Letters to the Editor | Feb. 20, 2023

For months now, there has been chatter on various social media platforms about U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s health and his capacity to serve. It has been mostly mean-spirited, nonmedical, and demeaning for the countless men and women who are in various stages of recovery from strokes and other neurological disorders, not to mention for the senator and his family. Now that Fetterman is brave enough to check himself in for treatment of clinical depression, hopefully, he will receive compassion and support from both sides of the aisle.

The number of Americans suffering from countless mental health issues suggests that many members of Congress have family members, friends, and relatives impacted by any number of behavioral health challenges. Accessing treatment is also admirable, as many of us who have lost loved ones to suicide will never know what treatments may have eased such tortuous life journeys.

Mary Kay Owen, Downingtown

I am writing to respond to the recent onslaught of negative and unfair coverage that has appeared in The Inquirer about my leadership of the Sheriff’s Office. On Feb. 9, The Inquirer published an editorial that called for abolishing the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office and mentioned support from mayoral candidate Allan Domb. I received 233,105 votes in the 2019 general election (along with 67,810 in the primary) for a position that has existed for more than 100 years. Who’s more important, the Editorial Board, or the 233,105 citizens of Philadelphia who voted for me? Rest assured, I will continue serving and operating this office in accordance with the election results. I am disappointed by Domb’s comments, as well as The Inquirer Editorial Board, for attempting to disenfranchise 233,105 Philadelphians. This is eerily similar to recent efforts to remove District Attorney Larry Krasner.

A Feb. 3 news story about an event that was for law enforcement employees and staff also missed the mark. The supposed outrage is overblown — it is a widely held good management practice to celebrate accomplishments and hard work with employees of any organization. A Feb. 2 story questioned the hiring in my office. Two quick points: 1) The Inquirer does not make hiring decisions at the Sheriff’s Office, and 2) We have no comment. Our office has implemented many new policies and improvements that didn’t exist prior to my taking office in early 2020. We have faced many challenges, as have other agencies, during the COVID-19 pandemic. But we have consistently executed our responsibilities and provided assistance where needed to other departments and agencies. We would all be better served if more substance, and less rhetoric, were in The Inquirer’s stories now and in the future. Maybe the Editorial Board can ask the mayoral candidates if they agree with that statement. I suspect they might.

Rochelle Bilal, sheriff, city and county of Philadelphia

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, took a lot of heat when he and his family enjoyed a day at the beach after he told the rest of the state to stay off the beach during the 2017 state government shutdown. Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s current Democratic governor, should be called out on his own utter hypocrisy for declaring the state will require only electric cars to be sold by 2035. This is a man who used more than $500,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to purchase eight gas-guzzling Chevy Suburban SUVs for himself and the elite public servants in his administration, and who is considering financing the Glassboro-Camden diesel-run light-rail line, which will have dire environmental effects in both Camden and Gloucester Counties. A transportation project so poorly conceived it didn’t qualify for a dime in federal funding.

Carol Rhodes, Barnsboro

It is beyond belief that columnist Jennifer Stefano could argue that Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer’s ruling for full and fair educational funding across the state was really about school choice. Stefano even disparages educational funding, citing a study by Stanford economist Eric Hanushek. During the trial, however, Hanusek “agreed that some children, including children living in poverty, ELL students, children with disabilities, and children living in rural areas, need more support and services to access their education.” Stefano’s failure to comprehend the content of Judge Jubelirer’s decision is only rivaled by her lack of understanding of the free market, since charter executives often receive high salaries as a reward for operating substandard schools, and the state’s educational tax credit programs offer scholarships to students with no expectation of how well those students perform.

Coleman Poses, Philadelphia

The Justice40 Initiative was implemented by President Joe Biden during his first year in office to address the lack of federal investment in disadvantaged communities. Under the plan, 40% of the benefits of federal climate investments are intended to go toward these disadvantaged communities, especially BIPOC communities. This prioritizes and brings resources to communities impacted by pollution, environmental hazards, and environmental inequality. For many years, impacted communities have been overlooked and underprioritized. It is necessary that we provide assistance to those who are affected. I lived in North Philadelphia and saw the lack of environmental equality firsthand, including lack of proper trash services and poor-quality drinking water. There are 21 programs to enhance these benefits, one of them being the EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which is very important as it provides funding to improve the quality of drinking water, support water systems, and prevent water contamination in disadvantaged communities. We must ensure that the Justice40 Initiative is implemented at state and local levels in order to make sure that disadvantaged communities are receiving the help that they need.

Lilianna Hagstrom, Philadelphia

Having lived in Israel, I can tell you apartheid does not exist. Apartheid is a system of segregation on the grounds of race. However, Israeli Arabs (20% of the population) have full rights, serve in the Knesset and on the Supreme Court, and were part of the last government. I suspect Israeli critics want equal rights extended to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but the West Bank is administered by the Palestinian Authority and Gaza by Hamas, and these Palestinians are not Israeli citizens. Before the construction of the security wall (which is mostly a fence), Israel suffered thousands of casualties due to suicide bombings caused by incursions from the West Bank. No longer. At any rate, no country gives unlimited border access to its enemies. Despite that, Palestinians can come into Israel for medical care, and thousands enter Israel daily to work, an Israeli attempt at normalization and peace-building. Closer to home, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II was an act of apartheid: systematic discrimination on the grounds of race. So let’s use words according to their given meaning and avoid misrepresentation and distortion.

Katryn Aslanian, Philadelphia

I am a former fighter pilot with both the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy. As the first anniversary of the Ukraine war with Russia approaches, I’m extremely worried that fighter aircraft may soon be provided to Ukraine. Russia appears to be mounting an ever-expanding offensive that will cause a massive increase in the amount of slaughter on both sides. But supplying fighter aircraft to Ukraine would be a major escalation that could trigger World War III. Aircraft, such as F-16 fighter jets, could not just lead to air-to-air battles, these aircraft are also capable of carrying air-to-ground ordnance. Supplying fighter aircraft to Ukraine could well lead to Vladimir Putin attacking NATO countries’ airfields. An attack on one NATO member is deemed to be an attack on all. I know only too well the massacre that is likely to take place if an aerial onslaught begins and Putin retaliates with a modern-day version of the Blitz. War is not the answer. Take action for diplomacy, not war, at peacecoalition.org.

Richard Mood, retired lieutenant commander, Royal Navy, Cranbury, richardcmoods@gmail.com

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.