#Letters to the Editor — April 25, 2021

A better fix for DC

Claims that the residents of Washington, DC, have no real representation are real and can be easily solved, but Democratic leadership will never go for it (“Biden WH wants a 51st star,” April 21).

I propose the creation of a smaller capital district that encompasses the Capitol, White House, Supreme Court and other government buildings.

The rest of the district will be given back to the states of Maryland and Virginia. Residents of those areas would be represented by those states’ elected senators and representatives.

The only problem is that the Democratic Party will never consent to this because its ultimate goal is to pick up two more Senate seats, and with them perpetual control of that chamber.

Steven Mendelsohn
Whitestone

Nixing ‘alien’

How absurd that the two agencies charged with enforcing the nation’s immigration laws are no longer allowed to use the word “alien,” which is the proper legal term under Title 8 of the United States Code for someone who is not a citizen or national of the United States (“ ‘Illegal’ is alienated from feds’ language,” April 20).

Words matter. If the Biden administration wants to use different words, it should get Congress to amend the statute and change the definitions, rather than make government agencies doing important work use misleading euphemisms for the proper legal terms, no matter how unpleasant or politically inconvenient those may be.

Jim Grathwohl
Ridgewood, NJ

Can Yang fix NYC?

I agree with Michael Goodwin’s insightful thoughts about the current mayoral candidates (“Smile will take Yang only so far,” April 21).

Crime, homelessness and the diminution of the quality of life are the issues most hardworking New Yorkers are worried about. These candidates should have these issues at the top of their agendas but are bogged down discussing nonsensical woke topics that have little relevance to New Yorkers.

Andrew Yang is smart, personable and witty, and he’s ahead in the polls. However, we should be asking if he’s tough enough. Somehow, I get the feeling Yang will be controlled by the city’s entrenched pressure groups and will go along to get along. I hope I’m wrong about this.

Gerard Rosenthal
Manhattan

Big Tech tyrants

The Post is silenced by Big Tech with all too much frequency (“Facebook’s hide & sneak,” April 17).

I guess that’s what happens when investigative journalism meets the thought police at Face­book and Twitter. The game, I suppose, is to shut down The Post’s stories so there is little chance they get out there.

Other than The Post’s own readers, few will even be aware of the duplicitous, corrupt goings-on as reported by The Post. The mainstream press is unwilling to share the truth, much less provide any investigative journalism of its own. Keep up the good work.

Stuart Krane
Highland Beach, Fla.

Boycotting Apple

Clyde Prestowitz’s column (“Is Your iPhone worth China’s Tyranny?” Post­Opinion, April 19) reaffirmed my decision to buy an Android.

Tim Cook, head of Apple, is outspoken about human rights. What he fails to recognize is the money his company receives supports genocide and the stifling of human rights in China.

Apple has no chance of converting this Android user until it pulls out of China.

Alan Swartz
Verona, NJ