Letters to the Editor | April 5, 2023

Every American should be relieved that Donald Trump has been indicted (including Trump himself). His claims of persecution have divided our country and provoked an atmosphere of distrust and hatred aimed at his opponents. Now, however, his case has entered the stage where partisan media will not decide his fate. Now we get to see just how much of a “witch hunt” this process has been. The prosecution must lay out its evidence in open court, under oath for the American people to see. Trump will be able to defend himself in open court, under oath.

The greatness of America is founded on our rule of law. All our freedoms are based on the fact that no one is above the law, and that every citizen is protected by that law. Trump is an expert in using the court system to his advantage. With this indictment, he can definitively demonstrate that his tormentors are lying and have unfairly targeted him. Or not.

Michael Walsh, Elkins Park

Regarding Donald Trump’s indictment, the media are throwing around the word unprecedented as if it’s some kind of toxin bound to poison our democracy. Did these people not think the former president fomenting an insurrection was unprecedented? During his 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton, he led his supporters to chant “Lock her up” and claimed — without evidence — that she was a crook. How about his threatening calls to election officials in Georgia, demanding that they change the election results? Was it unprecedented for an American president to behave like Vladimir Putin’s obsequious puppy for all the world to see? Was the former president’s breathtaking ignorance about the world, compounded by his naked greed, unprecedented? Calling the indictment “unprecedented” implies that holding people accountable for their actions is antithetical to our system of justice. Further, it ignores the reality that Richard Nixon would have faced indictment if Gerald Ford did not pardon him. And that Bill Clinton avoided indictment for perjury by signing a statement admitting that he had given false testimony regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. What is truly unprecedented is the crass, belligerent conduct of the former president, as he demonstrates, again, how unfit for office he is.

Suzanne Bush, Gwynedd Valley

I very much enjoyed The Inquirer article about the evolution of water into wooder in the Philly accent. That linguistic phenomenon has garnered a lot of attention over the last few years. However, I can honestly say that I know only one person who says wooder, and he hails from Lansdale. I grew up in the East Falls section of Northwest Philly, have lived in Greater Philadelphia my entire life, and have studied exclusively at local schools, including universities. In my experience, Philadelphians, including me, consistently say “wawder.” The most noteworthy characteristic of the pronunciation is the failure to dentalize (or, as we would say locally, “dennalize”) the “t” in the middle of the word. That’s a uniform feature of Philly speech, in words ranging from “dawder” (daughter) to “enner” (enter). In other words, it’s a Philly thing!

Brian Daly, Plymouth Meeting

As architects who are always asking each other “what if,” helping envision a new home for the Sixers offers the opportunity for us to apply blue-sky thinking to a transformative project in one of America’s great cities. As Inga Saffron notes in her March 26 column, this is a complicated structure built into a complicated site. It’s above rail, between Chinatown, and fronting historic Market Street. The logistics are hard. But what if we take our time to get it right? What if we explore a range of options and think of potential concerns not as a reason to abandon the vision, but rather to pursue with even more rigor? We’re thinking differently about 76 Place, which — like some of our firm’s other projects, including Boston’s Hub on Causeway at TD Garden and Nashville, Tenn.’s Fifth + Broadway — faced tight sites and multiple stakeholders.

We know Philadelphians demand meaningful, authentic experiences. What if we created a new kind of arena, one that engages with surrounding neighborhoods and doesn’t turn its back to the street? What if the fan experience were integrated with an entire neighborhood every day, not just on game days? Moreover, what if we created a place that is distinctively Philly — full of great food, culture, and people? If we did that, could it respect its neighbors? We believe these outcomes are possible and worth pursuing. As such, we are exploring the concept of lifting the event floor, not placing it below ground, so that Jefferson Station remains as untouched as possible, retaining its iconic tile mural and atrium space that preserves natural light. Similarly, we envision tapping into the existing underground mall service level with capacity for 24 18-wheelers so trucks wouldn’t need to load from the street. With the street level unlocked, outward-facing restaurants and retail could elevate the everyday experience around the site, regardless of whether a game is happening. The development team is committed to getting the design right, which requires exploring options and doing so in a manner that engages with the many stakeholders in the community. Design is not a solo art, and that is certainly the case with 76 Place.

Jordan Goldstein, comanaging principal, and Maddy Crippen, principal, Gensler

The authors are employed by the architecture firm that has been retained to design the proposed Sixers arena.

Regarding the resignation of Temple University president Jason Wingard, it’s a shame this man never had a chance. He stepped in when the world was buried in a pandemic, and the student world was (and still is) buried in a student loan crisis. The safety of the students is paramount to rejuvenating enrollment. It’s a shame because many of the problems are out of his hands. Until the big three (Mayor Jim Kenney, District Attorney Larry Krasner, and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw) start doing their jobs, Temple couldn’t hire enough police to keep the campus safe. As far as increasing enrollment, it seems to be a national problem. Over the pandemic, students took a long hard look at the cost and the return from a college education, and it did turn out well. I don’t think Wingard did a bad job; he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of Temple’s problems will never be solved without help from the city, state, and federal governments. As for State Sen. Vincent Hughes’ statement that the departure sends a “very chilling message,” this isn’t a Black and white issue, and shouldn’t be made into one. This is a faculty, administration, and student issue.

Richard Donofry, Philadelphia

Although my perspective often differs from that of Jennifer Stefano, she has distilled the essence of Christianity in her latest column. Love your neighbor, God, and yourself is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching. What if we approached those who we disagree with as deserving of respect and dignity, just as Jesus approached everyone? The U.S. political system was built on the art of compromise. Can we find a way through to see the value of each person, offer grace as Stefano suggests, and work together at providing a voice for the voiceless, as Jesus did? What a wonderful world it would be.

Ron Hertzler, Telford, rlhertzler@yahoo.com

In his recent visit with Harrisburg Republicans, possible presidential candidate Ron DeSantis praised Florida’s hands-off approach to COVID-19 restrictions. He also bragged, “We are gonna save liberty in this country,” and, “We have left the Democratic Party for dead in Florida.” What he didn’t mention was that his hands-off approach to COVID likely left more than 35,000 Floridians dead. DeSantis’ decision to prioritize business over public health has led to Florida ranking in the top third of states for COVID deaths per capita. According to Statista.com, as of March 10, the states with even more COVID deaths per capita included: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas. No serious candidate for national office would care to be counted among them. You can’t enjoy liberty if you’re dead.

Rosemary McDonough, Narberth

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