Letters to the Editor | July 24, 2026
Inquirer readers on soccer’s continued growth in the U.S. after the World Cup and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s handling of revelations about voter registration errors in the Garden State.
Transparent leadership
On its face, the fact that more than 6,000 people who were not U.S. citizens were able to register to vote in New Jersey — and approximately 400 of them did cast ballots — was rightfully big news. Lost in the headlines, I believe, was the fact that Gov. Mikie Sherrill learned about this last week and, within six days, went public, knowing it would look bad for all those involved. This leadership — in which transparency and accountability are prioritized over political gain — is exactly what is needed in a situation such as this. I can speak to that as a resident of New Jersey and say I am proud to have Gov. Sherrill leading the way.
Steve Clayton, Ocean, N.J.
Flip-flops
I read Mike Sielski’s recent column suggesting that in order for soccer to become a staple sport in the United States, “flopping” must be eliminated.
I respectfully disagree. Flopping has little to do with soccer’s struggle to gain a major foothold here. Instead, it is the lack of scoring that turns American fans away. Americans are accustomed to the high level of excitement that comes from scoring in our most popular sports. We want the thrill of touchdowns in football, high-scoring basketball games, and more offense than a typical 1-0 baseball or hockey game.
The key to increasing soccer’s popularity in the U.S. is to increase scoring. This could be achieved by changing the rules to favor offense, or increasing the width and height of the goals.
Soccer is a beautiful game. Making it more exciting through more scoring will truly enhance its growth.
Iz Cakrane, Haddon Heights
Nuclear proliferation
The Trump-Kushner cabal has decided to use the U.S. government to promote a Saudi nuclear enrichment program. Curious.
Saudi Arabia is an autocratic kingdom run by a violent young Saudi prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whose wealth and power are much admired by President Donald Trump. Also, bin Salman’s financial tentacles directly enrich the president and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The Saudi Sunni branch of Islam operates madrassas dedicated to ideals that have faced criticism from human rights groups — misogynistic, homophobic, anti-democratic, and opposed to “decadent” Western humanist values.
Now, in return for undisclosed financial considerations, President Trump promotes a Saudi nuclear enrichment program. Will there be meaningful oversight of the president’s business partner to prevent weapons-grade nuclear enrichment? Why empower the Saudi nuclear program? What will we do when China or Russia decide to enable proliferation in Iran? What about other nations seeking nuclear weapons to guard against a fickle U.S. regime?
Will Congress exert restraint on the president’s nuclear business deal? Doubtful. More likely, history will witness this cultish Republican Congress unleash global nuclear proliferation. How will Americans respond?
Mike Shivers, Altoona
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