Letters: Fetterman fit to serve all Pennsylvanians; More questions before voting

Fetterman fit to serve all Pennsylvanians

I sincerely hope voters won’t base their choice for Pennsylvania’s crucial Senate race on one televised debate. Mehmet Oz is a practiced performer who made millions hawking “miracle” cures he knew didn’t work. John Fetterman is an honest, well-educated and devoted public servant.

A stroke doesn’t change that.

A team of medical researchers released a report in 2014 proving that 60% of the advice given on Oz’s TV show was baseless or wrong. Thirteen hundred doctors signed an open letter calling Oz “a quack” and “a charlatan” whose “advice endangers patients.”

Pennsylvania physicians are participating in a “Real Doctors Against Oz” tour, saying his unethical actions disqualify him from serving as Pennsylvania’s senator and his policy positions endanger Pennsylvanians, especially women.

Oz spent weeks attacking Fetterman for his May stroke (800,000 Americans suffer stroke each year), but the ads said more about Oz’s lack of personal decency than about Fetterman who, according to his physicians, is recovering well and is fit to serve.

Fetterman’s language issues were on display, but rather than disqualifying, I see Fetterman as a fighter and admire his courage for debating at all. A stroke doesn’t change who he is or what he stands for — a dedicated public servant. The smirking Oz is a smooth operator who markets himself as a trustworthy doctor, but used his considerable influence to scam vulnerable Americans.

I’m casting my vote on Nov. 8 for John Fetterman. He speaks the truth and will represent the needs and interests of all Pennsylvanians.

More questions before voting

The following is in response to my fellow Centre County resident Linda Lochbaum’s Oct. 28 letter to the editor, “Questions before voting,” because both her questions and the answers she provides range from dubious to completely false.

First, Lochbaum asserts that taking more oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve will lead to “energy independence.” But what about the results of the climate crisis hurting so many people in the U.S. and worldwide, created primarily from the burning of fossil fuels? What about other sustainable but underdeveloped energy sources — wind and solar?

She goes on to falsely accuse immigrants and refugees of being responsible for the spread of COVID in the U.S. I wonder how many people died because of the idiot politicians, starting with the former President, and their followers who discouraged science-based responses such as mask wearing and vaccination?

Lochbaum also claims that there is no proof of Russian interference in the 2016 election. What about 11 of the FBI’s “Most Wanted” based on “Russian Interference in 2016 US Elections,” including stealing and publishing private information?

The real question, the big question we should ask before voting is “Do we want our country to continue as a multi-cultural democracy or be subverted into the fascist authoritarian regime being unmistakably designed by the Trump Republicans, with Doug Mastriano as one of the foremost architects?” That’s the real question each of us needs to answer before voting.

Sierra Club endorses state House candidates

The Sierra Club Moshannon Group has officially endorsed Paul Takac as the best candidate to be our State Representative in the 82nd District. Both as a parent and someone who has worked with schools and educators his entire career, Paul is concerned about the realities of climate change and the world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. He supports the opportunity and obligation to invest in the transition to a renewable energy economy and the creation of good paying, family-and-community sustaining clean energy jobs.

Paul’s ability to find common ground and to work together in establishing bipartisan goals will be necessary to help eliminate the current gridlock in Harrisburg. He pledges to serve the interests of all people and communities that he represents.

Moshannon is also pleased to endorse Robert Zeigler for State Representative in the 171st District. Robert realizes that it’s time for a change in Harrisburg so that we can fight the environmental challenges facing us today. He is particularly concerned about the large number of abandoned mines and quarries, calling for more transparency from the companies and an end to subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. He supports the expansion of renewable energies, and has been advocating especially for increased uses of solar energy.

Both candidates support transitioning jobs from unsustainable polluting industries into growing fields of sustainable energy/infrastructure. A healthy environment does not mean a lack of well-paying, fulfilling jobs. Please vote on Nov. 8 for Robert Zeigler or Paul Takac.

Mastriano’s dubious doctorate

The University of New Brunswick has announced an investigation into multiple charges of academic fraud by Doug Mastriano in connection with his 2013 Ph.D. dissertation on the WWI exploits of Sgt. Alvin York.

A recent article in the U.K.’s The Independent reports that Dr. Jeffrey Brown, a history professor and member of Mastriano’s dissertation examining board, found multiple problems with the research and writing. Dr. Brown characterized the dissertation as “totally irresponsible scholarship, not credible as a Ph.D. thesis,” and resigned in protest from the dissertation board.

This was in early 2013, before Mastriano became a public figure, establishing Dr. Brown’s objections to the draft dissertation as academic, rather than political, in nature.

Various additional scholars in the fields of history and archaeology have since asserted that Mastriano’s “research methodologies were flawed from the start.” James Gregory, a doctoral candidate at University of Oklahoma, sent UNB a report in early 2021 detailing 35 instances of possible academic fraud, and a secondary report in the fall of 2021 identifying more than 200 additional examples of suspected fraud, which led UNB to announce its investigation.

Dr. Thomas Nolan, a geographer at University of Middle Tennessee, has questioned Mastriano’s identification of the location of the York exploits. Dr. Nolan and a colleague, military historian Brad Posey, assert that Mastriano’s research contains cases of “academic misconduct,” a tad less serious than full-fledged academic fraud.

Given Mastriano’s lies regarding the 2020 election and other examples of untruthfulness, his reported disregard of academic standards isn’t surprising.

Identifying parties

In a Centre Daily Times letter (Oct. 31) Chris Exarchos of Lemont tells us he thinks it’s significant that the dozen local doctors who spoke out against Dr. Oz are all Democrats.

Perhaps the perceptive Mr. Exarchos will also inform us that he’s suddenly discovered that the thousands of insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on Jan 6 are all MAGA Republicans, called to Washington to riot and overturn the 2020 election by their leader, Republican Donald Trump.

Or that the 147 Representatives in Congress who voted to deny the certified Electoral College votes are all Republicans.

Or that, without a shred of evidence, election deniers across the country, are all Republicans.

Or that candidates who say they may not accept the vote if they lose are all Republicans.

Yes, the dozen local doctors who had the concern and courage to speak out against Dr. Oz are all Democrats.

But perhaps Mr. Exarchos will also tell us if he thinks it’s significant that the thousands of incumbents, candidates, and party hacks, locally, statewide, and nationally, who are actively trying to destroy our democracy are all Republicans.