Letters to the Editor | Sept. 12, 2023

In the fight against the gun violence that has damaged and destroyed thousands of lives in our community, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week will hear oral arguments in Crawford v. Commonwealth, a case that has enormous consequences for Philadelphians. The court will decide whether to overturn the provisions of the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act that preempt, or prevent, the city from enacting commonsense gun measures in Philadelphia. The case is certain to raise objections from gun extremists who will tell us that local laws restricting possession violate constitutional rights, most prominently the Second Amendment right to bear arms. But this case does not seek to overturn the Second Amendment, no matter what its critics may say.

I do agree, however, that the court’s decision in Crawford has powerful implications, including whether the commonwealth can and should be held to its constitutional obligation to maintain order and preserve the safety and welfare of all its citizens. There is nothing just or “uniform” about a law that allows gun violence to disproportionately impact communities of color and people living in poverty. Make no mistake: Preemption prevents cities like Philadelphia from taking constitutionally permissible actions proven to reduce the unrelenting flow of guns into our city and make our city safer.

At what point, to quote a lower court judge in this case, do we realize that it is not “consistent with simple humanity to deny basic safety regulations to citizens who desperately need them”? On behalf of the thousands of my fellow citizens whose lives have been shattered by gun violence, I urge the court to overturn preemption and bring an end to the havoc it has wrought in our city.

James F. Kenney, mayor, Philadelphia

Pennsylvania is part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program that caps carbon pollution from power plants and creates a system for polluting plants to pay for the pollution they emit. RGGI will produce more than 30,000 jobs and cut carbon pollution by as much as 225 million tons by 2030. Some lawmakers are attempting to stop RGGI through our state courts. When those efforts fail, it is important that Gov. Josh Shapiro and lawmakers in Harrisburg work to invest RGGI proceeds in ways that protect all Pennsylvanians — especially low-income families, communities of color, and other vulnerable populations who have been disproportionately harmed by climate change. The state should closely monitor RGGI’s effects, including whether emissions shift to communities already highly affected by pollution, and act to address such unintended consequences. RGGI can be a big boost for Pennsylvanians. Let’s make sure it benefits all of us.

Pamela Darville, Philadelphia

Congratulations and thank you to all of the hardworking line workers and others who quickly restore power to people across the region after severe weather events. However, let’s not forget why Peco finds itself in this situation in the first place: severe storms brought on by climate disruption caused by burning fossil fuels. Why isn’t Peco working harder to make its energy supply greener? Today, the default service plan contains essentially no power from renewable energy sources. If that doesn’t change, the utility better be ready to spend lots of money (and we better be ready to see our bills rise) fixing power outages as more and more severe storms hit the area.

Peter Furcht, 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.