Letters: Nuclear weapons wake-up call; Dictatorial actions, hypocrisy from lawmakers

Nuclear weapons wake-up call

Thank you for the thoughtful op-ed on arms control in the March 22 CDT. I’m alarmed that Russian nuclear forces are on alert, but let’s not forget that U.S. nuclear weapons are based in five NATO countries in Europe, including a Polish base 100 miles from Russia’s border. We were incensed when the USSR sited weaponry a similar distance from the USA during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Ukraine has become an unwitting victim and proxy in the resurgent U.S. Cold War against Russia and China. At the end of the first Cold War, the Warsaw Pact, NATO’s European counterpart, was dissolved, and NATO should have followed suit since it had achieved the purpose it was built to serve. Instead, NATO has expanded from 16 counties in 1991 to a total of 30 countries today.

The defenders of Ukraine are bravely resisting Putin’s aggression, and all efforts must be made to bring an end to the war diplomatically before the Russian war machine kills thousands more Ukrainians and forces millions of refugees to flee.

Nothing can justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the world should take the Russian Federation seriously when it says its conditions for ending the war and returning to normalcy are Ukrainian neutrality and disarmament. Both the U.S. and Russia must also finally assume the responsibility that comes with stockpiling over 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, and agree on a plan to start dismantling them.

Thanks to peaceful protesters across the globe!

Dictatorial actions, hypocrisy from lawmakers

“What utter hypocrisy!”

These were the words that came to mind when I read State Representative Kerry Benninghoff’s editorial in Thursday’s CDT.

Benninghoff was right to criticize Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator.

Apparently, Benninghoff wants us to forget that he, with other Republican politicians, tried to overturn the results of our 2020 presidential election. This anti-democratic, dictatorial, scheme was worthy of Putin himself.

Benninghoff, along with State Senator Jake Corman and U.S. Representatives Glenn Thompson and Fred Keller, tried to convince Congress to not count Pennsylvania’s electoral votes. This, despite there being zero evidence, then or even now, of any significant problem with our vote count.

Doug Mastriano, who thinks he should be our next governor, was also involved in this scheme.

One of these seditionists (Keller) will not be on the ballot this fall. Good riddance.

Let’s hope that enough people still believe in democracy and fair elections that we can send the careers of these other conspirators into the dustbin of history where they belong.

Honest criticism provokes attacks

Letters to the editor must be getting under the skin of Representative Glenn Thompson.

Certainly with Thompson’s knowledge, and perhaps with his direction, his paid staffers are now writing to support him and tell us what a great, great guy he is for supporting fire departments.

Now, one of his staffers writes (CDT, March 3) to attack the integrity of Patty Satalia, a retired journalist whose name is associated with fair reporting. Imagine that — a private citizen who’s not afraid to call out hypocrisy or express her opinion.

But, then again, hypocrisy isn’t acknowledged in Thompson’s office. No original thought is necessary in Thompson-land as he nearly always votes just as his Republican overlords tell him to.

Need a vote for Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires? Yes, master! Need a vote to deny certification of the Electoral College votes? I’m your man! Need a vote against an infrastructure bill that invests in America and creates thousands of jobs? Glad you asked!

If Thompson can’t stand honest criticism without resorting to having his staff impugn a respected journalist’s reputation and, further, without having his own employees write to defend their boss, then he should leave office and head off to the wonderful retirement that we taxpayers will be paying for.