Letters to the Editor | Aug. 1, 2024

GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance has made the claim that those without children have no stake in America’s future. He even questions their voting power, arguing that parents should have more votes. Oddly enough, the senator, a convert to Catholicism, seems to have forgotten that much of the church is served by those who have chosen a religious life, either as priests or nuns. Members of religious orders teach, work in hospitals and, like Philadelphia’s Sister Mary Scullion, work to make sure all can have decent housing. Clearly, they do not have children. Does that mean that they have no stake in America’s future? Is their right to vote in question? The senator did not think this through.

Anne Ladof, Philadelphia

JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” remarks are reprehensible. They also are insulting to most Americans. Vance’s ideas show a dim view of humanity. He thinks only people with children “have a stake” in our country. Most Americans, with children or not, have a stake in our country. We know that to make the U.S. flourish we need the best for all our children, who are our future. Even people without kids vote for excellent schools, day care, health care, and the environment. We all want a nation that is safe, peaceful, democratic, and pollution-free. How sad that Vance believes only parents care about the United States.

Ellen Danish, Philadelphia, danishellen@yahoo.com

Donald Trump has decided to disassociate himself and his campaign from Project 2025, but not because he has read it and disagrees with the policies within. It is a known fact that Trump doesn’t read anything, let alone a 900-page mandate for leadership. His reason for abandoning it is that Democrats are making voters aware of the extreme right-wing objectives that would eliminate rights from so many as well as extending the power of the president. Trump cannot disassociate himself, however, from the authoritarian rhetoric and the attacks on democracy that we hear coming from his mouth. Nor from the threats to a woman’s right to choose, the right to marry whomever you love, and the right for our children to read certain books. The Trump administration relied heavily on the Heritage Foundation for policy guidance when he was in office before. He’ll do it again.

Sandra Detweiler, West Chester

Barbara Friedes’ death while riding a bike in Center City is one of the most tragic events in recent memory. But before we launch into installing concrete-protected bike lanes, there are some questions. How many people ride bicycles in Center City? How does this compare to the overall population of Center City travelers? How much are the protected bike lanes going to cost? What are some of the other demands being made on the city’s limited resources, and how do they stack up in terms of importance against bike lanes? When you choose to ride a bicycle in a heavy traffic area, aren’t you assuming a certain amount of risk? In government, the allocation of scarce resources to address compelling demands is all about risk. And sometimes you have to say no, even when it really hurts those making the demands.

Mike Egan, Plymouth Meeting

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