Letters: Art sale for a worthy cause; GOP, Corman sink to new lows

Art sale for a worthy cause

This is a reminder!

There is an art benefit sale at the Art Alliance Gallery, Pike St. Lemont, Friday 4-7 p.m. Many local artists have donated their works to benefit the Nittany Valley Environmental Coalition, a local nonprofit activist group working to maintain clean air and pure water and a healthy environment for now and future generations. This is in direct support of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Article 1, Section 27.

Please join us to view a magnificent group of local art pieces, which may be purchased, with all proceeds going to NVEC. Thank you!

GOP, Corman sink to new lows

In 2012, I and several others met with Senator Corman to urge him to oppose a voter photo ID requirement. He surprised us when he began the meeting by saying that such legislation was “a solution in search of a problem.” He was smart enough to know that there simply was no significant voter fraud. Soon after that, we were disappointed when he voted for that legislation. Although he knew better, Corman caved in to Republican party bosses who were trying to make it harder for us to vote.

Now it’s even worse. First, Corman (along with State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff and Congressmen Thompson and Keller) tried to get Congress not to count Pennsylvania’s electoral college votes. He has supported Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories that the election was rigged. Now, Corman uses these lies to justify a so-called “audit” of an election that has already been audited, certified, and upheld in court many times.

It is sad what the Republican party has become. I think it’s safe to say that if Jake Corman’s father, former senator Doyle Corman, could see what has become of his party and of his son, he would be deeply ashamed.

Mask mandate protects all children

We live in a stressful time with the ongoing pandemic made more difficult with a plethora of of beliefs and misinformation. Sadly, anger and misinformation appear to be the mechanisms of choice. We are certain that we know the all of the facts; therefore we want what we want. Some even demand their “rights and freedoms” regardless of repercussions or how they may negatively impact others.

Since the Pennsylvania Department of Health mandated masking for all school children in their buildings please remember that this is now out of the hands of Penns Valley School District as well as other districts. The masking decision is to protect all children throughout our state. Districts want children to be safe from the spreading virus. They don’t deserve the negative verbal treatment they receive. Information going back as far as far as the 1918 epidemic shows that masking does help to mitigate the spreading droplets.

Should COVID numbers dramatically rise as they are doing now, districts may have no choice but to close. Consider how this worked for working parents last year who then became responsible for their children’s education.

Sure, we want what we want but at what cost?

The trouble with illegal immigration

Anyone with compassion who has seen the video footage of the over 11,000 immigrants huddled under the Del Rio bridge can’t help but to be moved by it. These people have walked hundreds of miles to flee poverty and government oppression; they know where freedom and opportunity live. But the conditions at the bridge are deplorable.

There is a multi-trillion dollar spending bill before congress. But how much of it is slated to improve our ability to accommodate immigrants?

If we were serious about helping immigrants, Congress would provide enough funding to fully equip a legal immigration system. This would ...

• Provide sufficient and humane short-term holding facilities.

• Prevent entry by criminals and terrorists intent on harming citizens and public facilities.

• Provide COVID protection for immigrants

• Block (rather than unwittingly facilitate) child trafficking, sex trafficking, and drug trafficking by powerful, ruthless cartels.

Illegal immigration only pays lip service to human compassion. Don’t be fooled by it.