Letters to the Editor | April 5, 2026

Admittedly, we Philadelphians have had a rather tumultuous relationship with monarchy over the course of our city’s nearly 344 years. You might think it’s because of the Declaration of Independence that we signed back in 1776 (the anniversary of which, you may have heard, will be marked with a small party or two in the city this year). Or you might think that it’s because of Philadelphia’s continued yearning for freedom, even after the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Or the some 40,000 Philadelphians who participated in the No Kings rally last weekend.

But 253 years ago, Philadelphia gave us yet another reason why our relationship with regents is so complicated — by hosting a tea party of our own. Unlike the tea party held nine days earlier by our neighbors in Boston to the north, Philadelphians accomplished the feat of forcing British goods to leave our city’s docks without tossing any of the precious cargo into the water.

On Christmas Day 1773, the British ship The Polly docked in Chester, yet none of the contents of its hull would touch America’s shores. Once in Philadelphia, the ship’s captain, John Ayres, came upon posters indicating that he would face “ten gallons of liquid tar decanted on your pate — with the feathers of a dozen wild geese laid over that” if he were to continue his “dangerous errand.”

Faced with the spirit of steadfast, Philadelphia resolve, The Polly hastily sailed out of Delaware Bay. This past weekend, thousands of people at the No Kings rally made themselves heard in Philadelphia once again.

Michael Thomas Leibrandt, Abington Township

I agree with The Inquirer Editorial Board’s assessment that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has condoned — and even encouraged — war crimes by claiming “no quarter, no mercy” for our enemies. But I would go a step further to say that Hegseth and his boss, President Donald Trump, have already committed a serious violation of international law (as well as U.S. law) by starting an aggressive war of choice based on lies.

The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany, in 1946 established that initiating a war of aggression is not merely a war crime, but the “supreme international crime.”

The Republican Party has become the party of Trump and is just as guilty of these crimes by doing nothing to stop this madness.

Now is the time for all of us who care about our nation and the world to stand up, speak out, and vote.

Dave Posmontier, Elkins Park

Donald Trump daily destroys the fabric of our nation. With multiple threads damaged or gone, where do we begin the repairs? The No Kings protests exposed some damaged threads. But very little attention focused on the devastation to American healthcare. Since Jan. 1, 85,000 Pennsylvanians have lost their health insurance. Others are paying astronomical amounts to keep theirs. In January, even more of our neighbors will lose insurance because of cuts to Medicaid, especially expanded Medicaid for low-income workers. Trump-endorsed insurance policies have enormous deductibles and inadequate coverage that will put many Americans into medical bankruptcy. This is not acceptable, and yet it is an issue buried beneath the other piles of destruction that the Trump administration has brought upon us. So, this November, it’s crucial that we vote for people who will weave a fabric that will “provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare.”

Mardys Leeper, Bryn Mawr

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