Letters to the Editor | May 9, 2025

Donald Trump never served in the military. He received five deferments at the height of the Vietnam War, four for education and one medical waiver for bone spurs. We know that in his first term, he opted not to visit an American cemetery in France, and was quoted as saying that it was filled with “losers.” Later, he referred to our military soldiers killed at Belleau Wood as “suckers.” He disparaged Sen. John McCain, saying McCain was a hero only because he was a prisoner of war. Now suddenly, in a dizzying flurry of social media posts, Trump wants naming rights for holidays that honor veterans, changing the focus to “victory.”

According to Trump, “we did more than any other country, by far,” and “nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery or military brilliance.” In one fell swoop, he glosses over our men and women who actually fought and brought about those victories, while simultaneously dishonoring and disrespecting all of our allies who fought and died valiantly defending their own soil. All so he can claim victory, say he’s No. 1, and throw himself a big fat parade. No matter the cost. No matter the wholesale cuts he’s made to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the firing of veterans from civil service. Everybody loves a parade! The more grandiose the better, all to serve as another smokescreen to hide the glaring truth that it’s all a cover for a man who knows deep down that he doesn’t measure up.

Deborah DiMicco, Newtown

I am writing regarding House Bill 1097, a proposal that would ban pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. I am a lifelong member of the National Rifle Association and supporter of hunting, but I am opposed to these pigeon shoots — as are my friends who hunt. Pigeon shoots are barbaric, completely unnecessary, and utterly sadistic. The birds are often transported here from other states and deprived of food and water before being unceremoniously launched from spring-loaded traps to be shot. This is not sporting in any sense of the word. Many are left to suffer after being shot, or are inhumanely killed if they survive the shooting. Frankly, I feel there is little difference between pigeon shoots and animal fighting. These horrific shoots need to be banned. I strongly encourage everyone to contact their elected officials and ask them to support HB 1097 and bring an end to these senseless pigeon shoots.

Steven G. Bazil, Birchrunville

I am curious as to how people in our country are responding to the news that human beings, dehumanized and derided, called “animals” and “illegal monsters” by our current administration, are being shipped out of the United States on expensive military transport planes. They are detained in deplorable conditions in countries that are not their own. Will we say, “I never knew,” or do we just not care? I am reminded of human beings who were called rats, lice, cockroaches, and subhuman, who were shipped from their home in railway cars, put in cages, and exterminated. How are we allowing this to happen all over again?

M. Courtenay Willcox, Wayne

There was warranted concern after President Donald Trump expressed doubts when asked if he believes he needs to keep his vow to uphold the Constitution. However, close observation reveals he completed no such vow. Yes, Trump parroted the necessary words during his inauguration — a promise to defend our Constitution — but when called upon to take the oath, his wife, Melania, held two Bibles, one belonging to the Trump family and one used at the inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln. Her husband placed his hand on neither.

True, placing one’s hand on a Bible is not required at a presidential inauguration. Two others who did not, John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, were strong defenders of the rule of law — unlike Trump. Yes, we are a nation founded on the importance of the separation of church and state, which is why Adams placed his hand on a book of American law, rather than a Bible. However, the presidential oath is seen by most Americans as a biblical promise of devotion to the Constitution, a living document devoted to the opportunities, protection, and well-being of all citizens.

Trump’s decision was both calculated and intentional, his actions speaking louder than words, and marking a refusal to consummate his verbal promise. The only true vow our 47th president has made is one to himself: to enhance his own wealth, power, and control over others. His inauguration foreshadowed the endless violations our country now endures by one who does not see himself as our president, but as our god-ruler, the maker and keeper of the laws he selects. One who intended no vow to uphold our Constitution, but instead signaled the opposite — a total disregard for our rule of law and the determination to kill it.

SaraKay Smullens, Philadelphia

When my JumpStart Germantown graduates ask me where to invest in real estate, I often mention the Nicetown section of Philadelphia. While there has been significant disinvestment in Nicetown over the past several decades, due to redlining and lost manufacturing, it is easily accessible to SEPTA’s Wayne Junction train station and the Broad Street Line, and well-positioned for growth in the future. Blighted houses can be purchased for $40,000 to $80,000 and renovated for homeownership or rental using JumpStart Philly loans. Philly Office Retail’s nearly 100,000-square-foot “mini Bok” project at 3939 Germantown Ave., expected to break ground in early 2026, will bring hundreds of jobs to the community. Housing in Nicetown is still very affordable. Rents, for example, at Philly Office Retail’s Autograph Apartments in Wayne Junction start at only $875 per month. We take much pride in providing naturally occurring affordable housing in middle neighborhoods, and will continue to do so.

Ken Weinstein, president, Philly Office Retail, ken@phillyofficeretail.com

Abolishing the death penalty is a vital reform. However, for me and the 20% of U.S. adults who identify as Catholic, it ought also to be a moral imperative. The system is not only broken, but the deaths in themselves violate the human dignity of all people. Thus, to abolish such a practice is to recognize the inherent dignity within each person. As Pope Francis once said, “If I do not deny that dignity to the worst of criminals, I will not deny it to anyone.”

Sadly, his voice was ignored by Republican leadership. Even President Donald Trump, who won the national Catholic vote by a wide margin, has gone further by reinstating the death penalty at the federal level, with Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, saying nothing. This is not an attack against our current leadership, but a call to understanding for members of this administration to recognize our valid argument against the death penalty, and just maybe, agree with it. In particular, I hope Vance shares this spiritual vision and embraces the call to abolish the horrid sin that is government-sanctioned death.

Jackson Russell, Springfield

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