Newsday letters to the editor for Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017

Not all appreciate a Christmas greeting

Unlike the writer who was offended that the Connetquot public library put up a “Merry Everything” banner two years ago, I applaud the library’s attempt to be all-inclusive and not offend anyone [“War on Christmas at Connetquot library?,” Just Sayin’, Nov. 18].

However, since that banner lasted only a year, the library apparently bowed to Christian pressure. The letter writer argues that people have said “merry Christmas” for years and she has never heard that anyone was offended by or dissatisfied seeing the word Christmas.

Just because people have said “merry Christmas” for years doesn’t make it right. Times change. Many people and companies say “happy holidays” in recognition that there are other religions. Also, just because people haven’t told the writer that they are offended by “merry Christmas” doesn’t mean they are not. I know many Jewish people who don’t appreciate the term merry Christmas, but say nothing for a variety of reasons.

I consider myself a cultural Jew rather than a religious Jew, and I don’t mind people saying “merry Christmas” to me. However, I can see how others would feel it is disrespectful or offensive.

Marc Eiger,Wantagh

Defend democracy in the age of Trump

Lane Filler hit the target directly in his column “Couldn’t happen here? Think again” [Opinion, Nov. 15].

John Adams, our second president, wrote to a friend in 1814, “Remember, democracy never lasts long.” Adams, a classical scholar, was well aware of the downfall of ancient Greek democracy, the Roman republic and the short-lived French revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

Sinclair Lewis, a great American writer, wrote in his significant novel, “It Can’t Happen Here,” “When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

Beware the protofascism of President Donald Trump: his attacks on our free press, the undermining of our independent judiciary, the attacks on our intelligence community, his narcissism, his outrageous nepotism, and his repeated efforts to destroy his defeated political opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. And never has this vigilance been more vital than in the age of Trump.

Jack Bilello,Massapequa Park

Remember the dying children of Yemen

A small news story on Nov. 17 said that in Yemen, “more than 50,000 children are believed to have died in 2017” from extreme hunger and disease. This is a huge humanitarian crisis.

At Thanksgiving, many drives encourage us to replenish local food banks and provide nutritious food for our citizens. Similarly, more than brief attention needs to be paid to raising our awareness of Yemen, where these children are suffering and dying daily.

Patricia Freund,Levittown

Don’t equate Clinton with sexual predators

As much as I like Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, her claim that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned the presidency because of a sex scandal is poorly thought out [“Double standard,” News, Nov. 18]. It puts her on a slippery slope.

For goodness’ sake, let’s distinguish criminally predatory behavior and blatant sexual harassment from human failings among consenting adults.

Let’s end the car alarms of condemnation for minor peccadilloes of the past.

Craig T. Robertson,Huntington Station

A trickle-down effect? History disagrees

The president and the Republican leadership in Congress claim that by reducing corporate taxes, corporations will be able to hire more American workers [“Support, derision for tax reform,” Letters, Nov. 16]. This is a fantastic idea. We need more jobs.

A formula should be added to the new code saying that the corporate tax reduction should be proportionately tied to the number of jobs created. This would ensure that tax reductions would put more money into the economy.

Stanford M. Altschul,Oceanside

I am sick and tired of the same old claim that trickle-down economics works. All you have to do is look at what happened to the middle class since the Reagan administration to know that it doesn’t work.

The argument of congressional Republicans that corporations will use the money they save to increase jobs and wages is also refuted by history. The last time we gave them a tax break on repatriated money, they used it for stock buybacks, increased CEO compensation and greater dividends to shareholders.

Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan official, pointed out that after that era’s corporate tax reduction from 46 percent to 34 percent, wages fell for three decades.

Joe Squerciati,Hicksville