Letters to the Editor | April 30, 2025

Thank you to Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Brandon Graham, Nolan Smith, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, CJ Gardner Johnson, Darius Slay, and Quinyon Mitchell.

K. Mayes, Philadelphia

I have spent my whole life rooting for the Eagles through good times and bad. I cannot express how disappointed I was to hear that most of the team went to the White House. In this unsettled time in our country, the Eagles could not stand for justice and democracy? Donald Trump and his regime have taken a chain saw to much-needed government agencies. The team might never need to use these services, but their fans do. Trump has ruined the economy. The team may never have to worry about buying groceries and everyday expenses, but their fans do. The Eagles expect fans to shell out hundreds of dollars every week to support them. The Eagles should have shown the fans they support their fans and refuse to go. If not for their fans, for their children.

Cathi McCormack, Scranton

Saquon Barkley’s response to critics of his golf outing with Donald Trump misses the point entirely. Like many superstars who enjoy the privileges of fame, Barkley conveniently overlooks the reality that you can’t separate the man from the office. Nor can you ignore the pain Trump’s inflicting on so many in our nation right now, unless you really don’t care. Trump’s actions are hurting the less fortunate to benefit the super-rich. They are undermining democracy and threatening our system of checks and balances, designed to prevent tyranny.

People are understandably angry when those with a public platform choose to socialize with Trump rather than call out the injustices of his administration. That anger is not about politics; it’s about advocating for human decency. Imagine the positive impact Barkley and the entire Eagles organization could have made if they had simply declined to visit the White House this year, just as they did in 2018 when criticism of those taking a knee during the national anthem was an injustice the team cared about.

Christine Perovich, Drexel Hill

As a lifelong New York Giants fan, Saquon Barkley meant more to me than just his jaw-dropping highlights on Sundays. He was our guy — a player whose heart for the community and humble demeanor made him easy to root for, both on and off the field. I met him a handful of times and had seen firsthand how he gave back and how he treated people. He was a good person. Which is why watching him spend an entire day golfing with Donald Trump before the Eagles’ White House visit — and flying to Washington, D.C., on Air Force One — felt like a punch to the gut.

I understand the tradition of championship teams visiting the White House. It’s something players can participate in — or decline — based on their own conscience. That freedom is important, and I respect that. But choosing to play golf for hours with Trump beforehand? That was different. That was voluntary, personal, and political, whether intended that way or not. When Barkley defended himself by tweeting, “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand,” I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Respecting the office is important — but it can’t be a blind shield when the person occupying it actively undermines the principles it stands for.

Trump has repeatedly shown disdain for the rule of law — from ignoring U.S. Supreme Court decisions to threatening the independence of the judiciary. In that context, “respecting the office” can’t simply mean pretending none of that matters. I still believe Barkley is a good person. Good people can make deeply disappointing choices. But that doesn’t mean we should excuse them — or ignore what those choices reveal about the moment we’re living in. Respect isn’t something you owe to a title. It’s something you owe to the truth.

Noel Acosta III, Reading

To be sure, America has a wonderful, rich history, but an imperfect one. We have had slavery and Jim Crow and a simmering racism that continues to this day, but we have made progress. We have had cyclical recessions and even a Great Depression that ruined the lives of many. We’ve had stifling poverty, though over time we’ve passed laws to build safety nets to help the extremely poor, the disabled, and those with mental health problems. I don’t miss the America where we’ve proclaimed ourselves to be great, I miss the one where our government tried to make lives better.

It didn’t always work, and there were many scoundrels who tried to undermine us, but mostly we were trying. We always had enemies, but we worked hard to get and to keep allies on our side. I miss the world where we cooperate instead of the one where we try to dominate. Donald Trump and the Republicans inherited a government that was troubled, but that tried to lift our country up. We are now run by a tyrant joined by a mostly cowardly party in Congress, who would leave all the rewards to their allies and make America worse for everyone else. In the 100 days since the inauguration, our country has regressed. We must find a way to change direction while we still have a chance.

Elliott Miller, Bala Cynwyd

Philadelphia Gas Works is using your money to undermine the city’s fight against climate change. While officials work to protect $700 million in federal funding for clean energy and emissions reductions, the American Public Gas Association (APGA), a trade group in which PGW is the largest member, is lobbying to gut those very programs. Worse, PGW claims ignorance, despite APGA’s website recently listing a PGW executive as chair of APGA’s government regulation committee. This hypocrisy cannot stand. PGW uses customer money to pay $58,000 annually in dues to APGA, funneling public dollars into lobbying that sabotages climate progress, raises energy costs, and prioritizes protecting its market share of gas customers over Philadelphians’ health and futures.

Philadelphia cannot afford this betrayal. Our city has pledged to cut emissions and transition to clean energy, yet PGW — a publicly owned utility — is bankrolling efforts to derail those goals. With federal funds at risk, every dollar wasted on APGA’s anti-climate crusade jeopardizes green jobs, cleaner air, and affordable energy. We demand urgency and accountability. PGW must be stopped from using public funds to support lobbying against climate action. Public utilities should serve the public — not fossil fuel interests. Our money should protect our communities, not destroy them.

Pamela Darville, Philadelphia

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