Protecting Your Freedoms and Family This Election
I was walking my beautiful dog Bentley in Langhorne, a historic place where many of George Washington’s soldiers gave their lives bringing birth to our beloved democracy. I suddenly saw a lawn sign with the words in bright red “Protect your freedoms and your family. Vote red.” The rest of the lawn was covered with the usual MAGA GOP messaging. I became very blue because of the falsity of the red message.
I wondered what freedoms are the MAGA GOP purporting to protect?
The freedom for women to make decisions about their own bodies? Their freedom not to carry the babies of their rapists to term? Their freedom not to bleed to death in parking lots since MAGA GOP laws prevent doctors from treating them?
The freedom for all members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community, to live freely, equally and safely among us all?
The freedom for schoolchildren to be safe in school and not fear to be gunned down by weapons of war? The freedom for citizens to go to shopping malls and places of worship and not fear to be gunned down by weapons of war?
The freedom for all of us to read books that tell truths about our history and our rich diversity?
The freedom to live safely on a planet that sadly is now being besieged by floods and fires because of MAGA GOP resistance to the science of climate change?
The freedom to grow old in dignity without the fear of the MAGA GOP dismantling Social Security?
The freedom to afford decent medical care despite the MAGA GOP’s continual insistence to defund Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act?
The freedom to live in a just democracy where no one is above the law and all are held accountable for their misdeeds no matter how rich or famous they are.
The freedom to live in a democracy with free and fair elections where losers of elections do not deny that they lost and seek instead to spread lies and incite violence that would disenfranchise the votes of thousands of democracy-loving citizens and thwart the peaceful transition of power?
I then laughed at those red words on the sign and suddenly knew the obvious. I would be voting deep blue in November’s election for every Democrat on the ballot.
We Americans owe it to those soldiers who died for our democracy, in Langhorne and elsewhere, to ensure that the fascist MAGA broken GOP party does not take our freedoms from us, from our children and from our grandchildren forevermore. Instead, we Americans need to elect Democratic leaders who are most likely to continue the hard work of preserving and defending our freedoms from those who are so eager to take them from us forever.
I took Bentley home. I was firmly politically blue, but happy. I knew our democracy still stood and in November I could vote for Democratic candidates who would work to provide real freedoms for me and my family. I urge you to do the same for the good of your family and our country.
Steve Cickay, Newtown
Sorting Through Economic Facts and Fictions
Recent reporting in the Philadelphia Inquirer cites Philadelphia Inquirer/New Times/Siena College polling results reflecting that 54 percent of Pennsylvania voters trust Trump to better handle the economy than Biden. Despite broad indicators of good economic progress, voters’ concerns about inflation and the rising costs of groceries and gas lead them to believe that they fared better under Trump’s presidency.
This simplistic and mistaken conclusion that the president in office dictates the costs of goods and services for American families ignores several complicating factors that have contributed to the rate of inflation.
First of all, we have a mixed economy with elements of capitalism and socialism and the president cannot intervene in the corporate pricing decisions that have a direct impact on Americans’ day-to-day living expenses.
Secondly, the Covid pandemic (starting during the last year of the Trump presidency), had a devastating impact on the world economy. It included the loss of 23 million American jobs along with shutdowns of entire countries, factories and businesses around the world. Additionally, the uncertainties in oil and gas supplies and prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine created world wide inflation. Again, these events were outside the control of anyone who was president at the time.
Thirdly, as Democratic Senator Bob Casey has detailed on his website, corporations have used inflation as a cover to artificially raise prices in order to rake in record profits, a practice he terms greedflation. In the two year period between July 2020 and July 2022, inflation rose by 14 percent while corporate profits rose by 75 percent. An associated practice, he terms shrinkflation, involves the practice of reducing product size while maintaining the same retail price. A practice I’m sure everyone angrily recognizes when they open their snacks or proceed with their food shopping. Paying more for less leaves you feeling cheated and helpless!
Given these factors, whom should voters trust to handle their economic concerns? Senator Casey and the Democratic solution to make big corporations pay their fare share, fight unfair price gouging, and take on corporate monopolies to increase competition and lower costs? Or the Republican non-solution to cut social security, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and extend the trillions of dollars of the tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations signed into law by Trump?
Oh, and to give this responsibility to someone who has been impeached twice, lost more than 60 court cases regarding the Big Lie, bankrupted four casinos, and incited the January 6 insurrection? A person convicted of sexual assault and defamation and currently indicted for tax fraud, hush money, electoral subversion and mishandling and lying about national security information … I don’t think so!
Robert Mason, Levittown
Opportunities Await Thanks to President Biden
Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority recently approved over $200 million to bring internet connectivity to 40,000 PA homes and businesses. For over 249,000 Pennsylvanians who currently lack internet service or struggle with poor internet connectivity, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
With this award, plus matching funds from private investment, internet providers will expand service to Pennsylvanians who will finally be able to apply for remote work, attend telehealth appointments, grow rural businesses, and access schoolwork from home.
Other opportunities are on the way under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. First, the Multipurpose Facilities Program offers $45 million in competitive grants for libraries, recreation centers, fire halls, and churches to improve their structures to enable work, education, and health monitoring to occur onsite.
Second, another $200 million allocated through President Biden’s Digital Connectivity Technology Program will allow PA communities to provide up to 200 laptops to residents, including seniors, school children, and volunteers.
More funds are available through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal to ensure every Pennsylvanian has access to high-speed internet, but we constituents must be proactive and apply for them.
For more information on current and future funding opportunities, visit www.broadband.pa.gov.
Rick Thomas, Lewisburg
Trump Has No Sense of Decency
Even before his felony conviction, Donald Trump’s feckless, destructive and corrupt one-term presidency provided abundant proof that he is indeed unfit for office on many levels.
Each Memorial Day we are reminded of his complete disdain for our men and women in uniform, particularly for those who have paid the ultimate price in protecting our freedom.
Trump has referred to our fallen heroes as “suckers” and “losers,” even sharing that opinion with his then Chief of Staff, decorated General John Kelly, whose own son was killed in action in Afghanistan.
General Kelly accurately stated that Trump “has no understanding of what this country is all about.” Clearly, virtues of honor, duty, courage, sacrifice, and loyalty are completely incomprehensible to him.
Trump, who dodged military service during the Vietnam War with a timely letter from his podiatrist citing bone spurs, disparaged John McCain saying that he “liked people who weren’t captured.” McCain spent five years in captivity enduring torture as a POW in Vietnam. When offered early release, McCain courageously and selflessly refused to leave his comrades behind.
Trump cancelled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France because the rain would mess his hair and – kept disabled veterans out of parades because “that would not be a good look for him.”
This rebuke of Joseph McCarthy comes to mind – “Have you no sense of decency?” A convicted felon with zero respect for our fallen heroes, active military, and democratic heritage is without decency and totally unfit for office.
George Polycranos, Port Matilda
Felons Typically Cannot Vote – They Can Run for POTUS?
What a joyous and sad day simultaneously on May 30 when former president Donald Trump became a convicted felon. A jury of 12 of his peers convicted him on 34 counts. Sentencing is planned for July 11 unless the date gets changed. July 11 is four days before the Republican National Convention, so Trump and his team may seek another date. Continued debate about the legitimacy of the prosecution and likely an appeal is in the near future. An appeal would delay things for months.
It is interesting that in Maine and Vermont felons can vote. In a majority of the states, depending on a state’s rules, the right to vote is restored after either parole, prison or probation. Felons in FL where Trump resides will automatically regain their ability to vote once they have served their terms of incarceration and their parole and probation. Trump can’t even vote for himself in November! How shameful it would be to have a felon as a head of state who cannot travel to certain countries if his conviction stands.
There are no rules blocking candidates with criminal records from running for the highest office in our nation. It seems prudent for our lawmakers to amend the U.S. Constitution so that felons are ineligible to run for president. Our forefathers never dreamed of the quagmire our nation is facing with a felon as a presidential candidate.
Who wants a criminal making decisions for our nation? A U.S. citizen cannot be a felon and serve in the U.S. military, but a felon can be a Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military?
Choose wisely in November. It is up to voters to right the political ship.
Gail Titus, Newtown
