Letters to the Editor | Feb. 15, 2024

Like James Comey before him, special counsel Robert Hur knows how to deliver a fast one-two punch. In a report issued last week, he simultaneously declined to prosecute Joe Biden over the mishandling of classified documents and smacked down the president in an election year with the assertion that he is elderly, doddering, and so confused that he can’t recall when his beloved son, Beau, passed away. A low blow. To me, it felt almost personal. Monday was the eighth anniversary of my husband Acel Moore’s death. That recollection lives in my heart every day, blending with conscious memory as life goes on. That is how grief works. Grant our president the grace to mourn his son (and baby daughter and first wife, lost long ago). Meanwhile, Biden is doing a remarkable job of governing a divided and unruly nation, working with a divided and dysfunctional Congress in an increasingly volatile world. Like he says to those who are concerned he’s too old for the presidency: “Watch me.”

Linda Wright Moore, Wyncote

What is the last name of the president of Egypt? If you don’t know, then you probably should not criticize President Joe Biden for saying “Mexico” in his news conference when he obviously meant “Egypt.” After all, Biden named the president of Egypt off the top of his head while describing the complex logistics of getting aid to Gazan residents, which he has been advocating for in talks with various Middle Eastern leaders. Do you know anything about that effort, by the way? OK, the answer is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Guess we all have gaps in our memories. Maybe we all mix up our words sometimes. That doesn’t make us unable to do our jobs, and it doesn’t prevent the president from doing his.

William Culleton, Philadelphia, wcully2@comcast.net

It’s been more than eight months since the Pennsylvania House passed bipartisan, lifesaving gun safety legislation. That’s eight months that gun violence has threatened Pennsylvanians. People are reluctant to go get groceries, young people fear violence when they gather, and worse yet, kids are scared to go to school. I, a very protected elder in a continuing care retirement community, feel unsafe from road rage when I drive, and fears for my family are always with me.

State Sen. Lisa Baker is holding HB 1018 and HB 714 in the Senate Judiciary Committee without a hearing and chance for a vote, even though they passed the House with bipartisan support among lawmakers — including votes from my state representative, Joe Hogan. As for the public, polling shows that voters support HB 1018’s extreme risk protection orders by 80% (including 70% of gun owners). Support for universal background checks, addressed in HB 714, is at 89% (including 85% of gun owners and 81% of Republicans). It is beyond my comprehension why Baker is doing this. Isn’t the protection of Pennsylvanians the primary role of the people we vote for?

Margaret Yoma Ullman, Newtown

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