Letters to the Editor | March 10, 2025

As I watched President Donald Trump’s address to Congress, I felt a deep sense of dismay — not at the content of the speech, but at the behavior of those in attendance. The lack of respect displayed toward our nation’s leader, regardless of political affiliation, was both troubling and disheartening. We often hear calls for unity, particularly from the Democratic side, yet what was on display was anything but unified. What message does this send to the American people? To our allies? To the world? If we cannot even show basic decorum during a major address to Congress, how can we expect to bridge the divides that plague our nation?

Disagreement is the foundation of democracy; it is what fuels debate and progress. But disrespect serves no purpose. It deepens the fractures in our political landscape and erodes the very principles we claim to uphold. When did we decide that political opposition justifies incivility? And more importantly, when does it stop? If we are serious about unity, it must start with actions, not just words. It begins with showing respect, even when we disagree. It begins with listening, even when we don’t like what we hear. It begins in the chambers of Congress, in our communities, and in our daily interactions. America is stronger when we stand together. Let’s lead by example.

Russ Napolitano, Upper Gwynedd

I find it so ironic that two of our state senators, Kristin Phillips-Hill and Doug Mastriano, want to duplicate the Republican windfall that is occurring in Washington thanks to Elon Musk and initiate a program similar to the Department of Government Efficiency, call it DOGE Pennsylvania. Maybe instead of taking other peoples’ jobs, they could begin paying their taxes. The proposed Republican tax cuts only benefit the wealthy, not the average person. No wonder they want to get rid of Social Security — they hardly paid into it. Not only do we pay their salaries, they have unlimited health-care access. America has become the home of the wealthy.

Carol L. Smith, Philadelphia

Contempt for government workers is not a recent phenomenon. I remember my father-in-law complaining about “lazy government workers” when I went to work as an apprentice welder at a naval shipyard in 1972. I was a teenager when I watched a young painter burn to death in the escape trunk of the USS Belknap that had been filled with odorless combustible gas. Twenty years working on the iron, you see a lot — coworkers killed, burned, maimed. What the hell was the old man talking about?

I went back to school at night, got a degree, and became an industry analyst before managing an office of analysts who conducted industry studies. In my 37 years with the U.S. Defense Department, I’d been to the Pentagon to brief generals and senior executives more times than the current secretary of defense, who auditioned for his job as a talking head on Fox News and likes to throw around terms like “warrior ethos.” What a schmuck.

Today, the richest man on Earth briefs our billionaire president and millionaire cabinet appointees, mocking all the mothers and fathers he’s put out of work — parents with mortgages, tuition bills, children in school, some with special needs, all with aspirations. The mob of wealthy, powerful lapdogs sit around a polished walnut table yukking it up like children who heard their first dirty joke. And the country watches. Either disgusted or delighted, too shocked or elated to realize people so indifferent to suffering are easily capable of doing the same thing to them. The only ones who will save America are the everyday people.

Jim Brennan, Flourtown

It has become clear the Trump administration is pivoting America’s foreign policy away from supporting Ukraine and into the arms of Russia. The White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was stark evidence of this change. Why would Trump be doing this? In exchange for acquiescence on Ukraine, Trump is expecting energy deals and mineral rights for America — something Russia has said it is open to. Although Russia is the richest country in the world from a natural resources perspective, it is hard to believe a leader as shrewd as Vladimir Putin would give the U.S. any lasting or major part of this wealth. If Trump abandons Ukraine for a Russian vaporware deal, it is likely to embolden Putin’s aspirations to rebuild “historical Russia.” This could include Finland, Poland, and even Alaska. How does encouraging this kind of behavior benefit the United States?

Duncan McRae, Philadelphia

An Inquirer editorial laments Philadelphia’s “failure to capitalize on America’s semiquincentennial.” Our city’s centrality to the birth of our nation is unquestioned. However, we should acknowledge the cognitive dissonance between our founding role and the current threats to our democratic and constitutional norms. Not since the Civil War has our democracy been under internal siege as it is now: Ongoing blizzards of executive orders and actions, many unlawful or unconstitutional. Numerous unqualified and unelected appointees with a history of antipathy toward federal agencies are now in charge. An authoritarian president delights in dictatorial speech and projections of royalty that are anathema to our founders’ beliefs.

A wrecking ball is unleashed upon the federal institutions that power the greatest democracy in history. Yet, there is no legislative check, only silent obeisance as our democratic infrastructure is shattered from within. The United States was a bold idea that became the democratic ideal. Without that ideal, America becomes just another place on the map. Currently, Philadelphians should work to protect and preserve our democracy and fret about party planning later. The salient question about July 4, 2026, is: What will we be celebrating? Will it be a party or a memorial service?

Robert M. Boucher, Philadelphia

The fear of federal funding withdrawal by the Trump administration has resulted in the Philadelphia Board of Education’s denial of two new charter schools, one of which it had previously supported. In February, The Inquirer ran a glowing article about the school district’s growth, praising West Philadelphia High on its post-pandemic recovery and 51% enrollment increase over six years. This recovery signals confidence in the school and its growing programs. An executive order was given to develop “patriotic education” targeting Black history, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, transgender students, and social justice programs. This administration has canceled $900 million in contracts to the Institute of Education Sciences.

The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has promised to cancel school performance data. We now have an unqualified secretary of education in Linda McMahon, who wants to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education itself, handing it to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, leaving Title I students and those with disabilities in limbo. She strongly supports tax credits for private schools and funding them with tax money. Community members, I strongly urge you to get involved in a fight to keep our public schools separate from the private sector. Contact your representatives. Stay informed and active. Fear is not the answer.

Lisa Callahan, Philadelphia

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