Letters to the Editor | Sept. 8, 2024

In October 2021, JD Vance unwittingly called out the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for its leaders’ and educators’ individual decisions to remain childless. Tom Cotton, in November 2021, similarly dismissed the teaching qualifications of all childless educators, which would, of course, include each and every one of the dedicated and hardworking priests and nuns who taught me from grades one through 12 at St. Martin of Tours grade school and Cardinal Dougherty High School.

Vance later left it to his spokesman to dig the hole a little deeper by summoning the frightful specter of “left-wing indoctrination” in our schools, displaying breathtaking ignorance of the neutrality of the word doctrine. The Catholic Church takes very seriously its mission to instill faith in the doctrines that serve as its bedrock; indeed, the education of those enrolled in the archdiocese’s schools meets the precise definition of the word indoctrination. Vance, a relatively recent and clearly inattentive convert to Catholicism, has apparently given a pass to the church’s educators on their choice to remain childless. Such moral ambiguity fits well with the slippery ideology of Vance’s puppeteer.

Richard Heaney, Harrisburg

Kudos to North Penn High School for handling the 50,000 bees inside its walls with smarts and care. Instead of exterminating them, officials found the queen bee and safely relocated the hive — saving their students from stings and keeping North Penn’s ecosystem humming with creatures essential for pollination. Plus, North Penn dodged a swarm of angry environmentalists by not taking the easy “squish ‘em” route. It’s a win for nature and a great lesson for our kids on how to solve problems without squashing what’s important. North Penn’s decision was bee-utiful!

Rosamond Kay, Philadelphia

When there are no consequences for bad behavior, bad behavior is enabled and grows worse. City payouts for police wrongdoing — $60 million in the last 18 months — are Exhibit A. The toothless Civilians Police Oversight Commission is Exhibit B. Under our present system, when Philadelphia police break the law, they simply pass the responsibility on to the taxpayer and walk away. I’m sure we’d all like to see a more responsive and responsible force, so I have a modest proposal. The next time a cop is charged with a crime or civil rights violation, force the police department to pay for the lawyer and any damages out of its own budget or the police pension fund. Does anyone doubt police misconduct would virtually disappear overnight?

Richard Crossin, Philadelphia

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most sacred and hallowed grounds in our nation. The heroic men and women buried there gave their lives protecting this country. I was surprised to learn there is a federal law prohibiting the use of part of the area for political campaign ads. I thought, who could possibly be so crass, disrespectful, and unpatriotic as to use this revered space to promote themselves? Unfortunately, I now know the answer.

Stefan Keller, Huntingdon Valley

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