Letters to the Editor | Jan. 20, 2023

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court recently ruled on Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s petition challenging the legality of the impeachment proceedings pending against him. The ambiguity of the court’s disposition of his petition is striking. The main opinion, joined by Judges Ellen Ceisler, Renée Cohn Jubelirer, and Michael Wojcik (in part), held that none of the articles of impeachment satisfy the state constitutional standard, which is “any misbehavior in office.” Judge Wojcik, however, authored a separate concurring opinion (which reads more like a partial dissent), noting that the constitutional authority to issue and consider four of the articles of impeachment resides solely and exclusively with the General Assembly. Judge Patricia McCullough’s dissent states that the issue regarding viability of the grounds for impeachment is constitutionally reserved for the Senate’s consideration. It thus appears that the court is evenly divided as to the merits of Krasner’s petition. Perhaps an appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania can finally resolve the matter.

Patrick J. Hagan, Ardmore

Many people have lost faith that our government can make meaningful change. They aren’t wrong. We’ve crammed a diverse mosaic of national ideas and innovations into two political parties that reward ideological purity and hyperpartisanship. Our electoral process has been rigged so that winning elections is not linked to finding solutions. Congress’s approval rating is at just 21%, yet over 90% of incumbents win reelection. Almost 90% of seats in Congress are noncompetitive — either one party or the other wins every time. A representative only has to appeal to the small slice of the electorate that shows up to a partisan primary. Keep the extreme wing of your party satisfied and you’re safe. It’s no surprise, then, that Congress has become so polarized.

The Forward Party is launching a movement seeking real change through election reforms such as ranked choice voting and open primaries, and creating a community committed to the belief that grace and tolerance are cornerstones of a functioning democracy. Let’s create a culture that fosters diverse ideas to solve our problems. I encourage you to join this community by visiting ForwardParty.com. There are plenty of upcoming events and opportunities to help create and lead this movement.

Barbara Patrizzi, Cherry Hill

The Dec. 14 op-ed, “Closing Berks County immigrant detention center is not enough,” showed the real face of the “Abolish ICE” movement, which is all about politics, no matter the real-life consequences. For decades, under both Democrats and Republicans, the federal government has relied almost exclusively on federal contractors since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesn’t have its own facilities. Contractors are held to strict federal standards, and health-care services and access to attorneys and immigrant rights advocates are provided. Without this infrastructure, migrants would be housed in overcrowded local jails alongside potentially dangerous people. The “Shut Down Berks Coalition” suggests the Berks County facility was closed for political reasons, specifically the desire “to win Pennsylvania in 2024.” The coalition fails to address the negative consequences for migrants working their way through our country’s immigration system, who deserve respectful and dignified care, not political slogans.

Alexandra Wilkes, national spokeswoman, Day 1 Alliance

I am dismayed by the generally negative reception, even hand-wringing, at the news that China’s population decreased last year. Instead, it should be universally welcomed with cheers and celebrations. Not because China should be singled out on this issue, but because it demonstrates that this seemingly intractable phenomenon can be rectified after all. Much of the world has been under the illusion that we humans could continue multiplying ourselves indefinitely with no consequence. Even at the current level of population, hundreds of millions of people live in abject poverty. It behooves all of us to help them achieve a decent standard of living. But that will inevitably come with greater exploitation of our already beleaguered planet, including more clearing of forests, digging of mines, and the further burdening of scarce water resources. These activities are also a root cause of mass migrations, political instability, and war.

The China story is also a victory for women, who are refusing to become baby machines, despite pressure from the Communist Party. As women demand equality and careers, fertility rates fall. These plunging stats signal progress and should be treated accordingly. Further, the bewailing of falling birth rates as auguring ill for the replacement of aging workers is ludicrous. There are already people who are eager to replace them, if only developed countries would lower their immigration barriers. Anyway, artificial intelligence is proceeding at such a lightning pace that the real issue is whether there will be enough work for even the present human family. So say a “huzzah” for China’s population decline. Embrace a rare bit of good news.

Stephen G. Young, Cherry Hill

For many homes with gas stoves, their heat also comes from natural gas furnaces. Though the authors don’t mention natural gas-powered furnaces in their op-ed (“Gas stoves should be banned in Philadelphia”), it stands to reason that if gas stoves should go, then gas furnaces would follow. Let’s forget for a moment that for the foreseeable future, electric power generation is still going to come from fossil fuels and that forsaking natural gas would lead to massive increases in electricity usage, putting increased strain on an already vulnerable infrastructure. Forget also that the cost of electricity in most regions is higher than that of natural gas.

Just as important is the question: Where do we stop? Auto emissions put a great deal of pollution into the environment. Maybe the authors think that we should all be riding bicycles. And what about fireplaces? Because burning anything, be it gas or wood, causes the release of pollutants, perhaps fireplaces should be prohibited in all new home construction. Sound, sensible strategies to reduce the human effects on climate are vital. While no one who is paying attention doubts the seriousness of climate change, there are a lot of different ways to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Banning natural gas stoves is not one of them.

Scott B. Chelemer, MD, Mount Laurel

“Color blindness,” which is advocated by some conservatives and which claims to judge Americans equally on their merits, is a lie. As far as those same conservatives are concerned, there is no problem with celebrating one’s white ethnicity, history, and heritage. Stories about white immigrants coming to America and overcoming prejudice are a sign of a noble struggle. Italian, Irish, and German pride days do not raise alarms. In fact, they honor Columbus Day. Italian license plates and flags are people showing their pride in America and evidence that the country is a melting pot. However, when Black people want to talk about being brought here as slaves, enduring Jim Crow laws, lynchings, and segregation — which is their heritage and history — these conservatives become apoplectic and claim that they are calling all white people racists. Why can’t Black people accept color blindness and ask to be treated based on their merit, conservatives disingenuously ask? Black people are not afforded the same privilege as white people in recounting and talking about their history. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is going to extreme lengths with his “anti-woke” laws to do that. And Fox News and the National Review are in his corner, cheering him on. Color blindness is a lie. You cannot be blind to color, just as many Americans are not blind to their ethnicity.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

Two U.S. representatives who were stripped of their committee roles for suggesting violence against Democratic politicians were recently given assignments by new House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. In addition to Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar, McCarthy also named Rep. George Santos, who faces calls to resign over lies on his résumé, to two committees. Santos’ fraudulent claims are far too many to list in this letter, but they include the repulsive lies of his grandparents fleeing the Holocaust and his mother dying from cancer as a result of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. McCarthy appears intent on building a house of horrors, devoid of honor, integrity, and patriotism.

Vin Morabito, Scranton, vinmorabito8@gmail.com

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