Letters to the Editor | Aug. 28, 2023

Sixty years ago Monday, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom brought together a quarter of a million protesters intent on making America a safer, saner place for its Black citizens. Among those demonstrators were thousands of white allies, many of them Jewish.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Clarence B. Jones, a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who helped draft the “I Have a Dream” speech, and he told me how disappointed he is that Black-Jewish relations have been strained of late. He feels the role played by Jewish activists during the movement has been forgotten or overlooked by today’s antisemites.

“The March on Washington reflected the shared history and strength of the Black-Jewish coalition that had worked so hard to bring all those people to Washington,” said Jones, who’s now 92. “What made the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 possible was not just the genius of Martin Luther King Jr. and other extraordinary leaders. They were only partly responsible for the fundamental change in civil rights. The real part of it was the coalition that developed between 2% of the population” — Jewish Americans — “and 11% of the population” — Black Americans. “The difference,” Jones said, “was made by those Jewish persons who embraced us and who, regrettably, still don’t get sufficient recognition.”

As Jones spoke, I thought of the antisemitic remarks by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving, and how terrible it would be if people of goodwill from all backgrounds suddenly stopped working together in the struggle for equal rights.

Barbara Leap, Haddon Township

As I contemplate yet another killing by a Philadelphia police officer, I struggle to come up with a rational explanation for this continuing violence at the hands of those sworn to protect us. Why would Officer Mark Dial act as he did? Fear is one possible explanation. “He has a weapon,” a second officer is reported to have said. Within five seconds, Dial opened fire. That’s abject fear — or blatant racism. The officer saw a brown person behind the wheel, heard he had a weapon, and fired. That’s racism. I favor the former explanation. Police officers have a dangerous job. They are human, they have families. Some, in the heat of the moment, act out of fear without thinking. A factor in all of this is the knee-jerk reaction of the Fraternal Order of Police, which circles the wagons around the offending officer even before an investigation can be done. The police union is complicit in every one of these tragic events. Both the Police Department and the union can and should do better. The citizens of Philadelphia and its police officers deserve it.

Angelo Sgro, Philadelphia, agsgro@comcast.net

The CDC warning against kissing turtles and some other animals exploited as pets is smart. It will also be wise for our species to go much further and phase out all deliberate contact with other animals. Everything human beings do to and with other animals and their natural homes and ecosystems is animal abuse, and animal abuse is the main source of human misery. Radical innovations such as hunting, fishing, breeding other animals, and using animals for food despite our herbivorous nature and for companionship, clothing, and other purposes generate calamities that have intensified for thousands of years along with human population growth and unnatural living.

Infectious and nutritional diseases are the most obvious of these calamities. The former includes COVID-19, Ebola, AIDS, smallpox, bubonic plague, and many more. The latter: heart disease, stroke, many cancers and autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis. Massive dead zones in the oceans result from agrochemical runoff from crops used to feed animals raised for food. A 2021 data-based estimate of human-generated greenhouse gasses from raising animals for food is 87%. Those are just the broad strokes. The animal abuse revolution is so far-reaching that confronting it appears the only way to understand and eventually solve the mega-problems that make each day’s news so painful to contemplate.

David Cantor, founder and director, Responsible Policies for Animals, Glenside, dcantor@rpa1.org

As a professor of history, columnist Jonathan Zimmerman should understand the federal system set up by our Constitution. Whether or not his proposal that President Joe Biden should pardon former President Donald Trump on the condition that he never run for office again is a good idea, it would be a nonstarter. First, Trump would use the offer as “proof” that the charges are being leveled just to remove Biden’s most serious opponent. And second, Trump is facing serious state charges, such as in Georgia, and faces a mandatory minimum five-year sentence if convicted. Under our federal system, the president has no power to pardon someone for state crimes. So Trump would never agree.

Jules Mermelstein, Dresher, jules.mermelstein@gmail.com

. . .

Columnist Jonathan Zimmerman broached the idea of a pardon for Donald Trump so that America’s long nightmare would be over and the nation could begin to heal. Zimmerman discussed Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon. I was thinking more of exile, like Napoleon to Elba and then St. Helena. Trump said the other day that he could go stay with Vladimir Putin in Russia. Trump then said he was just kidding. But the idea might just have merit. Exile might be the solution to our national problem. Exile would make America great again. Goodbye. Good riddance.

Sheryl Kalick, Philadelphia

. . .

I am old enough to remember when Richard Nixon was pardoned for Watergate. Then, as now, the excuse was that it would allow the country to unite and heal. Nearly 50 years later, our history tells us that the opposite is true. I have read numerous articles in The Inquirer and other publications regarding children who are caught making “terroristic threats” online, and parenting columns about appropriate punishments for bullying and tantrums. None seem to recommend pardons. So seriously, why do we continue to tolerate behaviors from adult taxpayer-supported politicians that we don’t tolerate from toddlers? Shouldn’t the party of personal responsibility hold themselves accountable?

Mara Obelcz, Hatfield, momobelcz@gmail.com

Whatever the outcome of the multiple indictments for criminal conduct never seen in this country, Donald Trump — as The Inquirer editorial addressed on Aug. 16 — will finally be subjected to the judgments assessed through constitutional judicial processes and held accountable. I applaud the Editorial Board for speaking so clearly in addressing the fragility of our democracy. Having voted for more than 50 years in elections, I have had successes and disappointments. But never have I undergone the physical and emotional burden I endured while waiting and praying for a peaceful outcome after the violence of Jan. 6, 2021, until Jan. 20, when we thankfully witnessed a peaceful transition of power.

Joan McCarney, Warminster

A recent letter to the editor bemoans a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, declaring that both “are pathological liars.” The writer does not provide any examples to back up his statement, so I shall attempt to fill in the gap. As for Trump, the Washington Post listed more than 30,000 false or misleading statements in four years. Deborah Birx, Trump’s White House coronavirus response coordinator, attributed deaths from COVID-19 after the first 100,000 in large part to Trump’s lying about the danger of the virus and the need to wear masks and get vaccinated.

Trump’s lies that he won the election led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, resulting in the deaths and injuries of both police officers and Trump supporters. I could go on and on. Sadly, I doubt Trump was not lying when he said he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin over the unanimous views of this country’s intelligence agencies. By contrast, I cannot think of any instance of President Biden intentionally lying about matters of public policy (or anything else). In my opinion, those who find a moral equivalency between the two men should present concrete examples of Biden’s purported lies before spouting off.

Marc Schneier, Dresher, mschneier@verizon.net

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