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Letters to the Editor | Aug. 30, 2026

Inquirer readers on the death of Dolly Parton and President Trump’s new economic sanctions on Iran.

Dolly Parton performs at the Wilmington Public Library in Wilmington, Del. in May 2022 to promote her Imagination Library, a free book-gifting program for children.
Dolly Parton performs at the Wilmington Public Library in Wilmington, Del. in May 2022 to promote her Imagination Library, a free book-gifting program for children.Read moreJOSÉ F. MORENO / Staff Photographer

Mailing it in

I don’t understand the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices are appointed for life and cannot be fired. So why do they undermine the Constitution by toadying to Donald Trump’s every insane whim? What hold does he have to make them so subservient?

Their latest decision that Trump can withhold mail-in ballots from states that have not bowed to his outrageous demand of supplying voter rolls is deranged. As someone who doesn’t own a car, the mail-in ballot is a great convenience for me. And Pennsylvania has been wise enough not to supply our state’s lists since the federal government, according to the Constitution, has no control over elections.

I wonder if they can be impeached. After all, they did present an incomplete view about upholding the precedent of Roe v. Wade.

Susan M. Wendt, Norristown

Dolly’s memory

To me, and many others, those who make it their mission in life to spread joy, love, comfort, and knowledge often seem invincible, as Dolly Parton did.

The news of her passing is a sobering reminder that our time on earth is limited, and tomorrow isn’t promised.

Times are interesting, to say the least. But if people from all walks of life can agree today that Parton made the world a better place, then perhaps we aren’t as divided as we initially thought.

May her memory be a blessing.

Evan Grollman, Highland Park

Admission of failure

By announcing the U.S.’s aggressive efforts to harm Iran’s economy, President Donald Trump has effectively admitted that our military campaign has failed to achieve any of its alleged goals. There has been no regime change. The Strait of Hormuz remains unusable. Iran’s nuclear program — allegedly destroyed last year — remains as viable as ever. The president’s desperate efforts to enlist other countries in this new attempt to defeat Iran economically say to the world that our ill-conceived military incursion has failed, and we are desperately looking to other countries to support our attempt to find some way to succeed against Iran. It is abundantly clear that the U.S. has only one viable remaining option to try to save face: declare victory and move on to something else. Stop wasting billions of American taxpayers’ money on a failed mission that clearly was not thought through and will not succeed.

Ben Zuckerman, Philadelphia

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