RFK Jr. and the CDC, Democrats drifting to the right

Fire RFK Jr. now for a healthier America

I am aghast at the seemingly deafening silence from the public as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an unabashed anti-vaxxer, science denialist, and conspiracy theorist, continues to gut America’s public health infrastructure [“Amid turmoil, RFK Jr. aide picked,” News, Aug. 29].

The once vaunted Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the envy of the world, is reeling as true dedicated and brilliant scientists are stripped from their posts in favor of political lackeys.

While no vaccinologist, as a retired physician, I still care deeply about the good health and welfare of our society, and as a loving grandfather, I want our most precious treasures, our children, to be as protected from as much disease and misery as humanly possible.

Heed the words and warnings of a true vaccine superstar such as Dr. Paul Offit, as well as local experts such as Drs. Sharon Nachman and Bruce Farber. I call on President Donald Trump to do the right thing for our country, reminiscent of his hit television show, “The Apprentice,” to declare, “RFK Jr., you’re fired!” and then appoint someone with the proper credentials and temperament to lead America from the abyss.

— Dr. Joel Reiter, Woodbury

I am deeply concerned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in charge of the health of our country. How Congress approved his confirmation is beyond belief. He has no medical background, and yet he is making medical decisions for our nation. Many people likely will suffer because of his poor decisions.

He was not fully honest about his beliefs during his confirmation hearing. He needs to go, but then again, the president and the Republicans will never admit they made an error.

Just like Donald Trump, he fires people who disagree with him. With Kennedy in charge of the country’s health, diseases will likely be on the rise.

— Diane Gaffney, Rockville Centre

Florida plans to remove vaccine mandates [“Fla. to eliminate vax policy,” News, Sept. 4]. Is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sending his children to school unvaccinated? Or is this a MAGA ploy to get Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attention that DeSantis is still in the “MAGA Club”?

— Karyn Rhodes Dornfield, Westbury

We Dems must stop drifting to the right

I find it supremely ironic that Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen and other Democratic leaders are calling for New York City democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to exit the party “Candidate should leave party: LI Dems,” News, Sept. 4]. And for Suozzi to refer to himself as a “Democratic capitalist” tells you everything you need to know about why Mamdani won the primary and continues to lead in polls.

Many New York Democrats are tired of what the party has become under Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State and Nassau County Democratic Party. Under him, we have become a Republican Lite Party, fighting to defend the status quo and vilifying Democrats like Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who want to uphold the traditional support for the poor and the working and middle classes.

We have been losing support and votes for years over this. If the Democrats want to unify, it’s time they stop their drift to the right and get behind candidates who serve the people.

— Suzanne Mueller, Port Washington North

As a resident in Laura Gillen’s district, I’ve heard her talk more in the last three months about the mayoral election than I’ve heard her talk about problems facing her constituents. Moreover, I’m baffled that she would try to make her party tent smaller, given that she won her last election by fewer than 10,000 votes.

It may come as a shock to her, but a lot of us on the left have been holding our noses and voting for centrist Democrats for the last decade, despite our preference for a more progressive agenda. If she wants Zohran Mamdani to find a different party, perhaps we should find a different party to vote for as well.

— Nora Monahan, Oceanside

Like it or not, I think Long Island has plenty of socialists. The left seems to want the government to work for the working people — traditional “socialism.” The right seems to want the government to work for the well-to-do — call it “Trumpian socialism.” In this view, work and labor are designed to support the wealthy, and government should grease the wheels of this relationship. It’s propping up a small, privileged sector of society but not the working people.

I think both sides are trying to solve problems from different starting points. The side that figures out how to solve problems from the middle, where most Americans are aligned, will be the most successful in the long run. At this point, I will listen to ideas from both sides, if they are legal.

— Jill Hissong, Rockville Centre