Letters to the Editor | July 9, 2024
Inquirer readers on dropping the Electoral College, Joe Biden's candidacy, and disregard for others.
Early gift
Two years from now, America will be celebrating its 250th birthday. In the meantime, as an early gift to all of us who value free and fair elections, let’s take the steps necessary to rescind the Electoral College. I cannot think of any other contest that doesn’t select the winner based on getting the most votes. Why should a vote for something as important as the president of the United States be any different? We are all aware that in our last presidential election, there were efforts in several swing states to change the outcome by naming false electors. If we were basing the winner on the total votes nationwide, it never would have come to that. Cheaters are gonna cheat, so let’s eliminate one of their methods.
Robert Saettler, Westmont, robsaettler@gmail.com
Act now
Donald Trump is unfit to be president and should withdraw from the race, but he won’t, and it is obvious the GOP will never make him. This is not a model for Democrats to emulate. Politics has always functioned on two levels: reality and perception. The reality is that Joe Biden has been an excellent president, and could probably be so again unless his age is catching up with him, as it does for so many people in their 80s. The national perception is that Biden’s cognitive decline was obvious in the debate. There is no way to undo that perception.
The Democratic Party has treated Biden poorly at times in the past, and we all owe him a great debt for saving us from a second Trump term. He can now ride off into the sunset as a true American hero. The stakes in this election are too high for the Democrats to nominate anyone but the candidate with the best chance to prevent Project 2025 from being implemented by a wannabe dictator with no regard for anyone but himself. If Democrats act quickly, there is still time to energize the country behind their choice from some very strong governors. The contrast between an optimistic younger candidate and the bitter, selfish old man Trump will dramatically tilt the race in the Democrats’ favor.
Fred Kelemen, Philadelphia
Selfish disregard
The article highlighting an 11-year-old’s ability to make money and gain fame doing stunts on his bicycle touched upon two major issues in our society but fails to follow through: bullying and a disregard for others. A concerned neighbor’s protesting to seek her own ability to live her life results in her being labeled a Karen, mocked, and tormented by the Santacroce family. While many may seem to applaud the family’s ability to gain fortunes online (including The Inquirer, which focused on the family’s — not the neighbors’ — perspective), doing so at the expense of others’ quality of life should be called out.
To have parents disregard their neighbors, scoff and mock at a town’s plea for them to think of others and general safety concerns, provides insight into the selfishness and worst behavior we as a society seem to embrace. Is it any wonder the crudest, loudest, and most self-centered among us seem to get their way these days while the rest of us are forced to stew and be insulted when we dare stand up for ourselves?
Tim Steinitz, Philadelphia
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