Letters: Police keep State College safe; Faith community moved to respond to killings

Police keep State College safe

As a 31-year resident of State College Borough, I’m against defunding or cutting funding to the State College police based on an unnecessary reaction to national politics.

I remember the police tackling many tough situations — riots after football games, the famous Arts Festival riot some years ago, and yearly State Patty’s Day weekends come to mind. Many of these situations are caused by people coming into State College for events and causing problems. A well-trained police force is needed to control crowds for seven football games a year, Arts Festival and other major drinking events, not to mention large weekend parties at fraternities and downtown apartments.

I would like to know how many lives have been saved by the State College police just in saving some individual so drunk that death by suffocation was a possibility. The problems on a football weekend are enormous — just check the number of arrests and the hospital emergency room entries.

I wonder if our State College Borough Council members have had the opportunity to ride with our police on a night of a football weekend? Maybe that should be part of their initial introduction to the Borough Council.

We have a safe community thanks to our police. Let’s keep it that way. We don’t need outsiders telling us how to fund our police force.

Faith community moved to respond to killings

The members and attenders of the State College Friends Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends are moved to respond to the fatal shooting of Ahmuad Arbery and killings by police of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

As individuals and a Quaker faith community, we cannot avert our eyes from unconscionable acts or stand silent. Structural injustices and pain have been present in our country from its inception based on the stealing of land and enslavement of Black, Brown and indigenous people. These injustices persist today, from disparities in economic opportunity, violence and health, to the lack of privileges and advantages afforded those of us perceived as white. These racist and violent acts lie in opposition to our Quaker tenets. We reject systemic racism, violence and injustice. Our positions of privilege and power bestow us with responsibility to enact change now. We need to collaborate across differences to make equitable, sustainable, long-term changes in ourselves, our community, our country. We affirm that all Black lives matter.

Together we can build the beloved community of respect, equity and human dignity. We are all people: daughters, mothers, brothers, fathers, and children of the light/God and so embrace each other as equal, valuable and loved. We commit to answer this call through actions we will undertake as described on our website, from supporting racial justice initiatives to working to dismantle structural racism and mass incarceration to educating ourselves to become allies of Black people, indigenous people and people of color.

‘Modern reasoning’ needed in enforcing old ordinances

So once again College Township raises its mighty muscles, this time against a 10-year-old girl because of four chickens. Many of us cry foul. These are not farm animals, they are pets, pure and simple. I vote Maeve should be granted a variance. I also object to added “muscle” added regarding the perimeter of a garden. So if a resident wanted to plant a “Victory Garden,” who decides that they are not farming instead of gardening? For instance, say, 11 tomato plants are farming but 10 plants are OK? I understand the need for some guidelines that work to retain a safe environment for the residents. Surely, cases can be adjudicated and individual decisions made for variances without costs so high that many cannot afford it. Government leaders need to use modern reasoning when enforcing old ordinances. How do the chickens do harm or endanger anyone? Pitbulls are OK but chickens are not? Good luck, Maeve.