Nicole Gelinas must surely speak from experience when she claims that a family of able-bodied adults can rebuild a house on its own and help neighbors do so as well (“Law, Sweet Law,” PostOpinion, Aug. 28).

Laying new foundation, replacing all the wiring, plumbing, framing, insulating, drywall and roofing? And all this up to a code that would withstand the next hurricane?

Who needs a contractor or union labor? Just do it yourself.

Wake up, Gelinas.

Take a visit to New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, and you might have a different take on doing it yourself.

David Jackson

Manhattan

Gelinas compares the danger of living in New Orleans with the dangers of living in such cities as Detroit, Newark and Washington, D.C.

Gelinas compares the murder rate with Third World murder rates. Why not just say that these cities are Third World cities in a modern country?

When you have a society that has no respect for the rule of law, coupled with elected officials who have no respect for the rule of law, what you have are Third World conditions.

America must pull itself up by the bootstraps and learn to respect life.

Charlie Honadel

Staten Island