Letters to the Editor | Feb. 28, 2024

I don’t understand the point of a letter to the editor published on Sunday that refers to the chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. The letter writer describes the very serious physical and economic troubles facing the residents affected by the toxins released in the train derailment there, but then ends his letter with: “These people are watching their government let them suffer with no offers of a government buyout even as their tax dollars help fund the Ukraine war.”

Ignore the fact that money earmarked for Ukraine comes from the military budget and thus could not be used to help the people of East Palestine. The real question is, what about Norfolk Southern, the company that owns the train that derailed? The company that did not maintain its equipment. The company that does not adequately staff its trains that carry extremely toxic cargo through densely populated areas. The company that is aggressively fighting to prevent the government from imposing stricter regulations. What about it? It seems the government’s role is to regulate and hold companies accountable. It is Norfolk Southern’s responsibility to face the consequences of its shortsighted decisions and fully compensate the people of East Palestine.

Michael Walsh, Elkins Park

Once again, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry displays his contempt for, or willful ignorance of, the Constitution by urging House Republicans to cancel the president’s State of the Union address, scheduled for March 7. In Perry’s twisted view, “There’s no need to invite him.” Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires that the president “from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” It’s too bad that Perry doesn’t want to hear the speech, but maybe he should just stay home. You might think that the failure of his efforts to overturn a presidential election would have convinced him finally to read the Constitution, but it hasn’t.

Steven K. Vernon, Havertown

New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy’s campaign is trying to present U.S. Rep. Andy Kim’s lawsuit to abolish the state’s “county line” balloting system as a desperation ploy. They are trying to paint Kim as a sore loser: “He has a problem with the idea of losing county lines,” said a Murphy spokesperson. Except Kim’s been winning them in landslides in every county where the committees use a democratic vote instead of the bosses handing them out. The Murphy campaign also says Kim is a hypocrite: “He’s been perfectly happy to participate in the process.” But he has not been happy; he has had no choice, as this is an entrenched system. In this race, he has had to compete for county lines because Murphy is the only Democratic candidate to not agree to using an office-block ballot. So, who really “has a problem” with losing county lines? Is it national security adviser and three-term Rep. Kim, or the no-experience former Republican trying to get anointed?

Ciarrai Campbell, Mount Holly

I’m a Democrat and will vote Democratic to prevent a Donald Trump presidency that would likely hollow out democracy. That said, I am appalled at the rot in our local Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, led by Bob Brady and populated by a preponderance of closed wards. They have abandoned their purpose just to cling to their little political fiefdoms when they should be building a bulwark against Trump Republicans. Case in point: My City Council representative, reversing the proper procedure, was made ward leader of the ward where I live and, prior to 2022, appointed her pick of committeepeople. We never saw the appointees getting out the votes.

Various divisions in our ward then elected 11 committeepeople who are committed to doing the work. The ward leader vindictively blocked the duly elected committeepeople from ward meetings, and now has expelled them from the ward. Fortunately, the ones we elected are not in their jobs as sycophants. Those we elected will be out in the street bringing out the voters as an open, if alternate, ward. They will be working to save our country from undemocratic Trump Republicans despite their rejection by an undemocratic Democratic City Committee. Fellow Philadelphians: Don’t be complacent about the state of things in our city.

JoAnn Seaver, Philadelphia

Israel still has a chance to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages without destroying Rafah. The Palestinians (not Hamas) in Rafah would have to meet four conditions: show the Israel Defense Forces where the tunnels are, identify the Hamas terrorists, show where the hostages are, and stand back and let the Israeli army go to work. Israel could also sweeten the pot with an offer of assistance in rebuilding Gaza after the end of hostilities and unfettered humanitarian aid. Should Benjamin Netanyahu decline, President Joe Biden should make the offer unilaterally on worldwide TV. Would Bibi balk then? Would he be forced to become a hero? Let’s put the onus on the Palestinians and absolve Israel for whatever may happen should they say no. What would the world say? That Israel wasn’t fair? That it wasn’t following the laws of war? All that goes out the window. Will the Palestinians side with their children or Hamas?

Ken Rozov, Cherry Hill

Justice Samuel Alito once again demonstrates that he puts his religion ahead of the Constitution. In a recent statement, Alito wrote that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage shows how “Americans who do not hide their adherence to traditional religious beliefs about homosexual conduct will be ‘labeled as bigots and treated as such’ by the government.” It seems elementary that under the Constitution, people may believe what they wish, but they may not act on those beliefs if they are hurtful to others. If people have bigoted beliefs, they should not sit in judgment on a jury that weighs the rights of those in the LGBTQ community.

It is time for Alito and others like him to wake up to the fact that adherence to “traditional religious beliefs” doesn’t suddenly transform bigoted beliefs into unprejudiced beliefs. Those traditional religious beliefs once were the refuge of slave owners. They were used to justify keeping women from the vote. Not only is there nothing in the Constitution that justifies giving bigoted religious beliefs any status, but the establishment clause forbids imposing them, as does the Article VI provision that no religious test shall be permitted for holding office in the federal government or the states. The Roberts court has bent the separation of church and state into a pretzel to satisfy its own notions of religion.

Bruce E. Endy, Wynnewood

When I heard that a private company was going to land a U.S. rover on the moon for the first time in 50 years, I was excited to watch it live on TV. Two years ago, I made my family watch when the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission slammed a rocket into an asteroid. The live camera feed showed the surface of the asteroid just moments before impact. It was exciting and reminded me of when I was a child and my parents woke me up to watch the moon landing live on our old black-and-white TV. I thought, if we could show the moon landing live on TV in 1969, just imagine what we could show now. I was surprised and saddened that there was absolutely no live footage from Odysseus. What a missed opportunity to capture the nation’s imagination and reignite public interest in space.

Stefan Keller, Huntingdon Valley

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 200 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.