Letters to the Editor | June 1, 2025

The recent Penn State University board of trustees decision to close seven commonwealth campuses, while the school is also spending $700 million on a Beaver Stadium upgrade, shows the callous nature of the institution. Now, the board would probably respond that it has donors paying for the stadium upgrades. Did anyone ask those donors to help support these mostly rural campuses? Football takes precedence over education.

Chris Bannan, Media

I just attended a local CeaseFirePA event concerning what gun violence prevention programming has been doing both here in Bucks County and in neighboring counties. With few dollars and small staff, specific programs have been working diligently to both intervene and prevent violence and its escalation into mayhem and destruction. Their efforts have dwarfed the support they have been given. These evidence-based programs deserve to receive state funding, as they have for the last several years. These programs are not confined to this area, but are scattered throughout the entire state, as gun violence is certainly not a local issue. However, continued funding is not guaranteed, and Harrisburg often overlooks programs such as these. Please call your local state elected officials and tell them you support granting gun violence intervention and prevention programs the money they need to continue this vital work.

Sharon Furlong, Feasterville

Perhaps former President Joe Biden’s devastating Stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis will cause Congress and our U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to reconsider guidelines that men over 70 not be screened for prostate cancer — despite more than 50% of prostate cancers occurring in those over 70. Assuming Biden followed USPSTF guidelines, his prostate cancer had years to spread undetected and metastasize despite broad availability of inexpensive, convenient, and accurate diagnostic tests. Notably, American women are more susceptible to missed cervical cancer diagnoses, as USPSTF recommends women stop cervical cancer screening at age 65 (despite 20% of all cervical cancers occurring in women above that age). Maybe our members of Congress over age 70 will look out for themselves and us by influencing the USPSTF to raise the recommended cancer screening ages to detect more cancer and save more lives.

Fred Walker, Wyndmoor

Manuela Sieber-Messick’s recent op-ed illustrates what a mistake it was to destroy the U.S. Agency for International Development and the humanitarian programs it funded. Thousands who have been involved with USAID could corroborate Sieber-Messick’s experience of being part of bringing healthcare, clean water, nutrition, education, agricultural techniques, or other components of resiliency to developing countries. Just as important is the soft power America gained because of its unselfish giving. No one looks at a selfish leader with trust and gratitude, but rather fear and loathing. Our nation, known for humanity, helping, and building a better world, has become a nation that cares about only itself.

Foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget. For those who say the funds should stay in America and help Americans, look at what is being proposed: cutting food benefits and children’s school lunch programs, cutting Medicaid, and increasing the number of uninsured — all to provide tax cuts for the wealthiest. The Congressional Budget Office says the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would shrink household resources for the lowest-income households while increasing resources for the top one-tenth of households. Hardly a remedy that will make anything great again.

Carol Olivieri, Pennington, N.J.

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