To the Editor:
Re “Son of the Reiners Is Arrested on Suspicion of Their Murders” (front page, Dec. 16):
The stabbing deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, reportedly at the hand of their son Nick Reiner, who has battled drug addiction, is a stark reminder that being a celebrity does not insulate anyone from the ills and tragedies that beset us all, no matter where we fall on the societal scale and what our ideological leanings are.
Mr. Reiner was a gifted actor and director who had an enormous impact on American culture throughout his career, but he should nonetheless be mourned as a human being first.
Tributes are pouring in across political lines for the most part, despite Mr. Reiner’s outspoken liberal views and criticism of President Trump. That is appropriate and encouraging, especially at such a divisive time.
But Mr. Trump, of course, is doing otherwise. Predictably, and typically, he is using the murders to issue a steady stream of vile comments in a vain effort to get even and score political points. Never mind that such behavior is distasteful and betrays the bully pulpit’s power to heal and unite.
Apparently, it hasn’t dawned on him that in so doing, he is making Mr. Reiner’s point, even in death: Mr. Trump remains totally unfit for office.
Greg Joseph Sun City, Ariz. The writer is a retired television columnist at The San Diego Tribune and The Arizona Republic, and a former member of the Television Critics Association.
To the Editor:
A mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. Another at Brown University. And then, the tragic murder of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner. These senseless killings have left so many of us mourning this holiday season, in a world already overwhelmed by needless suffering and loss of life.
Unsurprisingly, America’s commander in chief squandered the opportunity to act as a consoler in chief and instead doubled down on the toxic rhetoric that has become his calling card by attacking a beloved individual who was just murdered.
The Reiners’ murder was not politically motivated, but that didn’t matter to this American president. Everything must be about him. This is who he is.
While no one should be surprised by his narcissistic tendencies, this unacceptable behavior cannot be normalized. Instead, we must stand in contrast to this poor example of leadership and show one another kindness, grace and compassion, not just this holiday season but always.
We must, as the saying goes, be the change we wish to see in the world.
Carolyn Faggioni Bellmore, N.Y.
America’s Retreat: Voices From Europe and Canada
To the Editor:
Re “Challenges to European Security Go Beyond Trump’s Disdain” (news analysis, Dec. 11):
Steven Erlanger’s perceptive report highlights Europe’s stark predicament: Russia’s war in Ukraine has shattered continental security just as the United States retreats from its longstanding protective role.
Europe can’t wait for American clarity. Britain, still central to NATO, is one of the few European powers able to mobilize meaningful support for Ukraine now.
If Europe fails to act, the erosion of our cherished democratic values won’t stop in Europe. A weakened continent would embolden authoritarian regimes worldwide and accelerate the unraveling of the rules and freedoms that have upheld international order for generations.
Trevor Lyttleton London
To the Editor:
Re “With Trump’s Disdain for Europe in Writing, Leaders Face Crossroads” (news analysis, Dec. 8):
I am an ordinary Irishman of English ancestry living in Scotland — a true European.
In my 54 years there has been no greater cultural or political influence than that of the United States. I remember flying with my father for the first time to the U.S. as a child and his comment that this was the greatest country on earth.
Since then I’ve worked for an American company, made many American friends, spent many evenings watching American TV and films, read numerous American books, listened to hundreds of American bands and devoured far too much American fast food.
I wholeheartedly embraced our common yearning for freedom and democracy. I celebrated our relatively peaceful collective victory in the Cold War and mourned with the U.S. on 9/11.
I have no idea why some Americans seem to hate us so much that they would connive with a common enemy to undermine a European state that has been attacked and brutalized. I am flummoxed as to why they would cozy up to extreme-right parties that are the inheritors of the Nazi mantle that U.S. forces so bravely fought in World War II.
To witness our friends do this to us is heartbreaking. From an American perspective, to do this to one’s closest friends and allies in an uncertain and dangerous world seems foolhardiness of the highest order.
David Clarke Edinburgh The writer is the chairman of the European Movement in Scotland, an organization that campaigns for closer European integration.
To the Editor:
Europe is now experiencing what Canada has been dealing with for months. I’m surprised President Trump isn’t threatening to make Europe the 52nd state.
Here is my advice as a Canadian: Don’t be in a hurry to make a deal. You may have noticed that we haven’t yet. It is still elbows up in a subtle way.
If Americans come to visit, don’t say out loud what you think of their situation, which as we all know is nothing good or fit to print. Canadians are too polite to do that, and I expect Europeans are too.
This will all be over eventually.
Jane McCall Delta, British Columbia
Scam Calls? Don’t Pick Up!
To the Editor:
Re “A Prime Target for Scam Calls, 50 Times a Day” (front page, Dec. 11):
I am surprised that so many seniors pick up the phone to scammers. The only way to insure a multitude of annoying scam calls is to answer the phone!
The rule is: Answer the phone only if a message is left. And phone numbers in your area that you don’t recognize are mostly scams. If you answer an unknown number once, you will be on the list of potential victims; those who answer the call actually exist and can be called again. And again.
Seniors should never answer a phone call from an unrecognized number unless they hear a message. With no positive response, unanswered numbers are an unsatisfying target for scammers.
Eileen Pollock Baltimore
Presidential Libraries
To the Editor:
Re “Biden Has Raised Little of What He Needs to Build a Typical Presidential Library” (news article, Dec. 14):
It is sad that former President Joe Biden is having trouble raising millions of dollars for a library. Suggestion: In the future why not expand the National Archives and have different wings for past and future presidents? It would create an incredibly interesting and exciting museum.
Kenneth Olshansky San Rafael, Calif.
The post Rob Reiner’s Legacy Will Outlast Trump’s Toxic Talk appeared first on New York Times.
