Letters to the Editor | Dec. 15, 2024
Inquirer readers on the death of Jordan Neely, the Sixers arena, and the U.S. economies.
Gloating disrespect
The photograph of Daniel Penny and his defense team in Wednesday’s Inquirer is sickening, as they smile and gloat after Penny was found not guilty of charges in his killing of Jordan Neely. As Solomon Jones writes in his column, their satisfaction is akin to those men, women, and children who smiled for the camera while proudly standing next to lynched and tortured Black bodies. Neely was tortured as well while Penny choked him. I am white and I am ashamed of this perceived white dominance where Black folks can be killed with impunity. I honor Jones for this truth-telling. His words matter to me, as do Black lives.
Debra O’Connor, Philadelphia, dfoc@me.com
Negative impact
The shortened process of approving the building of the Sixers arena raises several issues. Why is the city allowing the use of tax-free public land to build the arena? The billionaire team owners are putting forward a mere $60 million community benefits agreement, a sum that is not sufficient to address the negative effects on Chinatown, the cost of upgrading Jefferson Station, the limited parking space currently available in Center City, and projected traffic woes.
Our mayor and City Council seem to be ignoring the reality that most Philadelphians, not just those who live in Chinatown, correctly believe that the arena will be detrimental to Center City and the surrounding neighborhoods. Also, is it anything other than wishful thinking that a majority of fans who drive to games, especially from the suburbs, will switch to public transit? Lastly, the selling point for Philadelphia that construction jobs will employ many workers in the city ignores the reality that a significant percentage of them live in the suburbs.
Paul L. Schraeder, Philadelphia
From the top
There are three economies: macro, capital gains, and the rest of us. The macro and capital gains crowd are corporations, hedge funds, and the 1% who avoid taxes. They are whom the media is talking about when they say the United States has the best-performing economy. Kamala Harris using the campaign slogan “opportunity economy” did not square with millions of voters who are living in a trickle-down … oops, trickle-up economy. Capitalism is designed for corporations to create profits and return those profits to their shareholders, not their workforce. How could so many vote repeatedly for a system where a few have so much money that they could not spend in a lifetime and expect another outcome?
Joel H. Beldner, Glenmoore
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