2 weeks Ago
Deported man deserved due processThe situation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported by mistake to a prison in El Salvador and for whom the Trump administration has resisted a Supreme Court order to facilitate his return, reminded me of a key aspect of my Catholic faith. The sacrament of Confirmation, which we usually receive around the second grade, imprints an indelible mark on the soul that makes us soldiers of Christ endowed with the spiritual strength to fight and die for our faith, as popularly depicted in the lives of St. George and the Dragon and St.
Joan of Arc. I think of due process as an indelible mark on the soul of the American body politic implanted by the Constitution and for which we would not be American if we did not fight and, at the risk of being overdramatic, die. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, no matter what his identity, did not receive due process, for which he had a right.
To not fight for him is genetically impossible for true Americans.Edward J. GallagherBethlehemTrump not making America greatDonald Trump is not making America great: He is making it cruel — a third grader handcuffed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
He is making it chaotic — reducing the world’s strongest economy to shambles. He is making it corrupt — telling his buddies gathered in the Oval Office how his monetary policy is making them richer overnight. He is making it incompetent — his secretary of education, a former wrestling promoter, doesn’t know the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and steak sauce (A-1).
Children are now dying of measles because of the dangerous disinformation being spread by Robert Kennedy Jr., and thousands of dedicated federal employees — many of them veterans — have been fired because Elon Musk thinks the way to address government waste is to take a chainsaw to federal staffing. Donald Trump has destroyed relationships with allies that have been in place since World War II and made the U.
S. a pariah to many nations. Republicans need to rediscover their backbones and stop the madness before it is too late.
Cynthia Leslie SimmonsBethlehemDon’t cut federal grants helping children to readI taught reading to local children ages 6-12 for decades, paid for by Title I grants to public schools. Students improved, borrowed from classroom libraries and were reading at home to grateful parents. The older ones were able to read and discuss Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address by the close of the school year.
Now Title 1 funds are in jeopardy. Can you believe it?Are we scared to speak up? What can we do to ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”?Ann GoldbergBethlehem TownshipThe writer is a retired Bethlehem Area School District reading specialist.Column on Lincoln is worth readingWow.
What a great Your View on the Town Square page of The Morning Call on April 13, “The day the US lost Lincoln.” The author wrote about Abraham Lincoln’s integrity, humility, accountability and vision. He wrote “Imagine if today’s elected officials spoke in this way.
” I agree, but I don’t think he went far enough. I think every politician, voter and more importantly everyone working in the media industry should be required to read this opinion piece as many times as it takes for it to sink in.Bob KernAllen TownshipAntiwar tax protest not a good ideaA recent editorial encouraged readers to withhold payment of income taxes as an act of protest of U.
S. support of Israel, citing attacks that have killed innocent Palestinians. The moral arguments presented have merit, but are not confined to Israel/Gaza (e.
g., Ukraine/Russia) or even military conflict. There are social policies that contribute to otherwise preventable death too, so a large menu of items could evoke tax withholding protests, yet they do not.
Legitimate protest typically involves legally permissible actions that require a sacrifice of time, effort and/or money. The author’s recommendation is not a legal course of action and relies on a self-righteous interpretation of tax code to yield personal enrichment. He would have better served his cause by countering the philosophical arguments for the support of Israel, such as promotion of our national security.
The intent is to protect Americans and an American ally, not to see innocent people die or suffer.Readers should be aware that tax withholding arguments will be deemed frivolous and could result in penalties, interest charges, damaged credit, wage garnishment, asset seizure, etc. Civil disobedience in the form of tax evasion is not a successful strategy.
It will only anger honest taxpayers.Peter E. HartUpper Nazareth TownshipMackenzie is right to support clean energy tax creditsI thank Congressman Ryan Mackenzie for joining 20 other House Republicans who signed a letter from the House Climate Solutions Caucus to the chair of the Ways and Means Committee calling for the preservation of the clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Congress is seeing that clean energy tax credits benefit their districts, and that constituents and businesses don’t want to lose them. It’s clear that these policies are delivering real economic value in communities nationwide. In Pennsylvania, more than $210 million has funded projects in Scott Perry’s ($94 million), Glenn Thompson’s ($22.
5 million), and Mike Kelly’s ($94 million) districts, creating over 200 jobs. These are Republican districts. Nationwide, two-thirds of funds from these credits have gone to Republican districts according to E2.
org, a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment.The clean energy projects these credits have funded are making a dent in our greenhouse gas pollution by building electrification and efficiency, fostering climate-smart agriculture and forestry, cutting methane pollution and even promoting industrial carbon removal.Congress needs to keep these tax creditsJohn GallagherBethlehem TownshipELECTION LETTERS Letters to the editor about candidates and issues in the May 20 primary election must be received by 10 a.
m. May 12. Election-related letters will not be published after May 15.
The Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication..
