A different view of antifa
Protestors and counter protestors face off on Aug. 15, 2020, in Stone Mountain Village, Ga. Several dozen people waving Confederate flags, many of them wearing military gear, gathered in downtown Stone Mountain where they faced off against a few hundred counterprotesters, many of whom wore shirts or carried signs expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Credit: AP/Jenni Girtman
Reader Robert Lepley decries the syndicated cartoon depicting antifa members in a negative light [“Critical of choices for Cartoon Roundup,” Letters, Aug. 13]. I say that thousands of videos, interviews and pictures clearly indicate that antifa is a radical, destructive, assaultive movement that proudly identifies itself as anarchists. To blame unrest on right-leaning groups, which he labels as fascists or extremists, is equally deplorable. I believe that the right-leaning groups are the ones who promote law and order, certainly not antifa.
Michael Tartaglia,
Franklin Square
Base candidate picks on core traits
I found the op-ed on Sen. Kamala Harris by Sree Sreenivasan interesting and accurate [“Why the selection of Harris matters,” Opinion, Aug. 14]. Sreenivasan expresses delight at seeing a candidate of color he can identify with. I found it disturbing, though, that former Vice President Joe Biden used race and gender as primary factors in choosing Harris. Whatever happened to judging an individual for core qualities and attributes? Kudos to the writer for acknowledging that Harris’ criminal justice record in California warrants scrutiny by those on the left.
Timothy S. Dahlen Sr.,
Speonk
Trustee ignores science of virus
It is unfortunate that students are the ones who suffer when a budget is not passed [“Riverhead plans to drop sports, other programs,” News, Aug. 13]. However, what caught my eye was the comment made by board trustee Christopher Dorr, who expressed anger that students might miss out on activities due to a “made up virus.” Physics teacher Gregory Wallace, who’s also president of the local teachers union, said he found Dorr’s comment “incredibly offensive.” A more accurate reply would have been that Dorr’s comment was “incredibly ignorant.” Science does not care what you believe.
Mark Herzog,
Rockville Centre
