Letters to the Editor | July 7, 2026

Thank you to the editors of The Inquirer for placing the opening lines of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence on the front page as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation.

May we continue to ensure these fundamental human rights given by our Creator are not taken away.

Mary Beth Rodger, Warwick

I was stunned and delighted by July 4’s front page. I wish I could buy a poster-sized version. It expresses everything I want our government to strive for.

Anne Slater, Ardmore

Bravo, Inquirer! Unfolding my morning paper and seeing your outstanding choice for front page text took my breath away. How powerful. How beautiful. How full of hope. Thank you.

Elizabeth Gavula, Philadelphia

During the past five weeks, I have attended seven or eight performances presented as part of the ArtsPhilly: What Now 2026 Festival, celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding through the work of Philadelphia artists and arts organizations.

What made these events so memorable was their focus on lesser-known community arts groups. The festival showcased theater, storytelling, poetry, dance, music, visual arts, and performance art, and every event I attended drew enthusiastic audiences. They demonstrated both the vitality of Philadelphia’s arts community and the public’s appetite for diverse, neighborhood-based cultural experiences.

That is why I was dismayed to read both your editorial and Peter Dobrin’s article about the city’s decision to reduce funding for the Mural Arts program and the Philadelphia Cultural Fund. The cultural fund provides essential grants to smaller, underresourced organizations — the very groups ArtsPhilly helped bring to wider public attention.

These cuts are a shortsighted response to the city’s budget challenges. The strong attendance at ArtsPhilly events shows Philadelphians value these organizations and the opportunities they create for connection, creativity, and community. Rather than weakening them, the city should invest in them. If these cuts stand, Philadelphia’s cultural life — and all who benefit from it — will be poorer.

Naomi Lokoff, Glenside

Jonathan Zimmerman’s thoughtful defense of the Peace Corps deserves attention. One of its greatest achievements, however, is often overlooked. When President John F. Kennedy and Sargent Shriver created the Peace Corps, they established three goals. The third — and perhaps the most enduring — was to bring home the knowledge and understanding volunteers gained by living and working alongside people in other countries.

As Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Morocco from 1968 to 1970, we have seen that goal fulfilled. More than 250,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have become teachers, professors, physicians, scientists, diplomats, public servants, business leaders, and community volunteers. The perspective gained during two years of service has shaped careers, classrooms, communities, and public institutions across the United States.

Measured over a lifetime, the return on America’s investment in the Peace Corps is extraordinary. The benefits did not end when volunteers came home; in many ways, they were just beginning.

Zimmerman reminds us that the Peace Corps is one of the smallest items in the federal budget. It is also one of the wisest investments our nation has ever made.

James F. Lawrence, senior executive, U.S. Department of State (retired), and Daniel A. Wagner, professor and UNESCO chair, University of Pennsylvania

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.