Letters: Much to consider before voting for Harris; A wrong day to hold a protest

Much to consider before voting for Harris

There are a number of facts to consider before voting for Kamala Harris.

First, she says Bidenomics is working. Yet the price of food and housing are up, while gas is down due to decreased demand.

Second, she says the border is closed and she was chosen by Biden to close it 3 1/2 years ago. However, millions of illegals have crossed the border from countries throughout the world. She visited the southern border last week for the first time since 2021.

Thirdly, she has minimal foreign relation/policy experience. The world is very unsettled right now.

Fourth, she became the Democratic nominee without being chosen in any primary, just by default when Biden dropped out. Is this the democratic way?

Fifth, she was once declared the most liberal Senator and is known for her very progressive leanings.

Sixth, she suggested reimagining the police and moving some funding to community needs.

Seventh, is she for fracking or is she not? She has flipped on this.

Eighth, does she care about the country? She had a fundraiser out west during Hurricane Helena, and only visited one of the devastated areas this past week.

Remember, she said her values have not changed.

Before voting, please get the facts about Harris; she could be very dangerous for our democracy.

A wrong day to hold a protest

Monday, Oct. 7 is the one-year anniversary of the barbaric terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in Israel. Hamas tortured, raped, kidnapped and murdered people including children and the elderly. Over 1,200 were murdered and 240 kidnapped. Nearly a year later, almost 100 of the kidnapped have yet to be rescued, dead or alive.

Hamas’ main mission is to wipe Israel, and all of its Jews, off the face of the earth. For years they have fired missiles, haphazardly at Israel. They target everyone. “But what about all the innocent Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza?” you say. Hamas uses their own people as human shields. They place weapons and terrorists in and under hospitals and schools. When you start a war and use civilians as human shields, whose fault is it when they die? The blame rests entirely on Hamas, not Israel.

This Monday, Oct. 7, the Students for Justice in Palestine group plans to hold a protest against Israel at 5:30 p.m. at the Allen Street gates in downtown State College. I fully support their right to share how much they dislike Israel and Jews. Thanks to our amazing First Amendment, that is their privilege.

However, using that day to protest Israel and implicitly celebrate the Hamas terrorist attack grieves my heart. If you are as repulsed as I am by protesters using the Oct. 7 anniversary in that way, I encourage you to join me in speaking up for Israel and condemning anti-semitism in State College.

Trump’s policies not friendly to PA agriculture, consumers

As retired Secretary of the PA Milk Board, former farmer, and lifelong ag educator, I know agriculture broadly. Trump’s immigration and tariffs plans show he doesn’t understand PA agriculture and consumers.

Vice President Harris grew up with a food budget. Governor Walz has engaged in agriculture since a teen. Both know agriculture is critical to U.S. food security.

President Trump’s trade wars cost U.S. farmers $29 billion; he yanked us out of a Pacific trade deal, and we lost many global consumers. Costs of imported farm products increased.

A Harris-Walz administration will use tariffs strategically to help, not harm, U.S. agriculture.

PA agriculture needs a strong workforce. Nearly 50,000 migrants enter our state yearly for seasonal work. PA agriculture is an $81 billion industry and many farmers state they have difficulty finding workers. What helps us recruit and keep an ag workforce is access to legal workers through transparent, easy processes. That’s what Vice President Harris will do by signing the Bipartisan Border Security Package that Trump forced off the table.

Trump’s immigration stance would lead to higher prices for PA consumers if dairies, crop-growers, and processors of our ag commodities curtail operations due to worker shortages or higher wages to attract workers to jobs now filled by migrants.

Pennsylvania’s farmers and consumers deserve an administration that tackles these issues. That is the administration of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Listening to the voice of tradition

Hamas looks at Israel with blind hatred and Israel looks back in the same spirit.

But suddenly there is polio in Gaza — a greatness more pressing and the killing temporarily stopped.

In the same way the high tradition is greater coming from beyond. Here Tanakh calls out to the Jews to be a kingdom of priests and a holy people and Koran calls out to the Palestinians to respect the people of the book, the root of prophesy.

In calm this is heard and believed — it could shatter the hatred and bring both to mutually share their common land — a great land strong enough to support them both, if they heard the voice of tradition that is at the back of all their minds.