The fate of democracy, more on Kavanaugh, and more: letters to the editor
‘The hard work of being one’
I am writing to express appreciation for the “E Pluribus Unum” episode of “Madam Secretary” on CBS/WTAJ. The theme - our nation’s original motto - is that diversity is our greatest strength. “Out of many, one” includes all Americans. The fate of the democracy depends on whether the people are willing to do the hard work of being one.
Nationalism, however, threatens to infect us and pull us apart. The writers of this program worked into the plot a conversation with Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton, and Madeline Albright, all in person, They affirmed and underscored the importance of the message. If you haven’t seen “E Pluribus Unum” on TV, you can find it online at CBS.org. Even if you have seen it, it’s worth seeing again, perhaps sharing it with friends. Its truths bear repeating and reinforcing, especially with teenagers. - Virginia Loewen, State College, PA
‘Perpetuating a system’
In rationalizing his support for Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Senator Pat Toomey stated, “Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony has been corroborated and Dr. Ford’s testimony has not.” Nothing regarding Dr. Ford’s allegation or now-Justice Kavanaugh’s denials has been conclusively proved or disproved.
Senator Toomey and his Senate Republican colleagues had made up their minds even before Dr. Ford testified, because they wanted to get [him] on the Supreme Court ahead of the midterms. Worse, and more significantly, they wanted to reestablish their dominance and control.
In the words of the Jesuit community, which had previously endorsed Kavanaugh, “The hearings and the committee’s deliberations are now also a bellwether of the way the country treats women when their reports of harassment, assault and abuse threaten to derail the careers of powerful men.... Judge Kavanaugh continues to enjoy a legal presumption of innocence, but the standard for a nominee to the Supreme Court is far higher.”
By supporting THIS nominee, in THIS moment, Senator Toomey is perpetuating a system where powerful men have their way over the objections of women. He either doesn’t understand this or doesn’t care.
Senator Toomey is completely tone deaf to what is happening in our country right now regarding women’s autonomy. He has put party politics over people and demonstrated that he’s no friend to women in PA. When Senator Toomey is up for re-election in 2022, not only will I be fighting relentlessly to unseat him, I just might run against him myself. - Colleen Kennedy, State College, PA
‘A simple way forward’
When we moved to State College a few years ago, I was distressed to learn that I was gerrymandered into the Congressional district of the bumbling Rep. GT Thompson. Thompson, while voting the straight Trump line, never bothers to hold town halls at which he can be questioned, and seems to be afraid of debating his opponent in the upcoming election. And he has never met a polluter he doesn’t love -- his voting score from the League of Conservation Voters is an abysmal 6 percent.
So when I got redistricted into Rep. Tom Marino’s district, I figured this guy has got to be better. But no: his score from the League is an appalling 3 percent! He loves the polluters even more than Thompson.
There’s a simple way forward, which will help us protect our environment, and will only take you a few minutes: Here’s your assignment. Go to the polls in November, and vote out both Thompson and Marino! - Howard Bond, State College, PA