Letters to the Editor | April 9, 2023

The excitement generated by plans for NASA’s next moon mission is understandable. The last time we were there, I watched as a kid in front of a black-and-white TV. The fuzzy images made it even more special, emphasizing the fantastic distance man had traveled. Scientific discovery and its benefits to mankind are important to our future, but two things struck me about the proposed $27.2 billion NASA budget for next year: First, it’s less than 4% of our national defense budget. Second, it is just a little less than the annual amount estimated by the United Nations to be required to resolve global hunger. Not “make strides on.” Not “have significant impact on.” No, it is to resolve world hunger. Feeding the hungry is an age-old problem, existing on most every continent. But it’s a problem that is solvable, and worth solving. We are a great nation, and a people proud of our ability to overcome obstacles. Hunger is different only in its profoundly immediate need for attention. Other nations would surely help us with this effort. The old adage, “We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t do …” need not apply here. Imagine a world without hunger. We can do this.

Larry Blankemeyer, Catholic Relief Services, St. Vincent de Paul, Richboro chapter

We baby boomers were supposed to be dead by now. In our childhoods, it was the bomb. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union raced with the United States to build warheads that would lay waste to the world. Our teachers commanded us to “Drop!” and dive under our school desks to protect us from being annihilated (yeah, right). Then it was the population crisis, as portrayed in the movie Soylent Green. The big reveal comes (spoiler alert!) when star Charlton Heston discovers that the seniors who were encouraged to commit assisted suicide to cut down the overstuffed populace are recycled. It ends with the hero screaming, “Soylent Green is people!” During that era and beyond, pollution of the land, water, and air also rose as a deadly threat. Images of filthy smog reinforced that the world would die gasping for air. Worse, corrosive acid rain fell from the sky. Industrial waste clogged water sources. Huge landfills held who-knows-what dangers. All around us, there was doom, yet each time, the world called “wolf” the predator didn’t appear as deadly as predicted. Now, the world again faces an existential threat: climate change. Given the crises we baby boomers have endured, it’s no wonder many think this too shall pass. And, anyway, we’ll all be dead before the worst happens. Despite our experience, we can’t assume that if we just whistle through the proverbial graveyard, everything will be fine this time. “Drop!” This time the bomb — cyclones — are really coming.

Randall H. Duckett, Springfield

As Earth Day approaches, many Americans will take action to support Mother Earth, perhaps planting a tree or participating in neighborhood cleanups. There’s another simple action we can take from the comfort of our homes that will benefit the planet: go meat-free for the day. The Ecological Society’s academic journal declared “animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change,” producing 57% of global greenhouse gas emissions, not including deforestation costs. A Nature climate change report suggests cutting methane emissions from the agriculture sector, particularly meat and dairy production, is among the most impactful ways to slow climate change. Environmental sustainability requires decreasing consumption of meat. If Americans pledged to forgo meat one day a week, it would massively reduce our carbon footprint. If all U.S. residents did this for one year, we could eliminate 468 million tons of carbon emissions. We’d have to replace 25 million gas-fueled cars with electric vehicles to affect a similar carbon reduction. From an environmental standpoint, the car you drive can be just as important as the food you choose to eat. This Earth Day, let’s rev up vegetables, fruits, and grains and put the brakes on meat.

Jane DeMarines, executive director, Sustainable Earth Eating

”Do well by doing good” is a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who showed that financial success is achievable through one’s commitment to public-spirited actions. Of all those seeking to be Philadelphia’s next mayor, Jeff Brown best personifies Franklin’s words. No other candidate has contributed more to the betterment of Philadelphia than Brown has. For decades, his successful grocery store chain has provided healthy food options and worthwhile job opportunities to otherwise underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods. A recent Inquirer editorial dismisses Brown as a viable candidate with the comment, “[S]elling cereal does not make a mayor.” The implication is that only the politically adept are fit to serve as mayor. However, considering the apparent inability of career politicians to remedy the various ills that beset Philadelphia, such as widespread poverty, unsatisfactory educational outcomes, and violent crime, choosing a do-gooder as mayor could be a welcome change of pace.

Patrick J. Hagan, Ardmore

I was born at Temple University Hospital. I grew up in Lawndale. I attended Cardinal Dougherty High School and graduated from Temple. I bought my first house in Olney. I am a Democrat and a Philadelphian. It troubles me deeply to see the city that I love so much declining year after year. The disparity between the richness of our museums and cultural institutions, the excellence of our universities and medical schools — contrasted with the gun violence, poverty, poor schools, and littered streets — tears at my heart. What can we do? First, some history. In 1884, Republican William B. Smith was elected mayor. That began a 68-year run of GOP mayors. In that time, the city became ripe with corruption. A new perspective was needed. A change had to be made. In 1951, Democrat Joseph S. Clark Jr. became the first Democratic mayor since 1884. One era of single-party rule ended, and another began. Single-party rule is not now, nor has it ever been, a good idea. I find the current state of the national Republican Party to be an embarrassment to the ideals of democracy and the rule of law. However, I must respectfully ask all Philadelphians to consider a change of party for the next mayoral election. We deserve a different perspective. If the patient is ill — and Philadelphia is ill — it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion.

James Paulus, Philadelphia

Columnist Kyle Sammin claims that Donald Trump’s home was “raided.” In fact, a federal judge approved a search warrant to enter the premises. Regarding the Mueller report, he writes that it debunked the more “extreme allegations” against the former president. Let’s review. When questioned about the June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower between Trump representatives and a Russian lawyer, Trump responded: “I have no recollection … Nor do I recall learning … I have no independent recollection … At this point, I do not remember … At this point in time … I do not recall … I have no recollection of any communications … I do not recall being aware … I have no recollection of being told … I have no recollection of being told …” This from a person who consistently flaunts his prodigious memory. One wonders if Sammin has really read the two volumes of the Mueller report, as I have. If not, I would gladly share my notes.

Roger J. Brown, Coatesville

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