Letters to the Editor | April 25, 2023

Since the approval of the Willow Project in Alaska is a substantial threat to the future of our planet, I was disappointed to find minimal coverage of this issue by The Inquirer. Columnist Will Bunch mentions the project as part of Joe Biden’s right turn on oil, crime, and immigration (cast as “a slap” to young voters), but will Biden pay in 2024? The Willow Project will impact climate resiliency and public health. It is critical that readers are fully informed about this attack against their public land. The Willow Project is a 499-acre oil and gas extraction operation on public land. Burning the oil from this project would release approximately 280 million metric tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The approval of this project contradicts President Biden’s promise to lower emissions and transition toward more renewable energy. In addition, it could harm an already fragile arctic ecosystem, endangering wildlife and local Indigenous communities. I hope to see The Inquirer pursue this topic with more detail in the future.

Hana Sparks-Woodford, Yardley

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a remarkable U.S. Supreme Court justice, so it saddens me to say she tarnished her reputation by refusing to step down from the court when there was a Democratic president in office, and her obstinacy will hold us back for decades. California’s Dianne Feinstein is a groundbreaking senator and has accomplished a great deal during her tenure. Unfortunately, her stubbornness is blocking the appointment of federal judges. After Donald Trump and Senate Republicans got through stacking the courts, we need President Joe Biden’s slate of judges now. Sen. Feinstein has offered to temporarily step down from the Judiciary Committee, but she can only be replaced temporarily with GOP consent, which has not been granted. A request to resign from the committee would also require unlikely Republican consent. Calls for her to resign from the Senate altogether are not sexist, ageist, or opportunistic. Her resignation is what’s needed for the greater good, a concept she fought for throughout her long and productive career.

Karen Stoehr, State College, Pa.

To prevent misunderstanding by a recent letter writer, the mainstream media needs to better explain the topic of defunding the police. Regarding police, “defunding” does not mean no police. It simply means diverting some police funding to other personnel — such as social workers, for example — who are better trained to deal with things such as domestic disputes, students playing hooky, or someone having mental health issues. The goal is to prevent abuse and injury while freeing up police to do the jobs they are hired to do. The appropriately trained person can always request officer assistance if a serious risk of violence exists. Had the Louisville, Ky., police (to use the letter writer’s example) been defunded, there likely would have been more experienced police officers available to resolve the bank shooting, and a rookie officer would not have been shot in the head.

Harry S. Nydick, Collingswood

How can The Inquirer Editorial Board write about press freedom but fail to mention the indictment of the world’s most consequential journalist, Julian Assange? The prosecution of whistleblowers/reporters Daniel Hale, Barrett Brown, Chelsea Manning, Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, and Reality Winner? Assaults and arrests of more than a hundred journalists by law enforcement during the George Floyd protests? The U.S. ranking No. 42 in the world for press freedom? Congress calling for censorship of social media? Every major human rights and press freedom organization in the world condemns the Justice Department’s criminalization of investigative journalism. Condemnation of Russia is warranted, but silence about declining press freedom in the United States destroys your credibility.

Rob Baker, Ambler

Saturday’s Inquirer featured a headline about “frequent shootings” in the U.S. and a jarring photo of Afghan children “enjoying their time” with guns pointed at the photographer and at one child’s head. The juxtaposition highlights the consequences of guns in our country and our world. Nobody should be shocked about the sickening proliferation of gun murders in the U.S., which will continue unabated until state and federal legislators find a way to pass commonsense gun laws. In 2022, 474 people died from gun violence in Philadelphia, a number well in excess of those killed in our country’s most prolific year for mass shootings. Mass shooting tragedies should not eclipse the daily tragedy and trauma imposed on families and communities in our own city by guns.

Courtenay Willcox, Wayne, mcwillcox@me.com

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