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Letters to the Editor | May 21, 2023

Inquirer readers on MAGA Republicans and Cherelle Parker's primary victory.

Mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker (standing) stops to greet a table of people having lunch, including Christy Brady (to Parker's left), a candidate for city controller, at a traditional election day lunch at the Famous 4th Street Deli in South Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker (standing) stops to greet a table of people having lunch, including Christy Brady (to Parker's left), a candidate for city controller, at a traditional election day lunch at the Famous 4th Street Deli in South Philadelphia on Tuesday.Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
    by Letters to the Editor, For The Inquirer
    Published 

Tactical advantage

Cherelle Parker earned a resounding victory on Tuesday. Winning about a third of the votes among five well-funded Democratic competitors is no small achievement. The “day after” headline in The Inquirer was “Spotlight on safety.” This was a main theme among all the candidates. Parker made the use of stop-and-frisk a key part of her campaign. She had a good reason for making that a priority, and apparently, this focus contributed mightily to her win. New York City focused on using the technique from 1993-2013. The statistical results showed a dramatic decrease in crime. Annual homicide deaths plummeted from around 2,220 to fewer than 400 during that period. The awareness and fear of discovery kept guns off the streets, saved hundreds of lives, and protected grief from entering the lives of thousands of families, relatives, and friends. Because people were safer, businesses thrived, tourists visited, and citizens were happier. Let’s hope Parker will repel the naysayers, stiffen her spine, and follow through on what she promised.

Stew Bolno, Philadelphia

Return to sanity

President Joe Biden and most Democratic lawmakers always refer to “MAGA Republicans” when talking about those on the right who threaten our country through both their words and actions. The deliberate distinction implied between these people and others from the opposition party shows respect for the GOP in general and its members. A recent Inquirer edition had a story about how Tennessee’s MAGA governor signed a bill passed by the MAGA state legislature protecting gun and ammunition makers and dealers from lawsuits — in response to the mass shooting at a school in Nashville.

Another story was about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defunding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at state colleges and universities in his ongoing fight against progress. Yet another detailed an attack with a bat against staffers at the office of a Democratic U.S. representative. That report mentions that since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection “threats to lawmakers and their families have increased sharply.” The real threat to this country posed by these extreme MAGA Republicans needs to be articulated and recognized. We need the return of a GOP that represents the views and values of conservatives and is willing to compromise and govern without promoting hate and extremism.

Joseph Goldberg, Philadelphia

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.