A surprise congressional standoff remind us that big, discordant changes could be coming.

Readers write about the polio vaccine and the dread of the disease in the past. Also: Reducing crime; the Unabomber’s victims; health insurances woes.

Once, eating whole foods and avoiding toxins was associated with a lefty worldview. Now, being a “crunchy mom” is more often about “health freedom.”

© Hadley Chittum for The New York Times

The onslaught of awful makes bad look good.

Readers worry that “our lives are at stake” if he becomes health secretary but also find areas of agreement. Also: Unity, not revenge; criminal justice in New York.

Moderation on pot and other vices appears to have been part of a calculated effort to turn out young men for the G.O.P. — but it may come with consequences.