Letters to the Editor | Dec. 10, 2023

The editorial endorsing the use of speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard and work zones makes several good points on their efficiency in controlling traffic and increasing safety. Be that as it may, the laws themselves are draconian in nature and leave the owner of the vehicle with little recourse once the mail shows up. Should the owner request a hearing, the police do not even attend the hearing. The arbitrator relies on photos, certifications, and radar readouts. The accuser cannot be cross-examined. The citation is a civil infraction, thereby removing the more stringent rights afforded to a person accused of a crime. Further, the defenses are so limited that having your parish priest show up and swear he was driving your car is not a defense. In other words, due process is destroyed in favor of a quick finding of liability.

Jim Lynch, Norristown

I was saddened to read about the civil settlement in Wisconsin involving fake Trump electors. Apparently, the civil case was settled, and all the fake electors had to do was admit that Joe Biden won the election and that they lied to try to flip the state to Donald Trump. But what they committed was treason. Their actions were disgustingly un-American and made a mockery of our Constitution. Since when has the bar sunken so low that you can knowingly try to undermine our democracy by fraud and the only punishment is to admit the truth? Let’s hope the criminal justice system holds these people to a higher standard and affirms the sanctity of our democratic process.

Stefan Keller, Huntingdon Valley

If I criticize the Saudi government for its brutal regime, does that make me an Islamophobe? No, because even if the government calls itself an Islamic regime, it is first and foremost a nation, not a religion. Criticism of Israel is not antisemitism just because Israel defines itself as a Jewish state and privileges Jewish citizens. But the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has declared criticism of Israel as antisemitic, and thus to avoid this charge the press tries to balance every mention of the carpet bombing of Gaza with a reminder that Israeli Jews suffered, too. Too many in the media also fail to question why Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attack, giving no background. They act as if the conflict began when, out of the blue, Hamas killed Israeli civilians. Amazing. Does the media note, when President Joe Biden suggests a two-state solution, that Israel has put 700,000 settlers in the would-be Palestinian state? Without an inquiring press, we have little government accountability. Aiding war on civilians becomes our standard procedure without consequence or apology.

Janet Kestenberg Amighi, West Chester

The people in Israel, Gaza, and around the world deserve a lasting, sustainable peace. A cycle of violence won’t bring that to anyone. We need a complete cease-fire. While we pray for peace, the war lobby in this country is scheming for ways to keep the fighting going to grow their profits. But a more peaceful world hangs in the balance, and our demand for peace is more important than ever.

Andrew Mills, Lower Gwynedd

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