Letters to the Editor | May 2, 2025

I was stunned and saddened to read in The Inquirer that Science Sleuths — a pilot hands-on science program for local junior high school students under the aegis of Historic Germantown — has had its federal funding slashed. The funding had been awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in 2023. Since 2017, I have served as an educator for the History Hunters program, an excellent social studies program that provides lessons to Philadelphia fourth and fifth graders focused on five sites in Historic Germantown: Stenton, Cliveden, La Salle Art Museum, the Johnson House, and Wyck.

Fortunately, History Hunters does not rely on federal money, but is supported through fundraising efforts spearheaded by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I happened to be at Stenton in early April when there was a Science Sleuths lesson in progress. I observed the students and their teachers, and the sense of excitement and engagement was palpable. Curiosity had been aroused; learning was happening! To squelch this highly promising pilot program makes no sense. Perhaps DOGE doesn’t stand for Department of Government Efficiency, but Department of Gross Empty-mindedness.

Kerry L. Bryan, Philadelphia

The U.S. Supreme Court must vote no against the creation of the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. Our Constitution assures there is no official religion in the United States. For years now, the high court’s conservative majority has allowed a chipping away at the separation between church and state. I stand with the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for the Separation of Church and State, and Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond, who do not want public funding for religious charter schools in our nation. It is un-American for our tax dollars to be spent on religious education of any kind.

Marilyn Frazier, Ambler

Since almost 70% of Israelis support ending the war in Gaza in exchange for the remaining hostages, the ongoing hostilities can only be viewed as Benjamin Netanyahu’s war, and not Israel’s. America must stop feeding Netanyahu the bombs he is using to kill innocent Palestinian women and children in Gaza. Day after day, Netanyahu is violating international law by attacking civilians. Netanyahu claims the government only bombs military targets; Vladimir Putin makes the same claim when he bombs civilians in Ukraine. Neither is being honest. The United States must stop providing the Netanyahu war machine with weapons used to kill innocent human beings.

William Cooney, Philadelphia

I read with great interest the recent op-ed, “As Jewish parents of students, don’t use us as an excuse for persecution.” I am Jewish and feel the writers articulate their sentiments beautifully. The Trump administration commonly uses a popular position as a ruse for promoting its underlying selfish agenda. Thus, opposing antisemitism is a mask for suppressing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at institutions of higher learning. DOGE is the guise to cut federal spending for those less fortunate. Eliminating waste and fraud becomes the ploy for eliminating research and science initiatives. Christian nationalism becomes the rationale for demonizing “other” groups, including Jewish people.

There is an underlying theme here, and it has nothing to do with protecting Jews. This administration will speak out against antisemitism only as long as it serves its underlying purpose. Donald Trump has clearly indicated he is not antisemitic or pro-Semitic. He is merely pro-Trump. Jewish people are simply a tool to help him achieve his ultimate goals: power and money. We should not be fooled by the blatant deceptions. Trump has made it quite obvious what he cares about, and it is not the American public, nor basic human decency.

Mark Lopatin, Jamison

In response to a recent letter praising Sen. Dave McCormick, it would be as if I, as a registered nurse, praised another nurse or a doctor for following their oaths of service to do no harm — but only on Mondays and Tuesdays. A senator takes an oath to protect the Constitution and the citizens he represents in all his actions. This includes all of his votes on any day. He has broken his oath repeatedly by ignoring the laws of this country passed by Congress. Only the Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court can negate these laws. I expect him to obey his oath and our laws, not the executive branch’s edicts.

Patricia Berky, Philadelphia

Imagine waking up, taking a walk, drinking your morning coffee, and finding out you are dead. You’ve lost your Social Security, your Medicare, your pension. You may lose your house and your bus ride to the job you lost. Just like the Trump administration has already done with thousands of immigrants, you, along with millions who are still breathing, have been placed on Social Security’s “death master file.” I think it should be easy to prove you are still alive, but the process will likely prove quite difficult. One solution might be for the millions impacted to organize as the National Association of the Walking Dead. The NAWD would support member needs and, most importantly, it would provide dead attorneys who could help bring members back to life.

Joel Chinitz, Philadelphia

A merit-based independent nominating system for judges will not only assure the independence of the judiciary but will also improve confidence in our judicial system. The strength of our democracy and our legal system is under increasing pressure, and as a result, state courts now play an increasingly vital role in making decisions that affect the safety, well-being, and stability of millions of people. State and local courts hear more than 95% of all cases filed in the U.S., and Pennsylvania is one of the busiest states in our country.

Confidence in our third branch of government is at an all-time low, and judicial elections requiring millions of dollars are not the answer. The recent race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court saw more than $73 million in campaign spending. Last year’s campaign for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat had $6 million in fundraising, and the race has yet to be settled after a barrage of legal challenges. These outrageous fundraising figures and contentious litigation not only disenfranchise voters, but they also politicize the process even more and give people little faith that judges are independent.

An independent, publicly accountable nomination commission, appointed by all three branches of government, as well as the deans of law schools and leaders of the bar associations in our commonwealth — reflecting diversity of industry, business, profession, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and geography — is an answer to this problem. This commission would publish open positions, the process of investigation, the names of the applicants for public comment, and make a recommendation of a slate of three candidates from which the governor would have to choose. Let’s work together to make this happen.

Deborah R. Gross, CEO and president, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts

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