Letters to the Editor | April 21, 2024

A huge thank you to the Flyers players (including traded Sean Walker), John Tortorella, Daniel Brière, Keith Jones, and all of the organization for a wonderful year of hockey. I came late in life to this sport, but always as a Flyers fan. For me, this year was the most exciting. Watching these men grow together as a team and seeing the energy, commitment, and grit they brought to each game was exhilarating. They toughed out the loss to injury of key defensemen over the season, the loss of their starting goaltender early on, and a grueling schedule at the start of the season to show us some really great hockey. In interviews, players deflected personal stardom to credit their teammates and took responsibility for their errors on the ice. No one had any thought about the potential for this team to make the playoffs, but they came remarkably close for the first year of a rebuild. I can’t wait for the next season to start.

Melanie Baer, West Chester

The April 17 letter to the editor “Find peace” supports peace in Gaza through ending U.S. military assistance to Israel. What world is the writer living in? Where is his outcry against Iran and Iranian-backed militias surrounding Israel? Hamas has obviously succeeded in representing Palestinians totally as victims. Why have there been no elections in Gaza since 2006? Where is the Palestinian Alexei Navalny? Where are the Palestinian protests here in America and elsewhere crying out for the return of Israeli hostages or the surrender of Hamas to end the bloodshed? Israel is not perfect but would like to be left alone and in peace. In contrast, the dominant sentiment among too many Palestinians is the destruction of the Jewish state. For Jews on campus and elsewhere, here and around the world, the danger of hatred is increasingly palpable. Yet, somehow Israel has become the Big Bad Wolf.

Susan Dyshel Sommovilla, Elkins Park

A recent Inquirer article outlines Russia’s strategy to decrease U.S. influence in the world and “continue to facilitate the coming to power of right-wing forces in America.” Yet, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we do not need Vladimir Putin’s help to decrease the strength and image of the United States. Each branch of the government has contributed to this. In the executive branch, it is quite possible that an indicted felon will be elected president. Secondly, the U.S. Supreme Court seems to be more politically driven than its intended impartial role. Finally, our dysfunctional, or nonfunctional, Congress, in its chaotic state, is undoing the United States’ credibility at home and abroad. Putin’s plan is just pointing out where we are heading. It should motivate us to return to better days.

Joel Chinitz, Philadelphia, jjchin@comcast.net

Why do taxpayers have to fund primaries? The purpose of the primaries is to select candidates for the general election in November. The primaries are restricted to the two major parties. Even more, only members of these two parties can vote in the election. Whatever happened to conventions where candidates were selected? How did we change from conventions to primary voting? They are free to select their candidates in whatever way they choose, but the Democratic and Republican Parties should be paying. If they decide to vote, they could put the process out to bid. Since the state and counties already have the mechanisms in place, the state could place a bid to conduct the election. The political parties would then pay the state and counties to conduct the election. Currently, taxpayers are giving the parties a free ride at our expense — one they are unlikely to willingly give up.

Timothy Walsh, Havertown

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