Letters to the Editor | Sept. 19, 2024

President Donald Trump’s lies about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating cats and dogs, stories which vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance admitted to making up to CNN host Dana Bash to bring attention to immigration policies, has resulted in bomb threats against government employees as well as university, high school, middle school, and elementary school students. Government employees and college students should not have to face the terror and fear of these threats, let alone young schoolchildren and their families. Colleges in Springfield have moved to online instruction. Words have consequences. This hateful language must stop!

Gerald Koren, Exton, gtkoren@yahoo.com

Sorry, I know presidential elections should be decided on serious policy issues, but I just can’t let go of this pet-eating thing. Normal people do not think that eating dogs and cats is a thing. Nowhere, even in the darkest recesses of a normal mind, is this even contemplated. A stable person, even if they have heard or read about “pet eating,” would be highly skeptical or dismiss the idea outright. Why, then, is a candidate for the highest office in the nation talking about this like it is real? There are an estimated 168 million cats and dogs in America. I never heard of any being eaten until Donald Trump said eating pets was a thing. What is happening in this guy’s head? I never thought that a decision about who would lead my country for the next four years would be cemented on such an issue. The truth is that I don’t want a guy like this living in the house next door, let alone the White House.

Michael J. Makara, Mays Landing

The Electoral College system is an outdated relic that no longer reflects the democratic principles of “one person, one vote.” Under this system, the focus is on a handful of swing states and battleground states, while millions of voters in other so-called safe states are left feeling like their vote doesn’t matter. U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin has recently been a vocal advocate for abolishing the Electoral College, recognizing that it’s time to ensure every citizen’s vote carries equal weight, no matter where they live. How can we continue to support a system where a candidate can win the popular vote, but lose the election? It’s time we move forward and end the Electoral College.

Steven Leibowitz, Bensalem

Donald Trump should be denied a second White House stint for a whole host of reasons that have been well-documented — including the selection of JD Vance, Ohio’s junior senator, as his running mate. Vance has little relevant experience to speak of, having served in public office for less than two years. More to the point, since his addition to the GOP ticket, Vance has steadfastly tried to out-Trump Trump. He is pushing an extremist agenda that includes brazenly dehumanizing migrant communities, treating childless women as second-class citizens, restricting military aid to Ukraine, and, of course, expressing admiration for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Vance also asserted that, unlike Vice President Mike Pence, he would have withheld certification of the 2020 election results and let Congress, rather than the electorate, determine its outcome. If the 78-year-old Trump gets reelected, Vance would be one heartbeat away from the presidency. With all this in mind, voters in the upcoming election should repudiate the Trump-Vance ticket, and thus preclude Vance from becoming the president-in-waiting.

Patrick J. Hagan, Ardmore

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