, many your neighbors, were Jews under attack from the Nazi menace. Would you protect them, America? Or would you do as many Germans did: stand by, wait and hope for their own selfish best interests. What’s happening is real, and if you open your eyes to it, you’ll realize that these agents could one day come for you! Social cleansing happens all over the world. When authoritarian regimes enforce their power, they do it for “national interests and your protection.” Do you feel protected? Or threatened? Certainly not from women and children, yet they’re the ones who suffer under the threat and actions of your so-called protectors. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses who yearn to breathe free.” You know where that comes from, don’t you? Steven Kaszab Limited scope Rocky Point, L.I.: The poem written for the Statue of Liberty was written to raise money for the pedestal. The 14th Amendment was added after the Civil War to give citizenship to formerly enslaved Black people and their children, and to indentured servants, mainly of Irish descent — nothing more. To change ideas from what they were when first written causes problems. Al Glass Police purpose Jamaica: Zohran Mamdani told NY1 News that the NYPD is assisting ICE in raids. No they’re not. They are doing their job. Maybe Mamdani should look at the laws. The NYPD does not get involved in civil matters but yes, by law, they do in criminal matters. The criminal matters at raids are stuff being thrown at NYPD officers, pushing officers, blocking sidewalks, crosswalks, bridges, sidewalks and store entrances. He claims that this will not be tolerated under his administration. Will he not follow the law? Yvonne Scibelli Serve protect Manhattan: Last Saturday, hundreds of New York passersby and organized rapid response teams prevented a large ICE raid downtown by trapping federal agents in a parking garage, a stellar example of the power of the people over authoritarian overreach. The cowardly ICE agents, peeping out of windows and overwhelmed, called the NYPD, enabling ICE to flee to New Jersey. This was not the optic Department of Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem wanted. She and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have been silent on this embarrassing episode. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch quickly decried the chaotic federal presence as dangerous to both New Yorkers and the NYPD. Mamdani was smart to welcome Tisch into his new administration, and I’m thankful she accepted the job. However, let’s be clear: The NYPD must protect New Yorkers against ICE, not ICE from New Yorkers with pepper spray and arrests. Gabrielle R. Shatan Sacred space Yonkers: I want to commend you on your inspiring article on the 170th anniversary of the Brooklyn church the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Red Hook. Truly, it is a beacon of hope and love to all, regardless of nationality. It was wonderful to read about the hard work and dedication of Rev. Claudio Antecini. Especially meaningful is the fact that Our Lady is the patroness of the United States, as designated by the U.S. Catholic bishops in 1846. There are many beautiful N.Y. churches that are dedicated to Our Lady. One of them is St. Mary’s (Immaculate Conception) in Yonkers. It has been designated for landmark status because of its service to immigrants from Europe. Now it is home to our new immigrants from Latin America and elsewhere. God bless you for your inspiring article. I will show it to friends and family. Barbara Popovic Indiscriminate slaughter Bronx: Israel is doing to Palestinians what Germans did to Jews, with the backing of the U.S.A., bombing schools, hospitals and children. We are no longer the good guys. Edwin Garcia Freely elected East Meadow, L.I.: To Voicer Yumna Zahid Ali: It is truly heartbreaking what happened during the blockade of flour, etc. Having said that, how has voting in Hamas to run the government worked out for the people in Gaza? Jeff Tuck New rules? Manhattan: If memory serves, in the Vietnam War era there were sensible regulations regarding the behavior of protesters at demonstrations. They (we) were not allowed to carry poles with mounted placards, we had to stand a certain distance from the site being protested and not block it, and we had to receive a permit from the police in advance. If these rules are still in effect, how come Zohran Mamdani and his sidekick Sen. Bernie Sanders are carrying placards on poles — as seen in the photograph in “Wake up smell the coffee” (Dec. 2)? Why were demonstrators allowed to block the entrance to the Park East Synagogue? And did any of their organizations receive the requisite police permits? Are the rules that pertained in the 1970s still in effect? If they were discontinued, when and why? Aviva Cantor Faithfully proud Brooklyn: This year, I’ll be celebrating the Jewish holiday of Chanukah more boldly than before. First, because I want to spread more joy, and boy, do we need that today. Second, to show antisemitic people (both overt and covert about it) that we aren’t going away. We aren’t cowering in your presence. And dreidel is such a fun, low-tech game! Ellen Levitt Cut comic Queens Village: A few Sundays ago (Nov. 16), you had a “MUTTS” comic, but you deleted the first panel (that had a “MUTTS” sign with Earl looking over the bridge) to the water. Why would you do that? You disrespect the comic’s body of work by manipulating his creation. It had nothing to do with space. You just eliminated a cartoon character for no reason, thereby changing the message the comic strip is trying to convey. I’m signed up to receive the day’s comic every day for the year. I pointed out the discrepancy regarding the Sunday comic strip to the “MUTTS” people, but they said they have no jurisdiction to complain or respond to the lack of transparency. My question to you, Daily News, is what are we supposed to make of that? Joan Silaco Reader favorites Whiting, N.J.: The comics and the Jumble are a big reason I subscribe to the Daily News, and I’ll bet there are many others who feel the same. Then why do we have to suffer on many days with such small print and having to use a magnifying glass? I’ve written about this twice before and it’s still the same. The editors should realize that these two features are a lot more important to us than some of the crap that gets attention with big print and pictures. I really wish you people in charge would wise up and please fix this problem. John Brandenburg Extrajudicial killing Dublin: To Voicer Rich Hilbert: As a former resident of New York City, I will be glad to answer the question you posed to Sen. Mark Kelly about defining an illegal order. It would be ordering your Navy to fire missiles at people in small boats off the shore of a country 1,000 miles away, murdering the occupants of said boat for a crime — in this case, alleged drug dealing — for which there is zero proof that the people in the boats were guilty. My basic understanding of the law tells me that murdering people without evidence that they committed a crime and pose no threat to anyone is illegal. Sean Thornton ...read more read less