Letters to the Editor | Sept. 9, 2024

The year is 1824. President James Monroe decides to honor an old friend who had fought by his side 47 years earlier, under orders from Gen. George Washington — and use the opportunity to instill a sense of patriotic pride in a new generation of American citizens during an election year. That old friend was the Marquis de Lafayette — the “hero of two worlds” and the last of the great Revolutionary War generals. Lafayette enthusiastically accepted Monroe’s invitation. He would travel around the United States for more than a year, visiting 24 states and becoming the first foreigner to address Congress.

Two centuries later, the friendship between Lafayette and the founders serves as an enduring reflection of the deep ties between France and the United States, nations both born of revolution. As we celebrate our friendship by commemorating the bicentennial of Lafayette’s farewell tour, our nations are facing the same challenges as a result of global turmoil, and our societies are evolving in similar ways. We will tackle these challenges together, and our shared history will help us move forward into the future. President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Washington in 2022 and President Joe Biden’s state visit to Paris this past June to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day are eloquent reminders of our alliance’s vitality.

We applaud the United States’ unwavering bipartisan support for Ukraine and the steadfast leadership it has shown, along with France, the European Union, and other allies, in providing that country with long-term military and financial assistance. By working together to reform the international financial system, to preserve biodiversity, and to combat climate change, we are building a future based on our shared values.

The spirit of Lafayette reminds us that citizens and their representatives must remain staunchly committed to democracy in order for it to survive. It can never be taken for granted; it is a victory won through constant struggle and perseverance. At a time when our democracies are being put to the test, the French-American friendship remains a beacon of stability, as it has been for 200 years and counting.

Laurent Bili, ambassador of France to the United States

In 2016, the votes of 2.95 million Pennsylvanians put Republican Pat Toomey in the U.S. Senate. Four years later, Donald Trump faced impeachment because he tried to overthrow the 2020 election, most notably by inciting a mob of his followers to launch the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Toomey was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict his fellow Republican. He did the honorable thing that the moment demanded: He put country before party. In voting to convict Trump, Toomey concluded that Trump was unfit ever to hold the office of president. (An impeached and convicted president is barred from serving again.) In a recent interview, Toomey confirmed his judgment that Trump is unfit for office and said he cannot vote for him. I hope the Pennsylvanians who voted for Sen. Toomey in 2016 take note and reach the same conclusion about Trump.

Matt Zencey, West Chester, mzencey@hotmail.com

The Inquirer Editorial Board claims Donald Trump “can’t run on his record.” Really? What about his historic peace deals between Israel and Arab countries (isolating Iran, and an automatic Nobel Peace Prize for anyone else), Operation Warp Speed delivering record-fast COVID-19 vaccines, a consistently strong economy that bounced right back from COVID, the end of the ISIS caliphate, across the board tax cuts, the North American Free Trade Agreement successfully renegotiated as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, net positive energy exports, a secure border, and recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital without the predicted backlash. Need I say more? Now consider all those accomplishments in the face of unbridled partisan opposition, including two bogus impeachments and a rabidly biased media, and Trump’s accomplishments are even more noteworthy.

As to the “false” statements about Kamala Harris, the board conveniently ignores that Harris was 29 years old when she became the girlfriend of the 60-year-old power broker Willie Brown, and he has expressly admitted having “influenced her career by appointing her to two state commissions when I was Assembly speaker,” and that “I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco.” In light of those facts, it is the recent editorial that is dishonest nonsense.

James M. Matour, Philadelphia, jimmatour@gmail.com

The election ads are all over the media. Sometimes it is difficult to understand what the message is, but there is one that is very clear: Republicans have put out an ad blaming Kamala Harris for the border crisis. They point to three killings committed by immigrants in the country illegally. Yes, the homicides are terrible, and the families will always mourn. But I have a question: Why not compare those killings to the mass shootings we have lived with for so many years? I have not seen any immigrants blamed for those. The number of killed and injured, children and adults, far surpass the number of killings committed by immigrants in the country illegally.

The deadliest mass shootings are carried out with weapons designed for military use. The Republicans and the NRA are bonded together to fight any regulation that would keep assault-style rifles out of the public’s hands. No major gun laws have been passed to protect our citizens and children. The blood of those killed by these weapons is on the hands of the Republicans and the NRA. How do they look at themselves in a mirror and not realize they are direct contributors to these mass shootings?

To the parents of our country, I ask that you look at your children when they leave for school and stop and think about if they will come home that day. I ask all adults to think about all the public events they and children may attend. Think about whether they all will return safely at the end of the day. When will the American public realize that every single one of us could be the next victim?

Alan I. Golombek, Langhorne, golom5@verizon.net

I have a simple request for moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis for the Tuesday debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center. If either nominee fails to address the question asked of them within 15 seconds, the microphone will be muted, and their time for that question will be forfeited. Every citizen deserves exacting answers to the myriad profound issues facing us.

Warren R. Heymann, Haddonfield

Thinking about the tragic car accident on Kelly Drive recently that claimed the life of a 41-year-old man, I can’t help but wonder if the poor condition of the road surface contributed in some way. Kelly Drive is well-known as one of our more dangerous roadways, and recently the city implemented a 25 mph speed limit — which is ignored. The road is winding, poorly lit, and floods easily. But the one thing I must focus on when I drive this route is the absence of white stripes that separate the lanes on either side of the yellow divider. There are large portions of the roadway where no painted highway markings are visible at all — neither white nor yellow. They have been blacked out, paved over, faded, etc. This is a problem during the daytime, but at night, particularly in the rain, it’s impossible to see where the lanes divide. This is something we can, and should, fix immediately. It’s not major construction — it’s just paint.

Jack Dembow, Philadelphia

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