Letters to the Editor | Oct. 30, 2023

As an almost 95-year-old adult, I’d like to ask local employers to hire seniors as the temporary workers they will need during the holiday months of November and December. At Paul’s Run, a retirement community located on Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia, there are 202 independent-living retirees. They include many who would certainly welcome an opportunity to earn some additional income, if only by working a few hours a week. On the whole, people are living longer, are in much better health, are well-educated, and are readily available to work — even at a moment’s notice. Another plus for hiring these older adults is that they reside rather reasonably near the many jobs that employers may find difficult to fill. How about it?

Edwin Scully, Philadelphia

After more than 20 days of rudderless, gridlocked chaos, the U.S. House of Representatives has elected a new speaker with a unanimous Republican vote: Mike Johnson, a little-known Louisiana representative without much of a national footprint. As was true with the previous three GOP speaker candidates, Johnson received no votes from Democrats. This time, however, the Democrats may have made a strategic blunder. They could have supported a more moderate Republican, like Tom Emmer from Minnesota, and have helped to elect him speaker. Instead, they chose to keep a united and symbolic front with unanimous support for Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. In so doing, they’ve now ended up with a radical, far-right election denier who was complicit in trying to keep Donald Trump in power. The Democratic strategy may come back to bite them.

Ken Derow, Swarthmore

The problem is not Israeli oppression, but the refusal of Palestinians to recognize the state of Israel. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 181, which gave Palestinians the opportunity to create their own country, but neighboring Arab countries chose not to do that. Instead, in 1948, five Arab countries invaded Israel. An estimated 700,000 Jews living in Arab countries were kicked out; some were killed. Those Jewish refugees were welcomed into Israel, whereas an estimated 700,000 Palestinian refugees — whose descendants now live in Gaza and the West Bank — were not welcomed by any Arab country.

However, Arabs who remained in Israel — now estimated at more than two million, or roughly 21% of the population — have all citizenship rights. The Palestinians, living under Jordanian rule from 1948 to 1967, then had almost two decades to establish their own independent country. Instead, they, and the Arab countries, chose to wage war (1967′s Six-Day War), which, again, they lost. After that, the Arab countries and Palestinian leadership issued the September 1967 Khartoum Resolution: no peace, no recognition, and no negotiations with Israel. This was followed by two intifadas (uprisings) as well as publication of hate-filled school textbooks by Palestinians. Now there are questions about whether the Palestinian Authority will pay nearly $3 million to the families of Hamas terrorists who massacred innocent Israelis in the Gaza area as part of the so-called pay-for-slay law.

Emil Ruderfer, Jenkintown

The Sixers’ proposal for a new arena in Center City makes no sense. The proposal does not include any new parking, which will cause traffic nightmares, driving patrons away from businesses in the area and changing Chinatown as it now exists. The building, which would be on top of Jefferson Station, would destroy the beauty and integrity of that station, making it unappealing to commuters. Philadelphia has an amazing Sports Complex with plenty of parking, room for tailgating, and a newly renovated Comcast Center that includes the Wells Fargo Center. When the Sixers say they do not want to stay there, they are basically saying they want to leave Philadelphia. Maybe it is time to let them go to another city, but that is no guarantee it will bring them a championship.

Cynthia Pennise, Dresher

I am horrified and growing increasingly impatient. Let me be clear: I no longer wish to hear NRA-funded Republicans simply offer thoughts and prayers to those who lose family members in a senseless mass shooting. Nor will I sit idly by and listen to these Republicans once again asserting, without evidence, that the answer to mass casualty shootings is mental health care rather than reasonable gun legislation. The shooter in Lewiston, Maine, had been reported for having mental health issues and was subsequently treated. And yet, he had access to an AR-15, as well as large quantities of ammunition stuffed in his pockets. The common denominator in all these kinds of tragic shootings is guns designed for use only in war and not for sport. It is not a violation of the Second Amendment to prevent people from buying an AR-15-style rifle. Let’s do the right thing to prevent future mass shootings by preventing access to assault weapons.

Richard Cherwitz, Austin, Texas

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness and National Family Caregivers Month, offering an important reminder about the impact of Alzheimer’s caregiving. In Pennsylvania, more than 400,000 people provide unpaid care for a loved one, exceeding a collective 646 million hours a year, valued at more than $10 billion. The needs of those with Alzheimer’s are extensive and increase over time — and many caregivers juggle competing priorities, including work and family responsibilities. Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and over one-third are daughters. My wife is one of these women.

She juggles the care of her mother, who is living with advanced dementia, along with her career and the needs of our family. The mental, physical, and emotional impact on individuals and relationships is devastating, and we are just one of many families in this situation. As vice chair for the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, I urge you to support the caregivers you know. Help those in your community however you can: run errands, complete household chores, spend time with their loved ones, and educate yourself. These small gestures make a big difference and provide well-deserved support to those who give so much. For support, call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.

Tom Cassidy, Glen Mills

I thought it was interesting that in the last few days, several of Donald Trump’s lawyers (Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, and Jenna Ellis) have pleaded guilty to various charges associated with the Big Lie and attempts to keep Trump in office. Ellis admitted that she had not performed her own due diligence when working with Trump as he was pushing claims that the election was stolen. Considering that there were 60 court cases that had already been dismissed due to lack of evidence by the time Jan. 6, 2021, rolled around and the U.S. Capitol was attacked, I am disgusted that any politician could vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election. One would hope that our representatives base their decisions on facts and not on lies, innuendo, or political pressure. Any representative voting against certifying that election obviously did not perform basic due diligence on an issue of great importance to democracy and should be removed from Congress for blatant dereliction of duty.

Kent Kingan, Malvern

The Inquirer story on how Lehigh Valley millionaire Bill Bachenberg tried to help prove the false allegations that the 2020 election was stolen reinforced my understanding of how the rich exercise far too much control over our politics. Because money is no object, they can bombard everyone with false accusations and alternate facts. Money influences all legislation to either make more money or keep more money. Grassroots organizations work in the trenches on citizens’ behalf, but can’t compete with corporate or private donors. Corporations don’t sleep or eat or raise families or get tired. They just try to get more money. Big money can buy a full-page ad in The Inquirer every day, but I can only get one letter published per month if I’m lucky. Another thing Bachenberg has confirmed is the fact that being rich is not the same as being smart.

Thomas Murphy, Ocean City, N.J.

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