Letters to the Editor | Aug. 13, 2024

President Joe Biden’s speech from the Oval Office on July 24 can easily be described as a love letter to the American people. One must have power to pass on power. Biden’s selfless behavior of passing the torch to vice president and presumptive presidential nominee Kamala Harris exemplifies true leadership. Biden continually puts our country first, unlike what Americans have witnessed from former President Donald Trump. Trump, a convicted felon and narcissist, puts his own interests before the interests of our nation, abuses power, and has no regard for the rule of law.

As Biden stated in his impassioned speech, “The choice is up to us — the American people.” Character, honesty, decency, respect, justice, and freedom matter. The GOP embraces autocracy and authoritarianism. Biden, a true patriot, will finish his presidency continuing to defend democracy and the Constitution. He has wisely endorsed Harris to continue the important work that their administration has overseen. Those who wish to move democracy forward should strongly consider supporting the Democratic ticket on Nov. 5.

Gail Titus, Newtown

I have something in common with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. My two children were born after years of infertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization. When I saw that Republican officials had chained the doors of infertility clinics in Alabama, my blood ran cold. I teleported myself to that place, standing with women who were expecting to have embryos transferred that day. They are pumped full of hormones and have paid this clinic $15,000 to $20,000 for each cycle. Now they are blocked, the doors locked on their dreams of becoming a biological mother. I never considered that could happen to me in the 1990s. I am sure the Walzes never considered that, either. We need to stop the Republican attacks on women. Reproductive choices and control of one’s body must belong to each of us, without government interference. Given the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the only course we have is legislative. That is why, especially this year, it is important to elect Democrats up and down the ticket.

Nancy Arnosti, Kennett Township

As one of those involuntarily retired in Drexel University’s Class of 2017, when eligible faculty were presented with the choice between leaving their positions or losing retirement medical benefits into which they had paid for decades, I cannot share the rosy picture painted of John Fry’s stewardship in The Inquirer. He was hired without making any presentation to the faculty and treated its elected representatives with contempt. He presided over the disastrous affiliation with Tower Health, and his vision of academia was one of pure corporatism. For months he resisted the petitions of the law school and other faculty throughout the university to revoke the honorary degree awarded to Rudy Giuliani, a disgrace to all associated with Drexel. In 2020, he sent out Drexel officers to help suppress the protests on 52nd Street after the murder of George Floyd, thus aligning the university with the brutal response of Philadelphia police. In 2021, he said he would resign, but did not leave. Now, he is gone. Drexel’s gain is Temple’s loss, as our colleagues across the river are soon apt to discover. I hope Drexel faculty will regain their rightful role in the process of replacing him and set proper academic goals for an institution long in despair of them.

Robert Zaller, distinguished university professor of history emeritus, Drexel University, Bala Cynwyd, rzaller@msn.com

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