Letters: Welcoming Ordinance would protect State College; Pride protesters proved ineffective

Welcoming Ordinance would protect State College

On July 6, the Borough Council is expected to consider a Welcoming Ordinance that would limit ICE access and protect our community.

Many nearby towns — including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, Carlisle, Lancaster, among others — have already passed similar ordinances. State College should do the same.

While the best time to pass this ordinance would have been when it was first proposed in February, before ICE carried out at least two raids in our community, this ordinance is timely, since ICE is scheduled to deploy personnel to the Altoona area, including State College, in the coming months, so the ordinance could come into effect before ICE enters our community.

There are meaningful ways that the Council can protect us, including:

• Prohibiting 287(g) agreements, which would deputize local police to act as ICE agents, and to help in ICE operations.
• Protecting “sensitive locations” including municipal buildings such as courts, hospitals, libraries, etc.
• Prohibiting ICE from using municipal resources: ICE already has $170 billion in the federal budget, they don’t need our town’s resources too!
• Protecting our data: NPR reports that ICE targets its attacks using data from License Plate Recognition and Flock cameras collected by local governments. State College should deny ICE access to this data (like Colorado), or stop collecting it (like Harrisburg).

Please join me in signing the Centre County Rapid Response Network’s petition asking the Council to pass a Welcoming Ordinance to keep our community safe!

Nicholas Dudek, State College

Pride protesters proved ineffective

I just walked home from another amazing Pride parade in State College. Kudos to the organizers and participants. I almost didn’t go this year, too many other things to do. But I went and it was fun, but there were yet again the anti-LGBT+ protesters with their megaphone.

As retired clergy I find the protesters’ theology deeply flawed and cruel, to put it nicely. But I’m also tired of arguing about it.

And so, especially because of them, I am glad I went to show support for our local LGBT+ community. And, especially because of them, I will be going next year and keep going until they stop showing up.

P.S. I’m also going to make a contribution to Centre LGBT+ in “honor of the anti-LGBT+ protesters at the parade,” and I would encourage others to do the same.

Congratulations to the anti-LGBT+ protesters on achieving the opposite of your goals!

Craig Rose, State College

Selective fraud oversight?

In Glenn Thompson’s latest missive, he proudly announces the No Aid for Ghost Students, which included his “Student Aid Fraud Oversight and Accountability Act that establishes strong safeguards to prevent student aid fraud.” He claims it costs us millions. Don’t get me wrong, I agree that it’s wrong for individuals to defraud the government of money that should rightfully go to students who are eligible and need the funds to further their education. I only wish GT was equally concerned with Donald Trump granting pardons to those convicted of Medicare/Medicaid fraud who contribute millions to his PAC to pay for pardons. Not only are they pardoned, but forgiving their restitutions, fines and forfeitures cost you and me between $1.6 and $2 billion. What a racket. They defraud the U.S. government (you and me), then use the money they’ve defrauded to pay Donald for a pardon and we get screwed again while Donald gets richer. What a racket! What say you, Congressman? Crickets. Oh, and when we will learn what’s really in the Epstein files?

Norita Chyle, State College

Depression battle takes more than medicine

A never-ending calamity in progress: This is my view of our country’s rather pitiful address to mental health. How many more mass shootings, suicides, assaults, etc., will it take for our country to put mental illness completely at the forefront? In my opinion, at least 90% of the gun violence in our country is a result of mental health issues.

Every time a television commercial appears espousing a “get quick fix” solution after taking a medicine for clinical depression for a few days, I cringe. The message this sends is that one only needs to take medicine, and nothing else, to conquer the painful life one leads when battling clinical depression.

Because I have battled clinical depression for over 40 years, I know the horrible treatment projected by others. It takes much more than medicine to fight this battle.

One must seek professional help. In addition, it is essential that one gets very positive and compassionate treatment by one’s friends and family during an episode of clinical depression (hugs, for example). Most of the time this doesn’t happen, and this can lead to the further anguish and potential suicide of the victim being shunned, avoided, untouchable, etc. This happened to me; it was only because of the keen insight of my neighbors that I was saved.

Kay Wawrynovic, Hollidaysburg