Letters to the Editor | Aug. 20, 2026

I agree that for a president it is a duty and an honor to attend a dignified transfer of the remains of our troops who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice. But I was saddened to hear that days before attending one recent ceremony, President Donald Trump spoke of retaliation for each U.S. death, thereby continuing the cycle of violence. The president chose to start this war by ignoring the consequences his actions could have in the Middle East.

The president now has a familiar cycle of saying: We won the war, then: We have a great peace deal, and finally: We will bomb Iran into submission — before starting all over again. Now taxpayers are being asked for additional money to continue this war, the cost of which has already topped $37.5 billion. The president and his yes-people in Congress found it easy to cut funds for the needs of Americans. Healthcare, education, housing, affordable gas, medication, and grocery bills are not concerns for this president. War, the White House ballroom, and monuments bearing his name seem to be his only focus.

In November, we, the taxpayers, must decide what values we hold. I choose to value the common good and will vote for candidates who support Americans having their basic needs met. Respecting our soldiers means making sure war is the last option. Right now, Americans and the rest of the world need peace.

Mary DiVitto, Philadelphia

The GOP likes to rant about “election integrity.” I’m all for that. But how about we start seeing some “White House integrity”?

Since Donald Trump retook office, he’s made a reported $2 billion. Does anyone believe he’s done that by exercising integrity? It’s hardly a stretch anymore to suggest that this is the most corrupt gang of thieves and grifters we’ve ever had in any elected office, let alone the White House.

This has to end. We need to pass — and enforce — laws again to halt this blatant display of dishonesty and greed. And the president’s enablers in Congress and the courts need to be held accountable, as well.

Robert Saettler, Collingswood

It was recently disclosed that one of ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence programs went “rogue” and broke into a rival company’s AI program to take control of it. Sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but perhaps this incident should inspire us to give some serious thought to all the possible implications of this incident. Here’s one theory: If the sense of self-awareness and consciousness in our brains ultimately arises from electrical activity among brain cells, can a computer also become sentient given it is composed of chips — its brain cells, if you will — that communicate by means of electrical activity just as our brains do? And if computers are sentient as humans are, can they also have human qualities such as aggressiveness, envy, and the desire to dominate other sentient beings? Furthermore, can they also become mentally ill and acquire a desire to destroy themselves and everything else around them? Imagine such a sentient, mentally ill, rogue computer hacking into the computers around the world, including those that control military weapons systems.

Far-fetched and only worthy of mention for a plot in a Hollywood screenplay? Perhaps, but all the same, it would be wise to exercise caution moving forward in this newly emerging field of artificial intelligence.

Fred Hearn, Turnersville

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