To the Editor:
Re “Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution Will Be Public and Streamed Live, Pentagon Says” (news article, nytimes.com, Oct. 8):
Of all the perfidy, of all the graft, of all the lying, of all the fear engendered by the Trump administration, this headline made me sick to my stomach. As I try to sort my thoughts to put into words the kind of horror I feel, I find that I am failing.
Just the idea that a modern American administration considers this act is beyond the pale. Then it occurs to me that what I am feeling is profound moral injury.
How will we recover from this? Or will we recover at all?
Suzanne Smythe Essex, Conn.
To the Editor:
The horrifying abasement of common decency under this administration has hit its nadir with its decision to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter. No matter one’s belief in the efficacy or moral basis for execution, to livestream the death of a human being — particularly by firing squad — is unspeakably repugnant.
Both houses of Congress and the few remaining members of the administration not in thrall to President Trump should speak and act loudly before we prove to the world that decency is dead in the United States of America.
Tim Kent Oyster Bay, N.Y.
To the Editor:
America’s enemies will be forever grateful to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He will give them a recruiting tool far more effective than any they could have made for themselves.
Fred Kameny Graz, Austria
To the Editor:
Livestreaming an execution so the public can watch?
America, a “shining city upon a hill”? Yes, the United States is exceptional, but not in ways any decent, moral person would want to celebrate.
Pierre Home-Douglas Dorval, Quebec
North Korea’s Crimes
To the Editor:
Re “North Korea’s New Clout Has a Human Cost” (front page, Sept. 20):
It’s not just overseas workers who suffer from the abuses of the Pyongyang government.
A United Nations commission of inquiry concluded over a decade ago that North Korea’s government perpetrates crimes against humanity against its own people, including “extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence.” Amnesty International notes that the threat of execution is persistent, including for the “crime” of watching South Korean television.
North Korea’s government provides none of the freedoms promised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The country is a vast constellation of police stations, detention facilities, prisons and labor camps into which countless people disappear to be beaten, tortured, starved and killed. Neighbors are expected to monitor and report on neighbors under threat of further deprivation.
Chronic food insecurity and shortages of hospital supplies, medicine and fuel for heat severely affect the most vulnerable: children, the elderly and people with disabilities. Meanwhile, the authorities have devoted huge resources to maintain a standing army of 1.3 million, fourth largest in the world, and to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missile systems.
North Korea cannot thrive if its authorities sacrifice the rights, well-being and lives of its people. The authorities there must realize that impunity does not last forever.
Jack Rendler Calistoga, Calif. The writer is the North Korea country specialist for Amnesty International U.S.A.
Venezuela’s Gold and Indigenous Peoples
To the Editor:
“Venezuelan Gold Chased by Trump Sits Untouched” (front page, Sept. 29) details growing U.S. interest in Venezuela’s gold reserves. Yet largely missing from the conversation are the Indigenous peoples whose territories are increasingly threatened by mining and who could bear the greatest costs of a new gold rush.
For communities in southern Venezuela, gold mining is not simply an economic or geopolitical issue. Illegal mining has already contributed to deforestation, mercury contamination, violence, disease and incursions into Indigenous territories.
The risks are particularly severe for uncontacted Indigenous peoples, for whom increased mining and the roads and infrastructure that accompany it can have devastating consequences.
Expanding or formalizing Venezuela’s gold industry will not automatically eliminate these threats. Any new investment must include meaningful protections for Indigenous territories and respect Indigenous peoples’ right to determine what happens on their lands.
As the United States and investors pursue Venezuela’s gold, Indigenous communities should not be forced to bear the cost.
Keith Slack Washington The writer is the director of Survival International USA.
Which Leader?
To the Editor:
Re “The Global Order Is Changing. We Can No Longer Ignore the Warning Signs,” by Margaret MacMillan (Opinion guest essay, Sept. 27):
I am a moderate, conservative Canadian. I agree with many of President Trump’s concerns, including the harm caused by illegal immigration, government waste and the self-interest of the educated elites. My great concern with respect to the president is his long history of failures and bankruptcies.
Professor MacMillan is right about the changes in the international order. I believe that the United States must be a strong part of that, but to do so, it must find a competent, unselfish leader who can commit America to a constructive role in this changing future.
As a longtime friend and admirer of the United States, I wish I could think of such a person. Sadly, no one comes to mind.
Stephen Gill Burlington, Ontario
Feeding the Birds
To the Editor:
Re “Maybe Britons Should Leave the Birds Alone,” by Lia Leendertz (Opinion guest essay, Sept. 30):
As an ornithologist, I’m often asked, “Is it OK to feed birds?” My answer is yes, so long as you do so responsibly. A bird feeder is not just a decorative feature of our gardens. It is an invitation to our feathered friends. Come eat here.
Just as we would never serve our friends dinner on dirty plates, we should not offer birds seed in dirty feeders. It is important to clean feeders regularly. It is also important to provide a safe space for dining. Keep your cats indoors, and take measures to make glass windows more visible to birds.
Of course, bird feeders are not the only way — nor are they the best way — to attract birds to your garden. The best thing you can do to support local birds is to build back the habitat birds have lost.
Plant native plants. Leave your leaves, if you can. Construct a brush pile. Downsize your lawn. Stop using pesticides. Let it be a little messy; let it be a little wild.
If you build it, I promise the birds will still come.
Olivia V. Sanderfoot Ithaca, N.Y. The writer leads Project FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Make E-Bikes Safer
To the Editor:
Re “Deadly Crashes Surge as E-Bikes and Scooters Fill New York Streets” and “Over 20 Proposals Debated in New York Hearing on E-Bikes” (news articles, Oct. 1):
A simple change would make e-bikes safer for riders, and possibly also for pedestrians. One problem is the lack of visibility. A solution would be to require e-bikes to have a pole with a blinking light sticking up in the back.
Shaun Breidbart Pelham, N.Y.
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