Letters to the Editor | Aug. 7, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be her vice presidential running mate. Some see him as the “safer” choice, but not perhaps the best pick or the most inspired. Harris is apparently adhering to the old political maxim that the most important thing about picking a VP running mate is to “do no harm” and seemingly, to her, Walz better fits this description than does Josh Shapiro. Harris, in not picking Shapiro, has apparently judged that him being governor of the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania is less important than him possibly being seen as controversial.

Walz is undeniably a solid pick — an unassuming, witty, and funny guy. All positive attributes in a vice president and in a running mate. Harris-Walz, sounds like a musical composition from Johann Strauss, and hopefully they will indeed make beautiful music together. There’s little doubt that Democrats will quickly accept Walz’s selection and rally around the duo. It surely feels now like these two will give the Democrats an excellent chance to defeat the Republican Trump-Vance ticket in November. Now, onto the election!

Ken Derow, Swarthmore

As a news junkie, Josh Shapiro fan, and born and raised Philadelphian, I lay awake throughout the night hoping that Shapiro would be Harris’ pick for vice president. But when he wasn’t, and when my disappointment had dissipated, I realized that he wasn’t the right choice because he’s not vice presidential material — he’s presidential material. You can’t outshine the leader, no matter if it’s business, politics, or a relationship. With a 61% approval rating in the state, Shapiro will continue as a rising star. For now, glad he’s our governor.

Anne Scardino, Philadelphia

I am troubled by the particular scrutiny Gov. Josh Shapiro faced in the past week as a vice presidential possibility. After the Philly Palestine Coalition announced its boycott of “Zionist” businesses last fall, Shapiro supported Jewish-owned restaurants in Philadelphia because he was concerned about rising hate and polarization, not because he agreed with Israel’s actions. As The Inquirer’s Dec. 5 editorial stated well, Shapiro was “right to call out protesters who harassed Goldie,” a restaurant owned by Israeli-born Michael Solomonov. Shapiro immediately inserted himself in Center City and took a stance against hate.

Activist Susan Abulhawa’s lengthy letter to the editor distorts Shapiro’s defense of Philadelphia’s Jewish community in the wake of unprecedented boycotts that targeted a particular group of people based on ethnic origin. This situation eerily echoed the events of 1933 and Shapiro had the moral clarity to proclaim it while it was unpopular to do so in certain Democratic circles. I was proud of him for being a voice for many frightened Jews, like myself. In these contentious times, it is crucial to elect a politician with a gift for uniting people, whether it’s Shapiro or another worthy candidate.

Sarena Snider, Philadelphia

Two great Sunday pieces in The Inquirer about the work of women in Philadelphia are inspiring and very telling: women are amazing! I knew this all along and I hope our country will recognize it, too. In her op-ed, Jasmine Schley, a lifelong resident and landlord in Philadelphia, describes her dedication to making the city better, block by block, and she is doing it. She is making a difference rehab by rehab, neighbor by neighbor. It is not always easy, but it is ultimately rewarding as she has created friendships through handling concerns and even throwing block parties, with neighbors ultimately becoming friends.

In the Philly & Region section, reporter Ellie Rushing describes the dedicated work of the “Old Lady Gang,” the women of Harrowgate Park who are determined to patrol the green space and keep it safe and clean for neighbors and their children. It is risky business, but as Sandy Wells, 70, said, “We had no choice.” Their work has performed a transformation of a very dangerous place to one of tranquillity, gatherings, relaxation, natural beauty, and just plain fun. Thank you for telling these stories and thank you to these wonderful women demonstrating the difference they can make in our world.

Sheila Withelder, Glen Mills

In case you forgot, let me remind you. A few weeks ago — on a sweltering Saturday afternoon in South Philly — a historic Philly baseball team put on a dominating show that included eight home runs and eighteen RBIs. That team was not the Philadelphia Phillies. Beginning in 2025, the Oakland Athletics will call West Sacramento home. In 2028, they will move yet again to Las Vegas. Still donning the iconic elephant logo on their sleeves, the Athletics’ history began in Philadelphia.

Connie Mack’s baseball team — who created a dynasty in the building with his name etched above the entrance — would win five world championships in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930, accompanied by nine American League Pennants in 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, and 1931. Amid all of the winning was the legendary 1929 Philadelphia Athletics Team.

Dubbed in 1996 by Sports Illustrated as “the Greatest MLB Team that Time Forgot,” the 104–64 Athletics won the AL Pennant by an astounding 18 games and beat the Cubs in the World Series 4–1. With legendary players like pitcher Lefty Grove and a combination of Jimmy Foxx and Al Simmons, who blasted 77 home runs 95 years ago in 1929.

The Athletics just missed becoming a dynasty for the second time when they lost the 1931 World Series. They would never again return to championship form in Philadelphia, impacted by both the Great Depression and a crumbling Connie Mack Stadium. Finally, they would be sold and moved to Kansas City in 1954. When the Athletics left Philadelphia the Phillies bought Connie Mack Stadium.

Michael Thomas Leibrandt, Abington

Vision Zero has been a failure all over the country as well as Philadelphia. The greatest irony of the traffic safety program is that in many locations road diets and other reconfigurations have not improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians, as activists and politicians like the mayors of New York and Los Angeles claim. Pedestrian fatalities spiked in L.A. from an average of 84 per year for the 13 years between 2003 and 2015, to 135 in 2017 and 128 last year. The spike coincides with the launch of Vision Zero in 2016. Vision Zero puts everyone in jeopardy by delaying EMT and fire vehicles to the extent that people die from heart attacks and strokes and houses burn to the ground.

Philadelphia and many cities have spent millions of dollars on Vision Zero, rebuilding streets to calm traffic and reduce driving, lobbying for speed limit reductions, launching public awareness campaigns, and retraining police departments. Yet Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, among others, have seen sharp increases in pedestrian and/or bicycle fatalities.

For safer streets, Philadelphia should consult traffic engineers. For decades, traffic engineers have followed a tried-and-true formula for reducing auto fatalities: improve roadway designs in ways that reduce the number and impact of accidents. Vision Zero has diverted cities from that formula in an overt anti-auto strategy. It is no surprise that Vision Zero isn’t working.

Tom McCarey, Berwyn

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