To the Editor:
Re “What the Epstein Emails Lay Bare,” by Anand Giridharadas (Opinion guest essay, Nov. 26):
Mr. Giridharadas’s essay is one of the most important and well-written pieces of journalism I have encountered in a very long time.
His analysis of the real meaning of the Jeffrey Epstein files is on point and clarifies why they are so important: They bring to light the interconnectedness of these amoral people in a new way, showing how they support and promote one another and profit from one another in an unending loop.
The question now is how the rest of us (who are not in the heartless, selfish elite he speaks of) can wrest power, caring and empathy back.
Barbara Gold Philadelphia
To the Editor:
I object to characterizing Jeffrey Epstein and his circle of abusers as “elite.” They are rich, powerful men, and their wealth and influence allow them to perpetrate their heinous behavior in nice hotels and exotic locales and to purchase the silence of their victims. But I disagree with the notion that this kind of behavior is unique to the “Epstein class.”
Young women are vulnerable to abuse any time there is a power imbalance — which is almost always. Ask any woman who worked in a restaurant as a teenager, or any girl who felt relief when, after an evening spent babysitting, the wife said she would drive her home.
Middle-class men, working-class men, managers, coaches and security personnel can and do exploit young women and girls. For the women, being Black, brown, undocumented or in trouble with the law heightens our risk exponentially.
Kathryn Meacham Richmond, Va.
To the Editor:
Much of “What the Epstein Emails Lay Bare” is spot on. But the rush to cancel people based on their private email correspondence should strike fear in anyone who is not confident that his private emails would withstand public scrutiny.
Felicia Nimue Ackerman Providence, R.I. The writer is a professor of philosophy at Brown University.
Stop the White House Ballroom
To the Editor:
Re “Trump Puts His Imprint on Ballroom’s Ever-Expanding Blueprint” (front page, Dec. 3):
As shown in renderings, the new ballroom will completely overshadow the White House. This project isn’t some Donald Trump development; it is the disfigurement of our national home.
President Trump does not own the White House; we the people do. Can’t someone initiate a lawsuit in our name to stop the desecration of the most important house in America?
Barbara Barran Brooklyn
Medicare for All
To the Editor:
Medicare for All is very popular. Even people who distrust government are in favor of it. It is a crime and a disgrace that our rich country does not provide Medicare for all of us. Every other wealthy country has figured out how to do this.
Unfortunately in our country the influence and political power of the for-profit corporate health insurance companies cancel out the movement for Medicare for All.
Therefore many go without health insurance because they cannot afford it. They are one illness or injury away from bankruptcy due to medical debt.
When will we join every other wealthy country and provide health care for all? I fear that I, at 82, will not live to see it.
Elizabeth R. Rosenthal Larchmont, N.Y. The writer is a retired dermatologist.
Fear and Uncertainty
To the Editor:
Immigration enforcement in 2025 has expanded beyond border control into everyday American life. Raids in San Antonio; Charlotte, N.C.; and St. Paul, Minn., have disrupted families and communities, with children detained and schools targeted. The end of temporary protected status for Burmese migrants and canceled citizenship ceremonies deepen uncertainty for thousands.
While officials cite gang threats like Tren de Aragua, enforcement often criminalizes the innocent. Communities are responding with resilience. Faith groups, activists and immigrant-owned businesses are standing firm.
This is not just policy — it’s a lived reality in classrooms, kitchens and courtrooms. America must decide: Will we be governed by fear, or by compassion and justice?
Brian Scott Angerer Garland, Texas
The post What Are the Lessons in the Epstein Files? appeared first on New York Times.
