Opinion

Slain NYC detective’s wake gets politicized: Letters to the Editor — April 4, 2024

The Issue: Gov. Hochul’s controversial attendance of the wake held for slain NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller.

Does Gov. Hochul have no shame (“Hochul gets an earful at cop service,” March 30)?

On Friday, after her transparent PR visit to the wake for NYPD Det. Jonathan Diller, allegedly killed by a career criminal, Hochul had the gall to explain that she understood Diller’s family’s outrage.
Her statement has to be among the most hypocritical made by a public servant in recent history.
This governor has helped to expand the rights of violent criminals, to the detriment of law enforcement. Instead of PR stunts, Hochul should focus on protecting the safety of the police and first responders.

Mitchell Schwefel

Barnegat, NJ

Once again, Hochul is too late. Although she made it to Diller’s wake, she has routinely failed to show up in Albany to force passage of a bill undoing the insane laws that enable repeat criminals to remain on the streets.

However, Hochul’s visit to the wake should come as no surprise. It is an election year, after all.

Eileen Corr

Brewster, Mass.

I wonder how fast the bail laws and the defunding-police policies would change if a member of Gov. Hochul’s or Attorney General Letitia James’ family were the victim of a violent crime.

Myra Langsam

Hewlett

There were reports that Gov. Hochul was asked to leave during the wake held for Diller, although she denied this.

What was her aim in attending the service? Did she hope to upstage former President Donald Trump with her visit?

Hochul and her staff prove how out of touch they are in thinking that the governor would be welcomed there. Evidently, no one on her staff thought to send an emissary to the family to find out.

Jim Grant

Jensen Beach, Fla.

The latest murder of a New York police detective has given people an opportunity to see who their leaders truly are.

Hochul and her fellow Democrats cannot hide from the fact that their progressive policies have done nothing to advance our society and have created chaos and despair throughout our nation. It is quite apparent that the Dems are incapable of fixing the mess they’ve made of our state and country.
I’m hoping that come Nov. 5, the American people can start fixing it themselves by sending President Biden to retirement.

Michael D’Auria

Bronxville

Based on her stance on crime, Gov. Hochul deserved the dressing-down she got outside Diller’s wake last Friday.

Gary Layton

Interlaken, NJ

President Biden’s fund­raising gala at Radio City Music Hall, in which he appeared along with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, was probably planned weeks ago. Hundreds of well-heeled donors from all over the nation came to the city to be in attendance (“Utter Dem gall-a as NYC mourned,” April 1).

Yet Miranda Devine clearly feels that the event should have been canceled due to the wake of slain Det. Jonathan Diller on Long Island on the same day. She also praises former President Trump for attending the service.

I have little doubt that had Biden attended the funeral or wake, then Devine would have excoriated him for disrupting the somber occasion with his large security detail and for staging an opportunistic campaign photo-op at a private affair — which is exactly what Trump did.

Dennis Middlebrooks

Brooklyn

Biden made a condolence call to José Andrés, a Spanish-American chef and restauranteur, after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers with his organization, World Central Kitchen, who were delivering food in Gaza.

Yet, while he was in New York this past weekend, Biden did not have the time to attend Det. Diller’s wake to offer condolences to his family.

It’s lucky for Andres that Biden didn’t have a fund­raiser going on, otherwise he most likely wouldn’t have gotten a call, either.

Biden ignoring the death of Det. Diller is sickening.

Tom Vespo

Bethpage

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