Letters to the Editor | May 24, 2024

Our collective goal should be to build a system of quality schools equipped with effective and diverse teachers and leaders capable of preparing students to be successful citizens when they graduate. Philadelphia High School for Girls is an important asset in pursuit of this goal. Girls’ High offers young women educational experiences that can help them become inspired learners and reach their full potential. Instead of letting logistical issues of the day dictate our approach, we should be focused on elevating what has worked well for generations and promoting policies that expand access.

Our city must support evidenced-based practices. Girls’ High had implemented a summertime transition program for students in need of support based on their middle school grades or assessment data that ensured talented young women were prepared for the Girls’ High academic environment. This program produced students who were more likely to remain at the school and enroll in higher-level course offerings than students who did not participate in the program. As we collaboratively fight for more funding and resources needed to raise the quality of our schools, it would be a devastating blow to our progress if we allow this effective asset to fade away.

Stacy Holland, executive director, Elevate 215, Philadelphia

In 1780, Benedict Arnold threatened U.S. security by proposing to hand over the fortress at West Point in return for financial gain and an appointment to leadership in the British military. Arnold was denounced as a traitor, and he fled to England. Donald Trump is consumed with financial gain, and encouragement of Russian aggression threatens world and U.S. security. During his presidency, Trump curried Vladimir Putin’s favor by objecting to the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference, expressing admiration for Putin, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, proposing U.S. withdrawal from NATO, and withholding military assistance to Ukraine.

From January 2021 to August 2022, Trump allowed public access to unsecured classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. In 2024, Trump proclaimed he would be a dictator and said Russia should do whatever it wants to do. One might suspect Trump’s election campaign is an audition for appointment to the territorial boss of the Western Hemisphere branch of the Putin crime organization. The Trump classified document trial should be completed before November to ensure Trump is not the reincarnation of Benedict Arnold.

Craig McBride, Coatesville

Louisiana approved a bill to make abortion pills a controlled substance. This new bill blatantly targets low-income people. Sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time nationwide high due to those who have limited resources and insufficient health care. It reminds me of an era when crack cocaine had a higher classification over powdered cocaine, and minimal amounts of marijuana were a felony. Why are we arresting the unhoused? Mankind is in a dark phase. Stop weaponizing means.

K. Mayes, Philadelphia

It is regrettable that The Inquirer no longer has a full-time architectural critic. In her periodic columns, Inga Saffron now writes, for the most part, about the big issues, such as the proposed Sixers arena location and the 30th Street Station restoration. That is important coverage, but the city’s everyday architectural complexion is changing as never before, and that change is proceeding generally without comment or criticism by The Inquirer. An example of that change is the entire stretch of Ridge Avenue between Broad Street and Girard Avenue, lined with new five-story residential buildings, presenting an appearance that would be unrecognizable to most Philadelphians. Another example is the 1300 block of South Woodstock Street in South Philadelphia, lined with new metal-faced rowhouses. All of this is not to make a judgment about the new look the city is assuming, but rather simply to assert that we need to reflect upon it. And that is the job of a major newspaper in a big American city.

David S. Traub, Philadelphia

The FDR Park plan addresses two crises facing Philadelphia: climate change and deadly violence. In a city with hundreds of homicides every year, and a country where guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, we urgently need more safe places and activities for youth. We cannot afford to underutilize our public spaces, and the proposed plan will considerably improve access to recreation using only 12% of the park’s overall space. This is a sensible, commendable balance.

I’m concerned that plan opponents claiming to “save the park” keep seeking delays. The park is flooding over time, and young people need more recreational opportunities and spaces as soon as possible. The city’s comprehensive plan addresses ecological challenges and community needs simultaneously. While many public space decisions involve trade-offs, in this 348-acre park, there is room for the city’s “yes-and” approach. I grew up in South Philadelphia, where I was fortunate to access quality rec centers and public spaces. Without these spaces, I don’t know where I would be. I encourage readers following the park dispute to consider the class dynamics involved. Should we stop a park’s revitalization based on who has the time and resources to advocate?

Victoria Wylie, Philadelphia

The announcement of the Ballers indoor sporting facility planned for the Battery in Fishtown would be an exciting amenity for the city, perhaps especially in that upcoming area. Among the plentiful amenities to be offered is a turf sports field. Left unstated is what materials will be utilized for the field: Will it be natural, or the kind of turf linked to cancers in professional athletes? Will the city show the same indifference for the health of the field’s users as it has in FDR Park, where fields for young athletes will be laid down with artificial turf?

Norma Van Dyke, Philadelphia, nvandyke121@gmail.com

The widespread campus protests over the war in Gaza are hardly unique, and reveal many of the same lessons as previous movements. One is that passionate commitment to a cause can lead one to assume that history, justice, and righteousness are all fully on their side. But in the current debate, neither side has a monopoly on truth.

Supporters of the Palestinians who decry civilian casualties in Gaza seem hesitant to acknowledge that it was the brutal Hamas attack of Oct. 7 that triggered the even deadlier response by Israel, or that Hamas leadership appears stunningly indifferent to the suffering of their own civilians. Israel’s supporters complain of antisemitism and feel threatened by the encampments on university greens, but they seem oblivious to the everyday threats that growing Israeli settlements on the West Bank pose to the safety and livelihoods of the Palestinian families there.

Calling for the destruction of Israel only hardens the eye-for-an-eye mentality in hard-line Israeli circles. Denying Palestinians the prospect of a future state, or the promise of genuine equality in a single state, can only breed lasting resentment. University administrators continue to focus on shutting down the disrupters rather than engaging with the causes and convictions that drive them. Rhetoric matters, but so do real acts of compassion, conciliation, and concern for the other side. Without those, the standoffs will be with us long after campus tents are dismantled, to everyone’s loss.

Lee Cassanelli, Havertown, lcassanel@gmail.com

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