Letters to the Editor | Jan. 30, 2024

How nice of Janine Yass to level heavy criticism against Philadelphia public schools in a recent letter to the editor. She herself is the founder of a charter school in Philadelphia. Her husband is the richest man in Pennsylvania, with his money going to the campaigns of several right-wing school board candidates around the state. They clearly have their own agenda when it comes to education. Philadelphia public schools are notoriously underfunded, but they are available to every child, not just the very few. Plans to improve funding are in the works after a major lawsuit by struggling districts. It will take some time, but let’s hope that all, not just some, of Philadelphia’s school kids will eventually get the educational opportunities they deserve. It matters for their future and for ours.

Jean A. Kozel, West Norriton

As noted in the article in Sunday’s Inquirer on businesses around the country refusing cash as payment, this is unfair to people who don’t or can’t have a bank account. It’s also senseless because those companies are turning away profit, not just business. I would personally find it to be a significant inconvenience if every tiny purchase had to be done on plastic. Justifying the charges on my accounts would be a time-consuming nightmare. As the consumer, I decide which is more convenient for individual transactions. Sometimes I pay with plastic, but cash is usually more convenient for small purchases. My bottom line is simple: If I want to pay cash and a vendor will not accept it, there’s a similar company nearby that will. If my cash is no good to a company, then that company is worthless to me.

Harry S. Nydick, Maple Shade

What do Alex Jones, Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, and Donald Trump all have in common? Some will argue they are proof that the justice system is engaged in an attack to punish conservative voices. That, or we could look at the facts. Jones claimed without logic or facts that the mass murder of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., was a false flag to harm the gun industry. It was a brutal attack on the families of the victims. Fox News and its hosts and guests repeatedly claimed on air that a voting company switched votes from Trump to Joe Biden to throw the election.

Giuliani’s lies about election workers caused them to leave their homes and fear for their lives. Trump didn’t have the self-restraint (or decency) to stop his defamation efforts even after he was ordered to pay $5 million. Instead, he continued to badger the woman he sexually assaulted. These defamation cases have victims, and the perpetrators have tried to destroy lives. These cases are egregious in their cruelty. The justice system is not rigged. The only answer that works is for networks and people to stop lying. We’re now at the point where lives will be at stake if they don’t.

Elliott Miller, Bala Cynwyd

Thank you to University of Pennsylvania student Charity Robbins for highlighting the need for mental health support and resources to prepare students for college life. It is sadly ironic that the photo chosen to accompany her op-ed includes the source of increased anxiety and depression among pre-college youth: a cell phone. Recent studies have connected young students’ reliance on the internet for their social interactions with the growing number of young people struggling with issues of mental health — including social isolation, addictive behavior, and suicide. In addition to the essential support Robbins asks for, I call for guidance on using social media to enhance rather than erode the developing mental health of young users.

Jill Gates Smith, Philadelphia

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