Letters to the Editor | Nov. 25, 2022

The court decision lifting Title 42 portends an even larger flow of asylum-seekers at the U.S. southern border. This is hardly a unique quandary. Western Europe is dealing with the same phenomenon. The developed world does not want to deal with the larger issue: that most of humanity lives in countries where authoritarianism, corruption, exploitation, and the brutal effects of climate change have created a living hell. No wonder people risk life and limb to seek a more promising homeland. It is notable that the court’s decision came out the same day as news that the world’s population has reached eight billion. To deal seriously with this situation, the U.S. and other developed nations must act. These measures include getting far more serious about lessening the grip of drug cartels by treating domestic addiction as a medical and not criminal problem; converting with much greater urgency to non-fossil fuels, thus reducing the torrent of money flowing abroad to a tyrannical few; and eschewing mutually supportive relationships with cutthroat regimes. Unless we adjust our smug assumption that we, in the advanced economic countries, are entitled to the good life while ignoring the plight suffered by billions of our fellow humans, they will keep pounding on our doors.

Stephen G. Young, Cherry Hill

Jonathan Zimmerman, in his otherwise excellent op-ed (“Campuses embrace affirmative action, but suppress diverse opinions”), creates a false dichotomy between affirmative action and race-blind admissions. Schools can take measures to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups without using, or even knowing, the race of their applicants. For example, schools can put less weight on standardized test scores and more weight on high school class rank. Not only will this result in more minority students being accepted, but those students will be more successful in college. Students with high SAT scores do not always have the maturity and study skills needed to succeed in college. But students who get good grades in high school, even in an academically poor high school, are likely to have those skills.

Joseph Gerver, Westmont, gerver@camden.rutgers.edu

Shortly after the country learned that Republicans had captured the House majority, the members of the Grand Old Party were heard roaring about recommitting themselves to opposing — and, if possible, reversing — the Biden legislative agenda. They also threatened to open numerous investigations into every nook and cranny associated with the Biden administration. This was not accompanied by any concrete legislative proposals. Contrary to what the GOP seems to believe, the election results strongly suggest the American public is weary of this combative, take-no-prisoners style of governance. This wasted time and cost to play a zero-sum game of vindictive politics at all levels of governance deprives the American people of the leadership to reach the negotiated compromises that will truly serve this nation. As Pastor Reinhold Niebuhr, the renowned theologian and ethicist, said: “We should be far less concerned with the purity of our actions, and far more concerned with the integrity of our compromises.” Each of our elected representatives should be judged by how much they succumb to the allure of accumulating and exercising personal power, distinct from prioritizing the solutions to the pressing national problems they were elected to address.

R. Wenger, Ambler

I am truly alarmed at the impeachment of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. I met with the DA and his top staffers when I was the executive director for Philabundance, at the job training kitchen we operate in North Philadelphia. The Philabundance Community Kitchen program assists people who are reentering the community after incarceration, are in emergency housing, or are just trying to improve their lives. Krasner and his staff spent almost two hours meeting students, eating, and discussing our program. He was clear that his goal was to use the DA’s power to help improve the lives of young people who came from poverty to improve their lives and turn their desperation into a positive outcome. As the head of one of the largest anti-poverty agencies in the region, I knew I had to be careful about how I supported an elected official, but I was impressed. It is a rare person who will speak the truth and is determined to change a racist system. This impeachment is clearly not constitutional and should be shut down. As Solomon Jones wrote in his Sunday column, Krasner is being brought to the stake by a group representing the “racist criminal justice system that routinely puts innocent Black people in jail.” Let us stand up for our rights as Philadelphia residents to have who we want to represent us. Allow us to have gun control, more funding for public education, and better wages. Let’s make sure they are not allowed to light the fire.

Glenn Bergman, Philadelphia

Profound thanks to Mike Sielski for your wonderful article about Sam Brown (Nov. 16) — uplifting, inspirational, and positive, to say the least. It’s an understatement to say that we are surrounded and “drowning” in dark news — locally, geographically, nationally, and globally. I do believe that young people like Sam will be the hopeful voice of our future.

Sr. Peggy Devlin, OP, Marlton

In her op-ed “What Pa. can learn from U.N. meeting,” Cornelia Colijn cited the statistic that only 4% of Pennsylvania’s energy is sourced from renewable sources, while we are the third largest producer of coal power in the country. She could have mentioned the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative the state joined in April, but which has faced judicial challenges. This carbon-pricing plan requires power plants to purchase credits for every ton of carbon emissions. Pennsylvanians should demand that Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro continue to press for the state’s participation. Additionally, we can all speak to our neighbors, community leaders, and elected representatives about the ways we can change course. Community solar and charging industry polluters for emissions is an important step toward safeguarding our community for future generations.

Dawn Kane, Wynnewood, dkane0819@gmail.com

While Republicans don’t want students to be “traumatized” by learning that Africans were brought here and enslaved, they’re OK with having kids of all ages carry out active shooter drills. And although there have been more than 600 mass shootings this year, most recently at an LGBTQ nightclub, the GOP says that what Americans should fear the most are transgender rights and drag queens. What a warped and dangerous disregard for reality.

Jean A. Kozel, Eagleville

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.