Letters to the Editor | Jan. 17, 2024

I was quite excited about the freshly inaugurated Parker administration. And while it’s still early, I am disappointed in how it appears Cherelle L. Parker and her team are handling the tax-delinquent property auction issue. We’ve learned to expect complete avoidance of all responsibility and finger-pointing from Sheriff Rochelle Bilal’s office. I was hoping not to see it from a newly elected mayor, who everyone is hoping succeeds and brings our city closer to its potential. Mayor Parker, the buck stops with you.

Cole Berman, Philadelphia

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s proclamation of a public safety emergency is welcomed by a city beset by crime. But let us be clear that no one leader can ever direct our government’s handling of it. The truth is, it’s complicated. Six public bodies play a direct, continuous role in managing the flow of crime: the police department, the Department of Prisons, the district attorney’s office, the sheriff’s office, the Pennsylvania 1st Judicial District, and the Defender Association. Only the first two report to the mayor.

Two others are run by separately elected city public servants. Judges are also elected independently, but they are ultimately administered by the commonwealth. The last is an independent local nonprofit. Funding arrives mostly, but not entirely, from a seventh body: the 17-member City Council. A criminal’s life may be simple and solitary. A crime-fighter’s life, by contrast, is embedded in a complex bureaucracy with policies that no one person can coordinate or control. Look not, then, for a single hero on a white horse to tackle crime. Planning requires massive teamwork by leaders who do not even belong to the same team.

Tony West, Philadelphia, anthony.abbott.west@gmail.com

Kudos to The Inquirer Editorial Board for its courageous stance taken in its Sunday editorial regarding the consequences of the 2024 presidential election (”Donald Trump is a clear and present danger”). As indicated in this piece, the press coverage of this election will be different than in 2016 or even 2020 in The Inquirer. There will be no false equivalences, bothsidesisms, horse race predictions. The message was loud and clear: Donald Trump is unfit for office. I look forward to the series of statements from the board that were promised in this editorial and do not take lightly the risk that The Inquirer takes in confronting the electorate with facts that some of its readership may not want to hear.

Pasquale Procacci, Moorestown

Finally! It is past time for the media to step up and call out the former president for the menace he is. After being complicit in his 2016 election victory by giving him daily media attention but not recognizing the threat he posed, it’s heartening to see The Inquirer’s willingness to call him out. One can only hope that the editorials will be frequent and placed on the front page above the fold. Unfortunately, not enough people are going to see them in the actual newspaper. Too many people have stopped reading them. But hopefully, here’s a place where social media will finally be a benefit. The editorials will be excerpted, summarized, and disseminated on the internet. In that way, even the young will see them.

Steven J. Barrer, Huntingdon Valley

The Republican governors of 15 states are opting out of a federal program to provide meals to hungry children during the summer when they are not in school. I understand conservatism and fiscal responsibility, but there comes a point when feeding hungry children must outweigh the need for money. The actions of these 15 governors are a clear indication of how they feel about human values. When questioned, I wonder if at least one governor might answer, “Let them eat cake.”

David C. Friedman, Conshohocken

The latest shooting on a subway platform, and the district attorney’s light charging of the suspects (who shot into a crowd, multiple times, in sight of two police officers), is a perfect example of why Pennsylvania does need to step in and appoint a special prosecutor for crimes around SEPTA property. Larry Krasner’s office charged the alleged perpetrators only with aggravated assault, conspiracy, and illegal gun possession. It should be obvious to anyone that if someone fires a loaded gun into a crowd of people, it is attempted murder. For every bullet shot, there should be a separate charge of attempted murder.

We already know that at least one of these shooters has already been charged, as a juvenile, with car theft and illegal gun possession. Why was he on the street, free to harm and kill people? People must be able to safely travel on SEPTA and walk the streets. Until our city and our society decide that they have truly had enough and are willing to develop zero-tolerance laws for gun crimes, we will continue to be unsafe. Lower-income people and people of color (whom Krasner claims to be helping) continue to be the most vulnerable, as they are usually the ones with no choice but to travel on SEPTA and walk unsafe streets.

Glynnis Gradwell, Philadelphia, glynnis.gradwell@gmail.com

Eagles coach Buddy Ryan often stated that 1) offense sells tickets, 2) defense wins games, and 3) special teams win championships. He premised his remarks on his belief that if special teams were very good, that meant our offensive and defensive corps were outstanding. Why hasn’t that axiom held true for our 2023-2024 Eagles team? Is it the lack of quality in our offensive and defensive coordinators? Our special teams appeared quite competent.

Ron Smith Brigantine, ronaldjsmithsr@comcast.net

The Republican Party is poised to nominate a person who recently said he would be a dictator on Day One of his second term. This man, who engaged in an insurrection that attacked the U.S. Capitol and the brave police officers who risked their lives to defend it, attempted on Jan. 6, 2021, to defraud the American people and unlawfully remain in power. He is also currently under 91 felony charges. Yet most Republican leaders, including U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, say and do nothing about someone who is an existential threat to our democracy, thereby giving tacit approval to his authoritarian excesses.

This would-be dictator promises to use the power and resources of the government for retribution against his political enemies, and to pardon the convicted perpetrators of the violence on Jan. 6 — yet most in the GOP either praise him or cower silently in fear of him and his MAGA supporters. A few brave Republicans like Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Chris Christie, who fully understand the danger this fascist-loving man poses to our democracy, thankfully speak out constantly against him. Silence is complicity with those who would take our prized possession — our democracy — away from us. It’s time to elect leaders who will love and defend our democracy, and who do not remain silent while it is about to go up in smoke.

Steve Cickay, Newtown

In Sunday’s Inquirer, there were articles regarding our senators and their response, or lack of response, to the civilian casualties in Gaza. I wanted to find a way to express my support for Israel and my senators while acknowledging the pain I feel each day when I hear and see what is happening in Gaza. I happened upon the following quote, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that spoke to my heart: “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for humankind to overcome oppression and violence. Humankind must evolve for all human conflict a method that rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” I pray that Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey will find their voice to stand up for humanity. Now is the time.

Mary DiVito, Philadelphia

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