Letters to the Editor | Oct. 11, 2022

One Nobel Prize winner wasn’t included in the Oct. 6 issue of The Inquirer featuring scientists who won two Nobel Prizes: Linus Pauling. I realize that his second award wasn’t for a hard science, but in 1962, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. Peace appears to be the hardest discipline of all. He won the prize for his opposition to weapons of mass destruction. The devastating atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had an enormous effect on his life, and he turned his passion and talents to stopping atomic testing.

Pauling’s first Nobel Prize in 1954 was for chemistry. According to the National Library of Medicine, Pauling was the only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes.

My personal interest stems from meeting Dr. Pauling and his wife, Ava, in our shared activities for peace. Ava Pauling was a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, as I am, which is how I met them.

Libby Frank, Philadelphia

As a follow-up to Paul Jablow’s op-ed on what he misses about baseball, he failed to indicate why the game has mostly changed. It is called money and television broadcast rights. The networks now dictate when the games start, especially for the World Series, where all games are now played at night, even on the weekend, where it would make more sense to have a day game. What is even worse, television requires that the night games commence sometime after 8 p.m. East Coast time. With games going past three hours or more, half the country goes to bed before the game is completed. I am waiting for a Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies World Series, where by November, the game will be postponed due to snow and/or ice.

Paul Benedict, Broomall

Solomon Jones makes a good point that parenting is the most important issue in kids shooting kids. However, kids in Camden are not shooting each other, and neither are kids in West Deptford, N.J., where I live. Notwithstanding the horrific mass shootings that take place, the culture he describes is a way of life for some, largely in Philly, which is in a state with lax gun laws. Cultures and laws can change. Parents need to tell kids they are loved, write to their Congress members, search their homes, and get rid of or lock up guns. Perhaps public service announcements to do so? It’s not the same, I realize, but it worked for smoking cigarettes and the culture changed. Video of survivors with damaged and paralyzed bodies might help, too.

R. Simmons, West Deptford

Thank you for shining a light on the fact that men get breast cancer, too. Juan Namnun’s courage in sharing his story will help save lives and let other men who develop breast cancer know they’re not alone. In line with our mission to provide a trusted source of information and community of support for all people affected by breast cancer, we invite Mr. Namnun and all men impacted by breast cancer to find that support at LBBC.org. We offer articles specifically for men on treatment options, breast reconstruction, fertility, genetics, and more. We hope to see Mr. Namnun return to his coaching job soon, where he will surely serve as an excellent role model for facing life’s adversities head-on.

Jean Sachs, CEO, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, 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.