Letters: Who does Thompson serve?; US military deserves better
Who does Thompson serve?
Voters across Pennsylvania’s 15th Congressional District are dealing with rising costs, shrinking health care access, and growing uncertainty about the future. Yet Congressman Glenn Thompson seems focused on something else entirely. Thompson wants another term representing this district. We shouldn’t re-elect him to a job he isn’t doing. His record shows he represents the interests of wealthy donors and large corporations — not the people of central and northern Pennsylvania. Too often, he’s out of touch with the concerns of the people he was elected to serve. Last week, the only “bad news” in Thompson’s newsletter was a warning about Chinese communists supposedly “infiltrating” American universities. What planet is he living on? Here’s the bad news many of us are actually dealing with: rising food, housing and utility costs; an escalating conflict with Iran risking American lives and reportedly costing about $1 billion a day; higher gasoline prices; unaffordable health insurance and shrinking access to care as rural hospitals struggle to stay open; aggressive immigration actions disrupting communities; and detention facilities that strain both detainees and the towns forced to support them. Meanwhile, Thompson’s “good news” was progress on the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026,” which he claims will help farmers and rural Americans. Critics say the bill instead benefits large agribusiness and chemical companies while weakening environmental protections and maintaining deep cuts to food assistance. Central Pennsylvania deserves a representative who fights for our needs — not the interests that fund his campaigns.
Patty Satalia, State College
US military deserves better
Poor Donald Trump. He valiantly colluded in the murder of Ali Khamenei, then seized control of a vast quantity of oil that belongs to someone else. That was great for Israeli foreign policy, but now Trump is stuck in an actual war. Who could have expected that? Well, anyone better prepared for the job than Pete and Don. Note: I offer no criticism of the men and women who fight America’s wars with such courage and honor — they do not get to choose their commanders. Surprised to find that assassination and invasion lead to war, Trump called on our longstanding allies for help. But wait. He has spent years destroying those relationships, tearing up treaties, punishing our closest friends, sneering at better qualified leaders, saying he didn’t need, like, or want any of them. Now he’s mad that they took him at his word.
Maybe he should call his real friends. Maybe Putin will help. He could send ICE if there are any children to subdue. Maybe those fraudsters he pardoned and his tech bro friends will buy him out of his mess (grab your chainsaw, Elon).
That won’t be the solution, though. Our sailors, our marines, and our soldiers will fight and die for a solution to Donald Trump’s impetuous acts of murder and thievery. You and I will then foot the bill for their bravery. At the very least, please vote in November to give our military a chance for better civilian leadership than they have now.
John Hruschka, Bellefonte
Reshaping the media
Recently, Donald Trump posted a graphic celebrating how he is “reshaping the media.” The graphic itself proudly lists journalists pushed out of their jobs, layoffs at major outlets, regulatory pressure, and the defunding of public broadcasters as political “wins.” Think about what that means. A president openly boasting about weakening news organizations that scrutinize him. A president openly bragging about violating the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech. This should concern Americans of every political persuasion. This isn’t simply criticism of the press. Democracies have always had vigorous debate about media bias. What’s different here is celebrating the use of political power to pressure the information system itself. History offers a warning about where that road leads. Around the world, leaders seeking fewer checks on their authority often follow a familiar sequence: attack the credibility of independent media, pressure regulators to discipline broadcasters, encourage friendly ownership of major outlets, and frame all criticism as “distortion” or “hoaxes.” Recent developments in the United States echo pieces of that pattern. In a recent social media post, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters that coverage he considers misleading (what he called “fake news”) could be an issue when their licenses come up for renewal. At a moment like this, keeping strong, independent public media alive, including WPSU here in central and northern Pennsylvania, has never been more important. Show your support for WPSU by donating today. A free press exists to question power. Democracy depends on it.
Mary Bruce Serene, State College