Letters: AG’s actions against Spanier are political; Delta students shared ‘transformative’ trip

AG’s actions against Spanier are political

An article in the Nov. 17 Centre Daily Times describes how Shapiro appealed a federal court’s dismissal of the criminal charges against Penn State’s Graham Spanier. Shapiro had previously stated falsely on Twitter (May 1), “Graham Spanier, as President of @PennState , was advised that children were being sexually abused on school property.” Mike McQueary’s deposition, which Shapiro read or ought to have read, stated that he did not see any act of sexual abuse, or indeed anything he thought reportable to police. Two mandated reporters to whom he described whatever he thought he might have possibly seen and heard did not deem it reportable either.

There is no place in a safe society for (1) people who abuse children or (2) prosecutors who, under color of protecting children, strew their paths to higher office with the ruined lives of innocent people as I perceive Massachusetts’ Scott Harshbarger as having done to the Amiraults and Shapiro as trying to do with Dr. Spanier. The Amirault jury swallowed hook, line and sinker the prosecution’s “evidence” of physical assault with a 12-inch butcher knife that somehow left no injury, and also by robots along with a clown in a “magic room.” I assume the prosecutors kept saying “believe the children.” Shapiro is, as I perceive his actions, just more of the same. Massachusetts voters rejected Harshbarger’s gubernatorial bid and Pennsylvania’s voters need to deal similarly with Shapiro’s should he run in 2022.

Delta students shared ‘transformative’ trip

On Thursday, Nov. 14, students and faculty from State College’s Delta Program presented a program entitled “Bridging Divides; Exploring Diversity and Social Justice.” Many of the middle and high school students gave educational and inspirational highlights of their week-long journey South which focused on the history of Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

The stops included Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. Several students on the trip shared their experiences visiting museums and historically significant churches, walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge and meeting various veterans involved in the momentous events. Those of us old enough to remember the news of the ‘60s know of the historic turmoil.

I was very moved by the student’s maturity, in thought and articulation of the experience. They used terms like “profound” and “life-changing” in their description of the educational trip.

“I truly believe that visiting Alabama and immersing ourselves in the history was the only possible way for us to fully grasp what the Civil Rights Movement was and how it has impacted our society today. For the first time, people I had only ever read about in textbooks became real,” a ninth grader from Delta said.

The audience was moved to offer an extended standing ovation to the students and faculty.

In the hope of additional such educational experiences we hope that the trip could be funded and repeated so others may experience the transformative journey.

Witnesses, testimony show impeachment is necessary

After 12 witnesses and hours of testimony it is now clear: President Trump violated his oath of office by inviting a foreign power to investigate a domestic political opponent. This not only strikes at the heart of democratic processes in the United States, it sets dangerous precedents for all future presidents. The only course of action is to hold this lawless administration to account and for the Congress of the United States to impeach the president and for the Senate of the United States to convict and remove President Trump from office. If the people of the United States allow this president to skate through this process without sanction, it will invite more foreign election interference and will give this president permission to engage in more destructive and dangerous actions that will further erode the public trust. His actions are disqualifying for high office and the Congress of the United States must take actions to check this presidential abuse of power.