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Letters to the editor

WPSU

Brady W. Wassom State College Among most U.S. historians, many agree that Pennsylvania’s own James Buchanan is at the top of the “Worst President of the United States” list. Notwithstanding some of the less than ideal Presidents of this century, it’s really hard to argue with this widely held opinion. Buchanan, among other things, was at best a lackadaisical puppet whose indecisiveness led to our worst public tragedy, the Civil War. Two percent of the U.S. population died as a result of that debacle. Think about that — if 2% of the present U.S. population died from a ...

Courts

Douglas Mason Port Matilda Our state constitution guarantees Pennsylvanians the right to clean air and pure water. That promise only matters if our courts enforce it. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court set that standard in Robinson Township, and Justices Donohue, Dougherty and Wecht have continued that vital work. In the PEDF case, they reaffirmed that Pennsylvania’s natural resources are held in trust for the people and future generations. And now, as the Court prepares to decide whether the state can join RGGI, their independence and integrity will matter more than ...

Governing

Jim Newton Itasca Are we voters missing the boat when choosing lawmakers? It’s almost impossible for us to absorb everything we need to know about potential leaders, but we remain fixated on charisma, ambition and campaign skills. The first two may be good for giving TED Talks, but aren’t they better suited to campaigning than actual governing? Adlai Stevenson II suffered two presidential landslide election defeats to popular Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. I wonder, though, if Stevenson deserved better. Stevenson was a strong advocate for tackling world poverty and ...

The Constitution needs you—now more than ever

Doug Keith State College As our nation faces growing authoritarian threats, I write to urge every member of our military and law enforcement to remember the oath they swore—not to a man, a party or a flag, but to the Constitution of the United States. That oath was not ceremonial. It was a solemn promise to defend the principles that make this country free: civilian rule, equal protection, rule of law, free speech, the right of due process, the right to protest and descent, the prevention of excessive or cruel punishment and democratic governance. When dictators rise, they ...

Build the next aircraft carrier

Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, NH The U.S. Navy's worldwide sea power commitments require the availability of at least 11 aircraft carrier strike groups. Our 11 aircraft carriers barely meet deployment needs due to world-wide flareups, transit times, routine maintenance, emergency maintenance and in-port replenishment. The useful life of our carriers is 50 years, and our oldest carrier, the USS Nimitz, is 50 years old and due for retirement. Its retirement will probably be extended. Two Ford class carriers are under construction, the USS John F. Kennedy and the USS Enterprise. ...

BBB

William J. Rothwell State College The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed the Trump Congress is a wrecking ball aimed squarely at rural Pennsylvania. By curbing federal support for Medicare and Medicaid, this legislation has put local hospitals under even greater strain—and the Republican members of Congress who voted for it have abandoned the communities they swore to represent. According to the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform, more than one in four rural hospitals in Pennsylvania (26%) are at risk of closing, with nearly 1 in 10 facing immediate ...