Letters to the Editor | Feb. 12, 2025

Forget the early illegal policies Donald Trump has put into place — he now has dissed our Eagles. And the entire Eagles Nation. Unforgivable! Why would we expect anything different from a person who continues to divide our nation and indulge in petty vindictiveness? Anyone he believes, rightly or erroneously, has wronged him in the past forever remains a target. He assured voters he was the person to unite and heal our nation. While Trump quickly congratulated the Kansas City Chiefs when they won their division, the White House remained silent after the Eagles’ convincing victory over the Washington Commanders. He attended the Super Bowl to grab more headlines while he gloated on the boos for Taylor Swift because she did not support him. As of Monday night, he was too busy to even congratulate our Eagles. Why? He did not win the city, and he recalled the team’s reluctance to visit the White House in 2018. What a man.

Richard Meltzer, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Super Bowl LIX was truly one for the ages. Nothing is for certain, but we may never again see a Big Game featuring the following: A player who had the all-time greatest season as a running back. A halftime show with a performer singing indecipherable lyrics. A Super Bowl attended by a former Beatle, the wealthiest female musician in the world, and someone allowed in the luxury box who was convicted of 34 felonies and found liable of sexual assault. What’s in store for Super Bowl LX? Anything less than a live musical performance by the Village People, fresh off their residence at the Trump Gaza Riviera Hotel, would be a letdown.

Vin Morabito, Scranton

I’m not your typical sports fan. In fact, I’ve been a bit cowardly when Eagles games were played this season because I couldn’t bear to see them lose and then experience the collective pain all Philadelphians would experience, starting with my son and his friends, devoted fans since boyhood. Similarly, too many of us Democrats have been hibernating since November, but nothing we’ve been able to do has insulated us enough from the daily destructive orders coming from the White House. The blows to our norms, traditions, values, and institutions, including our Constitution, have been overwhelming.

So, when the Eagles started soaring during the Super Bowl and the crowds started cheering, I felt a return of the adrenaline needed to do everything in my power to fight for the things we hold dear. Jalen Hurts, the fabulous quarterback and MVP, reminded us that when we lose, we learn. We come together, ego-free, and help each other rise above the negativity, divisiveness, misinformation, and every other obstacle we encounter so that we can achieve our mutual goal.

And while the goal of the Eagles was a worthy one, the mission of maintaining our democracy can’t even be measured. It’s everything. We are now waiting for our visionary, disciplined, and inspirational leaders to communicate our journey to victory. Thank you, Philadelphia Eagles, for your huge infusion of pride and joy and glorious example to emulate.

Alexis Gerard Finger, Bala Cynwyd

. . .

Fair-weather fan Donald Trump, suffering from yet another case of FOMO, decided to insert himself into the joy and frenzy of a Super Bowl game, the first president ever to muck up what should be pure fun and entertainment. This president, so intent on cutting government spending (especially for anyone poor, hungry, or helpless), had no qualms about costing the American people millions of dollars for this self-serving whim. It was no surprise Trump favored the Chiefs, noting that “the quarterback really knows his stuff.” Let’s not forget Trump congratulated Kansas City on their AFC championship win, yet when the Eagles trounced the Washington Commanders for the NFC championship? Crickets.

This Super Bowl game should have been purely sports joy and celebration, but Trump tarnished it by showing up, and then high-tailing it out at the half, not even bothering to support his team when the chips were down. Since Trump made this political, the game can be a good metaphor for Democrats. Republican politicians, cravenly following Trump as he blows by guardrails they swore an oath to protect and uphold, are on offense. They hold a slim majority. It’s time for Dems to channel Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

This is the big game for our Constitution. It’s time to come to the center. It’s time to play defense. Trump’s presidential possession is only weeks old. Channel the determination, focus, discipline, and conviction we saw in the Eagles to stop Trump’s forward (going backward) progress. This is for the Democracy Trophy. As every coach and athlete knows, offense may win games, but defense wins championships. Go Birds. C’mon, Dems. We got this.

Deborah DiMicco, Newtown

Donald Trump’s executive order halting all U.S. aid to South Africa and directing his administration to develop a plan for resettling white Afrikaners as refugees is yet another clear statement he and his regime are working tirelessly to entrench white supremacy as this country’s central tenet. If handing oversight of U.S. finances and programs to Elon Musk — a South African citizen — while he makes Nazi gestures and espouses blatantly racist remarks isn’t evidence enough, consider this: Why would Trump, who ran on an “America first” platform, suddenly care about policies in South Africa, particularly those that benefit white South Africans?

At the same time, he is viciously tearing Black and brown immigrant families apart. Make no mistake — Trump is aligning his administration, his allies, our laws, our institutions, and national investments to realize their ultimate vision of a white nationalist nation. And white people, do not be fooled into thinking it will end there. White supremacy is not just a threat to people of color — it harms white people, too. There is a better path: solidarity and collective action for the betterment of all working people.

Imagine better schools, strong public transit, real health care, and livable wages for all. I am white, and I know all aspects of my life improve in tangible ways when others around me can thrive. Furthermore, my life will be better when my humanity is not tied to an identity built on oppression, exploitation, and the erasure of others. It is time for us to unite and fight together for a just and equitable future before it’s too late.

Carrie Rathmann, Philadelphia

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