Letters to the Editor | Oct. 2, 2025

The attempts to blame the government shutdown on the Democratic Party defy logic. Despite the fact that the majority of voters rejected them, Republicans control both houses of Congress, the White House, and even the U.S. Supreme Court. With this power, they have worked to strip Americans of health coverage while giving more tax breaks to billionaires. If Republicans truly believe these policies are best for the American people, they should stand by them and enact their budget rather than try to browbeat Democrats into taking the blame for a mess of the GOP’s own making.

Margaret Thornton, Wynnewood

Let’s keep in mind that the politicians responsible for the shutdown still get paid.

Marie Conn, Hatboro

Mark Fenstermaker, a recent letter writer, seems to have two things mixed up when he compares the Biden administration’s attempts to halt misinformation and the Trump team’s endorsement of the Jimmy Kimmel suspension. There is a difference between free speech and misinformation. The first is protected by the First Amendment. However, what President Joe Biden was trying to hold social media giants like Facebook (Meta), X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube accountable for was their negligence in not keeping misinformation (sharing information that is inaccurate without ill-will) and disinformation (sharing false news with malicious intent) off their websites and apps.

Free speech means I can share opinions, even ones that are cruel and hate-filled, and be protected by the Constitution. Repeating untruths (that have been factually disproven by multiple respected media sources) to rile up certain groups of people to take action, often in the form of physical violence, or in order to sway votes in an election, is an entirely different beast. I believe that is why so many people, from all angles of the political spectrum, came together to call out and warn against what ABC’s parent company, Disney, did in order to win points with the current administration, whose members often seem to be fuzzy on what the difference is between opinion, fact, free speech, and outright lies.

Lauree Padgett, Voorhees

It should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention that our nation’s farmers are in peril because of the Trump administration’s reckless and ill-advised tariff policies. This happened during Trump 1.0, only now it’s worse (like everything else). Now we start to hear the rumblings of a bailout for our farmers because of this self-inflicted policy.

Farming has never been easy, and there can be times when government assistance should be considered: natural disasters or technological impacts, for instance. However, this wasn’t unforeseen or unavoidable; it was, in fact, broadcast and embraced as the plan during the election. Donald Trump received 78% of the vote in the top farming counties, so they voted for this plan. Let them also now deal with the consequences. Each day, large swaths of citizens in our country deal with the ignorance and cruelty of this administration. Surely our farmers, our fellow citizens, can also bear this same burden? Perhaps it will generate more thoughtful consideration on future votes for our leaders.

Dave Leitch, Philadelphia

I would like to express my appreciation to The Inquirer for introducing the new column, Shackamaxon, which will be featured on Fridays.

Daniel Pearson, a Philadelphia native with awareness of both city and state, demonstrates an engaging writing style. While national events often dominate our attention, it is equally essential that we remain aware of developments occurring within our immediate surroundings.

This new column is particularly relevant considering an article that appeared the day after Pearson’s column debuted, which addressed problems related to political patronage in the row offices.

Pearson’s writing is reminiscent of Steve Lopez, a journalist who reported on the city during the 1990s.

In an era when local newspapers are reducing their workforce — something The Inquirer has not been immune to — it’s encouraging to witness management recognizing this young journalist’s abilities and valuing the importance of keeping the public well-informed.

Marguerite Sexton, Philadelphia

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