Letters to the Editor | Feb. 10, 2026

As GOP lawmakers trip over themselves condemning President Donald Trump’s vile post of the Obamas, Republican voters need to remember that it did not occur in a vacuum. Ever since Richard Nixon’s “Southern strategy” peeled white supremacists away from the Democrats in 1968, through Ronald Reagan’s “welfare queen” era, the party has been largely defined by racism. These same GOP voices, including Pennsylvania’s Republican senator and our 10 Republican House representatives, have remained silent through Trump’s racist comments about Somalis, Haitians, and so many others, including members of Congress. At the state level, gerrymandering by governors and legislatures has diligently worked to dilute the voting power of people of color. Essentially, anyone who voted Republican anywhere along the line has abetted and been complicit in enabling Trump’s disgusting displays. There is plenty of blame to go around and ample need for true believers in American democracy to examine their consciences for the support they continue to give to Republicans’ voices.

Stephen E. Phillips, St. Petersburg, Fla.

I was thrilled that huge nationwide protests erupted in frigid winter weather after the killing by armed, masked federal agents of two innocent people in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Suddenly, Democrats in Congress quickly acted to threaten a government shutdown and demand reforms of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including banning its outlaw methods and reestablishing adherence to the rule of law. Even some Republican leaders finally grew a spine and condemned the killings. And this whitewashing administration born in birtherism, usually unfettered by truth, empathy, or shame, made some noises about changing its ruthless roundup and detention of innocent people.

But I wondered why this amazing and inspiring reaction to the obviously racist-based attacks on nonwhite immigrants, which have been going on for months and were visible for all to see, took so long to erupt. Was it because two white people had finally died?

If we ever have a chance to measure up to the ideals of freedom and equality of our beautiful American dream, America needs to confront its racist sickness directly and honestly as an ugly and omnipresent aspect of our national soul that must be exorcised through education and love. Or we and our nation will be torn apart over and over and over again.

Steve Cickay, Newtown

“The Inquirer offers news, which strives to present unbiased, factual reporting, and opinion, which showcases viewpoints.” These words appear on The Inquirer’s editorial page several times each week. If you actually read these pages on a daily basis, it is clear this is not the case.

Viewpoints may be showcased, but 95% are slanted to the left. The Inquirer’s obsession with opposing everything Donald Trump has resulted in the abandonment of attempts to provide unbiased editorial content.

Where are the news articles, editorial pieces, and political cartoons highlighting the tens of thousands of violent, criminal, illegal immigrants whom U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have removed from our streets? The same question can be asked about radical ICE protesters impeding law enforcement or disrupting a St. Paul, Minn., church service. And where is the outrage about the massive fraud situations in Minnesota and California?

The political cartoon in the Feb. 3 edition, which refers to the “slaughtering” of American citizens, was the most egregious to date. The word slaughtering is defined as “the killing of large amounts of people: massacre.” Two people were killed in Minneapolis (unfortunately, both chose to put themselves in danger), but does The Inquirer believe that cartoon is a fair depiction of the current enforcement of federal law? Words matter — particularly inflammatory ones like that. This is especially true for a journalistic organization like The Inquirer. Your readers deserve better.

Mark Fenstermaker, Warminster, markfense@gmail.com

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