National unity, hybrid vehicles and a cartoon

Nation was not so united on 9/11

In his letter "Let’s remember who we were on 9/11" [Sept. 15], a reader engages in revisionist history.

We were far from undivided, and too many of the "nation of neighbors" were all too quick to turn on Muslims (or those they mistakenly believed to be Muslims because of skin color or the wearing of turbans). Hatred of neighbors was very much on display.

It was much like how, during this pandemic, many here turned on Asian American neighbors with both words and violence, blaming the Chinese for COVID-19. It is an all-too-familiar pattern of scapegoating and disunity.

The reader is right that we would stand stronger together but wrong that 9/11 is an example of how we did this in the past.

It serves no good purpose to refuse to acknowledge these dark realities. And it keeps us from taking the steps necessary to become the nation he mistakenly believes we were in 2001.

— Suzanne Mueller, Great Neck

Give hybrid car owners a tax break

Why only give rebates to electric cars ["Electric car tax credit plan in spending bill," LI Business, Sept. 14]. Why not hybrid cars?

It makes more sense to drive a hybrid car. It uses little gas and runs on a battery that recharges itself. And that’s without using electricity.

After driving a gas guzzler, my fuel cost with the hybrid seemed to drop by nearly two-thirds for the same amount of in-town driving, especially in summer.

When we lose electric power for days, how are we to drive electric cars? With hybrid cars, some gas can be stored before a storm.

Tax credits should be given to encourage buying hybrid cars, too.

— Flo Siciliano, Lindenhurst

A heavenly thought about vaccinations

Really, Matt Davies? Can’t get to heaven without a vaccination card [Cartoon, Opinion, Sept. 14]?

That’s not the God I know.

— Jeff Ward, Medford