Letters to the Editor | Jan. 19, 2023
Inquirer readers on classified documents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and gun safety codes.
No comparison
Responding to a recent letter, a president cannot just declare (or think) that he has declassified documents. Declassifying is a process involving word-by-word scrutiny as well as notification of the agency in charge of classification. Also, just because a president has declassified a document doesn’t mean that document is theirs to keep; it is the property of the government. More than 300 documents marked classified have been seized from Donald Trump’s properties. Photos have shown Trump staff hauling boxes away from the White House before President Joe Biden was sworn in. Where is the evidence that other former presidents have done anything of the sort? No need to order the FBI to Biden’s house to haul away boxes, as Biden has cooperated from day one. The editorial cartoon the letter writer objected to is accurate: Biden misplaced and Trump stole.
Joanne Stiteler, Springfield
Stick with love
On Monday, as I reflected on the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, I read a quote that I kept on my computer. The quote was spoken during an address in Atlanta for the 1967 Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It reads: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Hate is a useless weight, one that drags us down and keeps us from thinking clearly and moving forward. Love is lighter and brighter and embraces life by keeping the circle open. King’s words inspire us to have the courage to begin, the determination to continue, and the strength to believe in one another and in ourselves.
Peter Tobia, Philadelphia
A novel approach
The mayor of San Jose, Calif., recently recounted how the city had enacted novel gun safety codes that don’t run afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court. Gun owners in San Jose now have to pay an annual fee that is used to fund violence prevention programs. In addition, gun owners must have liability insurance “to compensate victims harmed by negligent or reckless use of a firearm.” Municipal jurisdictions at all levels in Pennsylvania should consider passing such commonsense legislation. No doubt there would be pushback from gun owners and the gun lobby. But how is this any different from Pennsylvanians having to pay a registration fee to drive a car? Or having to carry insurance to compensate victims of automobile accidents? Our township commissioners in Lower Merion have also taken a different approach to firearm proliferation. A proposed zoning code change would regulate where in the township guns and ammunition can be sold, prohibiting gun sales in residential areas and pedestrian-oriented business districts. In addition, holders of a federal firearms license will have to meet certain security conditions.
The current Supreme Court majority has made it harder for state and local governments to address the gun pandemic in the U.S. But responsible public servants like the mayor of San Jose and the commissioners of Lower Merion Township are finding novel ways to do something about the scourge of gun violence. My hat’s off to them. They deserve their constituents’ gratitude and their votes.
Charles Ault, Haverford, charles.ault@gmail.com
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