Memorial service will honor deceased workers
Each year on the Sunday closest to April 28, we gather in the Bethlehem Rose Garden to remember all those who have lost their lives due to a workplace accident. The Lehigh Valley Workers’ Memorial Committee will be holding our annual ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 28, 2024.
This year, we will look back 25 years at the deadly explosion at Concept Sciences, while we pay homage to those that died on the job here in the Lehigh Valley in the past year. Please feel free to join us for this solemn annual event, as we “Mourn the dead, and Fight like Hell for the Living.”
John Werkheiser
Bethlehem
Russia should be considered U.S. enemy
Years ago, Ronald Reagan correctly identified Russia as an enemy of the United States. This is still true today. Why, then, do Republicans now embrace Russian communism and Putin’s aggression against Ukraine?
One night my father, a pacifist at heart, had a deep talk with his friends. Exempt college students, they decided they couldn’t live with themselves if Hitler took Europe and they – able-bodied men – had done nothing. The next day, they enlisted. They all made it out alive, though three – including my father – earned Purple Hearts for their sacrifice. Though the shrapnel in his body often pained him and he had PTSD from his buddy being blasted to death beside him in the attack that caused his injuries, Dad never had regrets.
Ukraine is a democracy. Ukraine funding is less than 1% of our budget. Yet Republicans feel this democracy is not worth saving, and it’s fine for Russia to rape, murder and bomb Ukrainians.
I’m pretty sure Poland remembers being bisected by Russia and Germany in World War II. They know if Ukraine falls, they are next, then our other NATO allies … then us.
My father was a die-hard Republican. What would he say about this betrayal?
Claudia H. Allen
Emmaus
Justice should not be politically motivated
Sure, no one should be above the law; that goes without saying. There is an equally valid saying that the law should be fair and impartial. One of the famous Supreme Court Building statues of Lady Justice displays the blindfolded goddess holding the balance scales of justice in her arm raised left hand. And, in her other hand, she holds a double edged sword. Justice should be objective, balanced and swift.
But, you’re not going to convince me that the attempt to bring down Hunter Biden is not politically motivated. It is so clearly an effort to distract, to implicate by association, the president, to put him off-stride, to interfere with his political reelection campaign.
In their determination to reelect their candidate, by any means fair or foul, Republicans will do anything to discredit President Biden. It’s a political maneuver having little to do with the impartial application of the laws. Hunter Biden’s alleged crimes are of a distant past that would long be forgotten, save for his name. Lady Justice will not be taken in by this deceit, don’t you be.
Oh my; did I possibly get the names wrong?
George Heitmann
Salisbury Township
Remember what the Republican Party used to be
This was the party of Lincoln. My father, Harry S. Kotsch, was a Republican, a union man. He believed in the Republican platform. The official 1956 Republican Party platform, headed By Dwight W. Eisnhower, was: Provide federal assistance to low-income communities. Protect Social Security. Provide asylum for refugees. Extend the minimum wage and improve the unemployment benefit system so it covers more people. Strengthen labor so workers can easily join a union. And finally, assure equal pay for equal work regardless of sex. Yup, the party of Lincoln was liberal, just and fair, marked by impartiality and honesty while being free from self-interest, prejudice or favoritism. Brother, wherefore are you today? What happened?
John R. Kotsch
Catasauqua
Column singled out vulnerable community
I find it reprehensible that The Morning Call chose to run David Brooks’ recent column, “Report on trans care shows courage.” The New York Times editorial staff is well-known for encouraging backlash against the transgender community though stoking fears about supposedly harmful medical treatments for transgender youth.
Had Mr. Brooks dug into the facts, he would have found that the report cited only 10 cases of “detransition” out of 3,499 medical records that were studied. That is a rate of .08%. Had he chosen to conduct further research he would have found that 82.5% of so-called “detransitioners” do so because of external factors including family pressure and societal stigma – issues that make 82% of queer youth feel unsafe at school, result in declining attendance at school and, ultimately, create an 18% unemployment rate, and a poverty rate of up to 50% for transgender adults.
With critical issues that include deteriorating infrastructure, climate change, geopolitical conflict, income disparities and a housing crisis, it is a shame that the New York Times and now The Morning Call have chosen to single out a community that is simply seeking the resources it needs to thrive instead of addressing these real problems.
Corinne Goodwin
South Whitehall Township
The writer is the executive director of the Lehigh Valley based Eastern PA Trans Equity Project.
Deeply troubled by Christian support of Trump
According to the Pew Research Center, 82% of Republicans are Christian, 38% Evangelical. In a recent poll regarding Donald Trump’s payment of $130,000 to a porn actress prior to the 2016 elections, approximately 30% of Republicans think he did nothing wrong and approximately 60% think he is fit to be president even if he is convicted of falsifying business documents associated with this payment. This would be more than 1 in 10 Evangelicals and 25% of Christians think he did nothing wrong and 23% of Evangelicals and almost half of Christians believe that he is fit to be president even if convicted. As a follower of Christ, I find this deeply troubling. And no, I am not a Democrat. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Daniel G. Oswald
Upper Saucon Township
The Morning Call encourages community dialogue on important issues. Submit a letter to the editor at letters@mcall.com.
