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Letters to the Editor | Nov. 23, 2022

Inquirer readers on Nancy Pelosi's legacy, supporting Philly students, and Thanksgiving reparations.

U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivers remarks from the House Chambers of the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 17, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivers remarks from the House Chambers of the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 17, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS)Read moreAnna Moneymaker / MCT

What about the students?

As Philadelphia, a sanctuary city, welcomes migrants who hope to find their share of the “American Dream,” our City of Brotherly Love is unable to control the chaos and violence at Dobbins High School. That the safety of 1,100 students is at risk on a daily basis is unacceptable. Not only is learning not taking place, but students have to approach their school with fear and anxiety. These students represent a lost generation of children and young adults who will have very limited options to pursue their own American Dream. The students are victims of the School District of Philadelphia and the city. No one is acting on their behalf.

Joanne Puglia, Dresher

A flawed count

The letter “Popular vote advantage” highlights the problems we have with our democracy. In it, the letter writer compares this year’s congressional vote advantage for Republicans with the presidential popular vote, which favored Democrats. The author should know that the fact that Republicans had five million to six million more votes than Democrats this year is attributable to individual candidates around the country vs. the presidential popular vote, which goes to one candidate. People need to start telling complete truths, not just making arguments that shape their teams’ individual narratives. This is how we begin to heal our democracy.

Gerald Jones, Philadelphia

Strong women demonized

I found it most peculiar that Speaker-in-waiting Kevin McCarthy’s first comments on gaining control of the House were, “We have fired Nancy Pelosi.” I would have thought McCarthy instead might have mentioned whatever legislative plans the GOP has in mind. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The GOP has demonized Pelosi for years. Of course, Democrats are also guilty, demonizing Donald Trump, Dick Cheney, and Richard Nixon, but the GOP went after Hillary Clinton much more than Bill Clinton, unwittingly revealing their discomfort with strong women.

No matter. Nancy Pelosi will forever be recognized as the first female speaker, just as McCarthy will be known as the first invertebrate to hold the speaker’s gavel. To each their own.

Jim Kempner, Holland

Thanksgiving reparations

Love being with family on Thanksgiving, but the holiday rests on a myth. The Native Americans ate with the white settlers hoping that the newcomers would side with them against a rival tribe (per David Silverman in his book, This Land is Their Land). Since the first Thanksgiving, we whites have “thanked” Native Americans through land swindles, killing their source of food for sport, kidnapping and “reeducating” their children, almost exterminating entire tribes, and forcing those who remained onto reservations. Those of us who “honor” Native Americans today through sage ceremonies, or by stating that our activities take place “on Lenape land,” simply add insult to massive injury. If our nation truly cared about Native Americans, we’d do what we should do for African Americans as well: provide meaningful reparations, reforms, and justice.

Bill Dingfelder, Philadelphia

Trump will bounce back

Many media observers were commenting on Donald Trump’s low-energy speech, comparing him to Jeb Bush. Was this wishful thinking that Trump was depressed and affected by the poor results for him in the midterms? It would be a mistake to think so. Trump does not experience failure like others. He survived the Access Hollywood recording, the Mueller investigation, two impeachments, and his 2020 loss. Why would the midterm losses affect him when he can blame his wife Melania, Mitch McConnell, and his advisers for the failures? Trump will bounce back and be his old self in a matter of days. Rallies and media coverage will reenergize him because he will be in the spotlight again. For him, negative coverage is just as good as positive coverage. In fact, he feeds off the negative coverage like a vampire, since it enables him to tout his witch hunt and conspiracy theories that appeal to his base. In no time at all, he will be calling again into Fox & Friends.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

Actions are revealing

By sending a bus of immigrants to be taken care of in Philadelphia, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was relying on precisely the sort of humanity that he lacks.

Tom Goodman, Philadelphia

Invest in a better school system I am writing in support of our young people in Philadelphia. The violence we are seeing in the city today did not start with the pandemic. The foundation of this epidemic was laid through years of neglect. Stress degrades a person’s ability to cope, so let’s look at what was happening as today’s youth were developing those skills. Nine years ago, the School District of Philadelphia, facing its third massive financial crisis and in its 12th year of state receivership, laid off onequarter of its workforce. Twenty-four schools were closed, nine of which were high schools, disrupting teenagers in their most critical years. The closures and layoffs, coupled with budget cuts, meant that the receiving schools had fewer resources to prepare for these new students. The damage was immediately apparent. In September 2013, a 12-year-old student collapsed and died from asthma; in May 2014, a 7-year-old collapsed and died of a heart condition. Neither school had a nurse on duty. Nine years later, the damage is death from guns. If we want to have a good outcome for our youth, for our future, we need to create a school system and pay for it. Private education in Philadelphia and public education in Montgomery County show what it costs per student to create good outcomes. Get the money, build the system, teach our children.

Stephen DeLuca, 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.