Readers sound off on menopause, capitalist elite and online gambling

Brooklyn: As someone who has spent years reporting the news, I never imagined that one of the most frightening moments of my life would happen live on television. In 2019, while anchoring a broadcast, I suddenly felt like I was on fire. My heart raced. My mind went blank. I couldn’t read words I’d read thousands of times before. I was eventually escorted off the set, terrified that something was seriously wrong. What I didn’t know was I was experiencing menopause.

That moment changed my life. It also opened my eyes to a reality millions of women face every day: confusion, isolation, lack of medical support, and a healthcare system that still doesn’t adequately recognize menopause as a serious health and quality-of-life issue. That’s why I strongly support Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal’s legislation aimed at improving critical access to perimenopause and menopause care in New York. These bills expand access to treatment, reduce workplace discrimination, encourage menopause education among medical professionals and increase public awareness.

Menopause isn’t a niche issue. Every woman who lives long enough will experience it, yet too many women are dismissed, misdiagnosed or forced to pay out of pocket for treatment. This legislation also matters for women’s economic security. Women in midlife are often at the peak of their careers and earnings. Without access to proper treatment, many are forced to reduce work hours or leave the workforce entirely.

Freeport, L.I.: On May 23, the USS Intrepid will host a battle of the bands. This swabbie will be aboard for the fun. I was on the USS De Haven and we were assigned to the Intrepid for carrier operations during the Vietnam War. So thankful I’m alive and able to swing in NYC that night.

Clark, N.J.: Well, another Mets season is over before it really even started. Thank you, Uncle Steve, for putting together one of the most disappointing groups of players, managers and coaches in team history. All I can say is how many days until pitchers and catchers?

Brooklyn: Why did Vice President JD Vance have to be in Hungary just before its election? We can’t tell a foreign country who to vote for. We should mind our business before we get into serious trouble. Would President Trump like it if another country told us how to run our election? Trump would curse up a storm.

Rockaway Beach: Maybe Trump should borrow Melania’s “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?” jacket.

Rockaway Park: Coat everything with ersatz gold or blue, as high as buildings go / While you and yours are rolling in “the green” / We judge you like the Rusty Horror Picture Show.

Cincinnati: The right-wing political ads for the upcoming primaries are blatantly racist. Who do you think they’re referring to when they say “we” and “they”? “We” are white, Christian, heterosexual humans. “They” are the rest. Republicans don’t have the guts to come out and say it. Please, Democrats, force the issue of Jeffrey Epstein and his survivors. Republicans are afraid to speak when this issue comes up.

Bergenfield, N.J.: What a great contribution to Voice of the People by Voicer Jeff Pullen. It could be summed up as Ronald Reagan planted the seeds in changing the tax and employment laws favoring the rich and corporations and now the harvest has come in.

Copiague, L.I.: To Voicer Michael Ilardi: Margaret “There is no such thing as society” Thatcher may not be the best source to cite when discussing America today. Nicknamed “The Iron Lady” (and far less complimentary things), Thatcher was the inspiration for and chief architect of the Reagan Revolution. She spearheaded the “Take our country back” movement for old families and the super-wealthy. Her “other people’s money” theory assumes that wealth, even when stolen or extorted, belongs by right to those who have possession of it. But the truth is governments don’t “run out of other people’s money” — the “other people” run out of willingness to share their surplus wealth, so they spend it exorbitantly to change their governments. When they succeed, they claw back far more than they spend. To Thatcherites, “labor” is irrelevant. It’s an expense, not a constituency.

Newtown, Pa.: To Voicer Tom Scott: Regarding your criticism of AOC, you’re correct about billionaires in the American colonies because the concept and reality of being a billionaire would’ve been totally alien and unknown. She engaged in a little hyperbole. In fact, the term was first used in purely theoretical context in 1841. The first actual billionaire was John D. Rockefeller in the early 20th century. It’s accurate that the Founding Fathers were white Christian males. They were also elite landowners, businessmen and lawyers who were at the apex of society. In addition, many were slaveholders who ensured that their power was safe because voting rights were limited to property owners. No land, no vote. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence they created protected their interests. Not only were African-Americans disenfranchised, but so were women and landless white men. This legacy lasted for many years.

Amityville, L.I.: Apparently, I struck a nerve with Voicer Billy Rath from New Jersey with my opinion on NYPD impunity. He wanted to know why I was concerned, as I reside on Long Island. The page is Voice of the People. Anyone from anywhere can voice their opinion. The subject was why Joe Public has to pay for the wrongs of the NYPD. I guess Rath’s narrow-mindedness keeps his thoughts in Jersey. These lawsuit settlements are paid by NYC taxpayers from the city’s central budget. Why should they have to pay for the misconduct of the NYPD?

Let it be known

Brooklyn: We have to make sealed criminal records, including arrest reports at 1 Police Plaza, available to members of the public, especially if these records are needed by self-represented litigants and community board presidents who want to make sure that criminals are not elected to community boards as members. In Nassau County, New York arrest reports can be purchased at precincts, and in Suffolk County, they’re publicly available even if criminal records are sealed and even if they’re from the 1970s. We can learn something from outside NYC.

Manhattan: Online gambling pitfalls include possible severe financial losses and high-risk addiction due to constant, easy accessibility on mobile devices. Users often face rapid, impulsive betting and chasing losses. The desperation phase of gambling involves losing money and continuing to play, often with higher amounts to try and recover. Mental health issues, with intense daily highs and lows, are possible. Conclusion: Online sites that protect players from “theft.”…Read more by Voice of the People