Kamala Harris skips the Al Smith dinner: Letters to the Editor — Oct. 22, 2024

<p>The Issue: Vice President Harris’s absence from the annual Al Smith charity dinner held in New York. Vice President Harris did not attend the annual Al Smith Dinner in New York (“ Don roasts the lowly ghost, ” Oct. 18). This event raises funds for Catholic charities. Not to mention, the Catholic church is the largest single church in America and its members could help decide the presidency. Many presidential candidates, regardless of their faith, have attended this event. But I guess Harris was too busy running for president. When in the Senate, Harris grilled Brian Buescher, a judicial nominee for the US District Court, about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization that also raises funds for charity. She opposed him for his organization’s pro-life views, as well as the Catholic Church’s pro-life views. Frederick Bedell Jr. Bellerose Harris avoiding the Al Smith dinner is an insult to every Catholic in this country. It raises money for Catholic charities and is, therefore, an important part of life in New York. But I guess she is so thin-skinned that she can’t take a joke about herself, as would happen at this dinner. It exposes her as a weak fraud who does not deserve to be president. Ever. I hope she never, ever, is going to be president. Mindy Rader New City Former President Donald Trump attended the annual Al Smith Dinner, so why didn’t Harris also attend? Apparently, she was campaigning, and her schedule would not permit her the time to attend. What a bunch of nonsense that is. For one evening, she could have made an appearance to at least show respect for the affair. She is the first presidential candidate to not attend since former presidential candidate Walter Mondale, who skipped the 1984 dinner. John Amato Fresh Meadows When Harris declines to attend Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, then declines the invitation to the Al Smith Dinner, she then appears to only care about the Muslim vote in Michigan and Minnesota. She very rarely talks about her religious beliefs — probably because she doesn’t have any. Many Marxists are secular. Mike Santavicca Yonkers The Issue: The death of former One Direction member Liam Payne after a fall in Argentina. I am sad to learn that a young person, former One Direction member Liam Payne, fell from the balcony of a building and has died (“ Stun direction, ” Oct. 17). My sincerest condo–lences to his family and friends. Maybe the venue he was attending before the fall had drugs; perhaps he was drinking too much alcohol or consuming some combination of both drugs and booze. Such things can happen to people, especially in a new city. To prevent such terrible things from happening, I suggest that responsible persons assign events where vulnerable people will be partying to safe, secure places. There must be inventive methods to steer people to some sort of barriers and keep them away from open windows and balconies. John Early Throggs Neck So lets get this straight: A good-looking man who has talent, a voice, money and fame allegedly decides to become a drug addict and dive off a balcony — and the world is supposed to be sympathetic to his issues? I don’t think so. No one makes anyone take drugs except the user. Life is tough, but drug users think nothing of the consequences of their actions and what their actions cause. It’s nothing but selfishness, plain and simple. Storm Destro Bayonne, NJ Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to [email protected]. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.</p>