Nikki Haley’s Civil War gaffe told us about her

San Francisco: There are times when truth reveals itself in the political life of a candidate for office. It may come about inadvertently, unexpectedly, surprisingly and asserts itself like a volcano bursting through the veneer of carefully honed talking points.

Such a moment occurred to Nikki Haley at a town hall in New Hampshire on Dec. 27. She was asked by a member of the audience what she thought the cause of the Civil War was. It was a simple question for a candidate who was once governor of South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union. Her answer was ambiguous, imprecise, unclear and in search of political correctness: The war had to do with “how the government was being run, freedom for what people could and couldn’t do.”

The Civil War was about the abolition of slavery and the Southern states’ desire to retain it. Perhaps your answer sought not to offend the Donald Trump base, many of whom have started to lean toward your candidacy in New Hampshire. It’s a base that, to an extent, embodies white supremacy and does not want to be reminded of slavery.

Ms. Haley, your answer is an insult to Black America, for whom slavery and racism burn deep in the collective soul. It disrespects the soldiers, Black and white, who fought to eradicate slavery. It undermines the work of perhaps our greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, the man who gave his life to hold the Union together. It is a slap in the face of the horrible history that followed slavery, the brutal Reconstruction and the racism of Jim Crow. Bruce Farrell Rosen

Playing to the crowd?

Scarsdale, N.Y.: Nikki Haley said the person who asked her the question about what caused the U.S. Civil War was a Democrat planted in the audience. My question is: Would her answer have been any different if it was asked by a Republican? John Kern

Not inaccurate

Middle Village: It seems that most people believe the Civil War was fought over slavery. That was the underlying cause of the conflict, but the main cause of the war was states’ rights. The Southern states believed they had the right to secede from the Union because they disagreed with the way the federal government was more aligned with the interests of the industrial North and toward abolishing slavery. Knowing this shows that Nikki Haley’s response was more on target. The war started over freedoms and the government. Donna Morena

Duly noted

Manhattan: Hey Nikki, I loved your quote that “government doesn’t need to tell you how to live your life.” That must mean you support a woman’s right to choose an abortion! Thanks! Joie Anderson

Write your life

Cibolo, Texas: At the beginning of each year, you are given the first blank page of a 365-page (or 366-page) book. Each minute is a word, each week a paragraph and each month is a chapter. It is your book! Write a good one! Be sure to save a few words so you can write those all-important back pages to your book, if needed. Remember, as each of you write your book for 2024, be sure to write on your souls, in your minds and in your hearts that each day shall be the best day of the new year. The rhymes, prose and verses of 2023 are at an end. I hope you have the words to compose a masterpiece for 2024. Happy New Year! John Di Genio

Our public square

Brooklyn: I write a letter to the Voice of the People pretty much daily. Some are printed, and I want to thank The News. I love reading others’ opinions and I think the VOP is a perfect platform for freedom of speech amongst the readers. Happy, healthy holidays to my fellow Voicers. Let’s hope 2024 brings us more letters of hope. Mariann Tepedino

Fresh start

Bronx: 2023 was a decent year for some people. Others had a difficult year. We all make mistakes, no one is perfect. Forgive yourself and move on. 2024 is a new year. We should all start fresh. Be kind to others. Have respect for the elderly. Slow down. There is a lot more to life than cell phones and computers. Have a happy and healthy New Year. Marsha Kolin

Practice peacemaking

Bloomington, Minn.: As we start the New Year, let’s make a promise to ourselves and our community to live without violence. This means more than not being physically aggressive. It’s about being empathetic, understanding and patient with others every day. Nonviolence isn’t just for big movements or famous people. It starts with each of us. When we’re angry, we can step back and take a deep breath. If we don’t understand someone, we can seek clarification. If someone is mean to us, we can stay peaceful. It’s all about the words we use, how we say them, and what we do in difficult situations. By doing this, we’re not just making ourselves better, we’re also making our communities better places to live. Seem too simple? Powerful ideas often are. What would the world be like if we all tried these simple ways of being? Leonard Snyder

Solid suggestions

Bellerose: I know many people are thinking of making their New Year’s resolutions, like losing weight, taking care of one’s health and continuing one’s education. My suggestion is to get vaccinated against the flu, RSV and COVID-19. My other suggestion is to show kindness to our neighbors. Think about donating to local civic groups and faith-based organizations that help those in need. Also donate to food banks and food pantries and donate your blood, which is the gift of life. Let’s not forget our senior citizens who are in need of acts of kindness. Let’s make 2024 a banner year for kindness and helping your neighbors in need. Frederick Robert Bedell Jr.

Spread cheer

Manhattan: Ring in the New Year with confidence and style. Let’s buy each other a cup of coffee when we need it the most. Let’s dance! Eva Tortora

Smarter on plastics

Manhattan: A major reason there’s a waste crisis in New York is that virtually all the plastic packaging that enters our lives is designed to be used once, then thrown away. Albany can change this when the Legislature reconvenes this week. State Sen. Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah Glick have proposed the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA). The bill would give companies that sell products in New York 12 years to reduce their plastic packaging by 50% and reach a real recycling rate of 70% for any remaining packaging. It would also make companies — not taxpayers — cover the cost of managing the packaging waste they generate. The PRRIA would also prevent so-called chemical or advanced recycling from being considered recycling. Chemical recycling is being pitched as a silver bullet by industries with a financial interest in the continued production of plastics. The process rarely succeeds and invariably creates toxic substances. Eileen Leonard

Spewing poison

Staten Island: I still can’t fathom why Trump has so many supporters with rants like the one he said on Christmas Day. Yet they still lap up this derangement like lambs on the teat. I can’t wait until he has an aneurysm or a heart attack, preferably while on stage at one of his clown rallies. Yet I’m genuinely afraid no matter if he loses, wins or dies. He and his supporters will create absolute havoc. Dennis Pascale

Still stabbing

Astoria: For a minute there, we New Yorkers thought all was safe with the arrest of Steven Hutcherson, the mad slasher who stabbed two teen tourists at Grand Central Terminal. Behind bars on Rikers Island, Hutcherson continued his cutlery ways by stabbing a fellow inmate with a shank. The violent act was inside a dorm of the Eric M. Taylor Center. What’s even more disturbing about this is common sense took a back seat by not placing Hutcherson inside a cell. Inmates and correction officers became targets of the time-bomb inmate who acted out the reason for his incarceration. Aris Sakellaridis