Letters to the Editor | July 1, 2026

A civics lesson for those of us who remember our high school class in government. Perhaps ironically, given today’s reality, in my Montgomery County high school, the course was named “Problems of Democracy.” These days, without a doubt, the problems are large and numerous.

I commend everyone for spending a few minutes finding and watching online Sen. Chris Murphy’s (D., Conn.) speech last week, “500 Days of Corruption.” Then contact your favorite Republican elected officials (and Republican candidates) from Pennsylvania, asking him/her to either 1) rebut the facts Murphy outlined (which represented only the tip of the corruption iceberg floating in the Trump swamp), or 2) state precisely what he or she will publicly do in an effort to clean the swamp and preserve our representative democracy.

As you wait forever for your response, as I do in my case from Sen. Dave McCormick, keep in mind the basic precept of our system is that these “officials” represent the interests of the residents of Pennsylvania, not merely the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his superwealthy family and friends.

Stephen Ulan, Wynnewood

When we saw The Inquirer’s “76 Neighborhood Gems,” the leadership of the Ceiba Collective came to the same conclusion: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Helen Keller’s quote is apropos because the piece missed important parts of Philly.

We understand it was based on a survey of The Inquirer’s readers, but the survey stated that your “own reporting” would ensure the collection was well-rounded.

The piece, however, was vision-impaired. It did not, for example, feature a Latino place in the city.

Highlighting this blind spot is not a complaint about inequity. We find fault with it because Philadelphians were not fully served. They did not get information that recognized the variety of gems in the city. This hurts us all because it misses the opportunity to bring diverse people together to learn more about Latinos: one of the fastest-growing and vibrant populations in Philly.

We know The Inquirer can do better.

We implore it to do so. Today, more than ever, we need to be fully informed and encouraged to connect with all people in all neighborhoods of the city.

Will Gonzalez, executive director, Ceiba, Philadelphia

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 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.