Letters

Chance to change course

The meet-the-candidates night on Aug. 31 filled Hagan Hall at the Lutheran Seminary in Mt. Airy to capacity. A special election to fill the vacant seat for State Representative in the 200th State Legislative District brought forth three candidates who could not be more distinct in their approaches to how they would govern.

In a lively atmosphere, with few softball questions, the three candidates, none of whom have ever held public office, gave the audience a welcome change from the rubber-stamp world of Philadelphia local politics.

Cherelle Parker, endorsed Democratic candidate and aide to Councilwoman Marian Tasco, promised to the carry the torch of the party in power and outlined programs she would support that no one could disagree with. She did promise to work with the opposition party who has the majority in Harrisburg and was careful to distance herself when questioned regarding party insiders who appeared connected with issues she highlighted, particularly payday lending practices. In summary however, this was a reinforcement of the “Old Guard” approach to politics.

In direct contrast was the candidate from the Northwest Greens, Marlene Santoyo, a retired educator with a background in local Democratic Party politics and self-proclaimed social activist on many levels. Having left the Democratic Party, she is challenging all current politics and politicians. Santoyo’s effervescent personality brought an almost revolutionary aspect to her ambitious platform where she promised to virtually solve every world problem from global warming to tooth decay. Her commitment and energy cannot be overlooked, although her broad-brush approach may be a bit ambitious for a first-term candidate.

Bob Rossman, also local and retired from the computer field, outlined his long participation in community projects and recognized events and programs in the community. Running as a Republican, he claims he is self-financed and presented one of the most innovative platforms one could imagine that might bring a new meaning to the word “progressive.” Rossman claims he would focus his attention on local education and, if elected, will donate his salary on a monthly basis to school projects in his district. Like Santoyo, Rossman delivered strongly-worded outrage for the political status quo that he claims is built around re-electing incumbents and using gerrymandered districts to accomplish that goal.

Since I have been a registered Independent since 1963, I laud the willingness of Santoyo and Rossman in challenging the party that has such an overwhelming voter registration that it almost always assumes unquestioned victory. No doubt Ms. Parker has an understanding of the system and is determined. However, ongoing failure of our local city Democratic machine to meet the needs of the citizens, coupled with expanding corruption problems may not be an asset at this time.

If any community in this city should have the capability to think independently and carry that to a vote it is Northwest Philadelphia. This special election may be overlooked as insignificant by some, but now could be the time to change course.

Jim Foster
Mt. Airy

Position mischaracterized

One of the more entertaining collateral benefits of subscribing to the Local — though I suspect that it is not so intended — is reading the muddled musings of its cub reporter Jimmy Pack and speculating on what affirmative action criterion management invoked to justify hiring, as a writer, someone who so manifestly lacks any talent for writing. In a lengthy “opinion” [sic] piece published in last week’s edition [Local, 9/1/05] and which wanders all over the map, literally and figuratively, from Iraq to North Korea, Uganda, Nigeria, Sudan and Rwanda to Social Security, Pack attacks me for a letter I wrote to the Local the previous week. In the letter, I extol the heroic sacrifice of Army Specialist Sherwood Baker who, along with some 2,000 other Coalition Forces, laid down his life in Iraq in the cause of freedom and suggest that his mother stop exploiting his death to advance her leftist ideology because it is unseemly and exploitative and will only serve to prolong the war, not stop it.

As readers familiar with the Pack oeuvre know, parsing his tortuous prose is no easy task. Consider this sentence: “Perhaps Mr. Ferry would like to fill the rooms with posters of Ms. Zappala where Iraqi insurgents drink coffee and sing songs about their most endeared supporter?” A free Schmitter awaits the first reader who can decipher that one for me, or alternatively, can explain why no one at the Local ever bothers to edit Pack’s submissions for coherence.

More troubling than Pack’s abstruse prose styling, however, is his pronounced propensity for mischaracterization. Pack writes, “Ferry referred to Zappala’s grief as ‘politically motivated histrionics driven by her flower child ideology.’” I did nothing of the sort. The entire letter was about Zappala’s shameless exploitation of her son’s heroic death and the heroic death of more than 2,000 others for the sole purpose of attracting media attention to her anti-war platform and, more specifically, to her anti-Bush platform. Zappala can host and attend anti-war and anti-Bush rallies from now till the end of time as far as I am concerned, but she does not have to denigrate the sacrifices of brave men and women while doing so.

The letter also prompted a response from one Judy Rubin who, like Pack, also mischaracterizes what I wrote. Ms. Rubin writes: “Ferry labeled Zappala, and characterized her as undignified …” I did no such thing. Rubin also misstates easily verifiable facts. She writes: “Zappala opposed the invasion of Iraq before her son volunteered …” Actually, Specialist Baker had enlisted in the Guard some seven years before the Iraq invasion occurred.

During Specialist Baker’s length of service, the Clinton administration took military action in Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti and Somalia. I do not recall Zappala, Rubin, Pack or any other lefty know-it-all voicing any opposition to those wars. The depth of their anti-war convictions apparently only extends to military operations undertaken by Republican administrations and under circumstances that implicate actual identifiable American national security interests.

Joseph A. Ferry
Erdenheim

Compassion is needed

Whether he intended to or not, what Mr. Ferry communicates is scorn, lack of compassion, an absence of sympathy and a self-righteousness that borders on laughable. If he wishes to argue for the war in Iraq, that is his right under our constitution. One would wish, though, he had maintained civility and compassion. The Zapalla Gold family lost a son and is mourning him. If that leads to questioning why he had to die in a needless war, that is their right, also guaranteed by the Constitution.

I disagree with Mr. Ferry’s analysis that America entered the Iraq war reluctantly. Perhaps we citizens were reluctant, but the Bush administration was not. In the months since the start of this ugly war, one reason after another that purportedly justified this war has fallen aside, trampled by facts. Since the original reasons do not stand up to the evidence, then is it any wonder that a parent or a spouse would ask today what is the noble cause for which my beloved died. That, Mr. Ferry, is a personal question, the cry of the heart that is hurt. At this time, asking that question is rational, reasonable and very understandable, since none of the reasons for war given by the Bush administration hold together.

The principle of democracy is the freedom to question and demand that the elected government justify its actions. To imply as he does that Ms. Zappala is less of a caring mother than Mrs. Sullivan is insulting. Whether a son is drafted or volunteers, a parent always has the right to question why that child’s life was sacrificed to the stupidity that is war.

Mary Ann Holloway
Mt. Airy

An Army of Peace

About four years ago (after 9/11), I wrote an article suggesting that the United States start building an “army” — truly a “Peace Army” — of huge numbers of our young people to be trained in various areas as construction, medical needs, et al.

Then we would send these groups of young people to countries in the world where we could be of tremendous help to them. By doing this, we would prove to the world that peace is the proper way to make the world a better place to live in — for everybody!

I doubt then that there would be more terrorist attacks against us, as those hoodlums would find little support from anywhere.

Billions of dollars spent for defense would, rather, go to benefit areas where it would do more good. And not a single life of a soldier would then be lost.

The above-mentioned article appeared in a number of newspapers; I believe it also appeared in the Local.

About four months ago, listening to public radio one morning, I was pleased to hear that President Bush had come up with a similar idea as above. He even suggested that a billion dollars would be set aside for this purpose.

As soon as possible, I ran to get my early newspaper, to read the “good news.” Sadly, I didn’t find a single word about this. I then wrote and phoned Sen. Rick Santorum’s office asking them to try and give me more information on this. Sadly, his reply didn’t even mention a single word about this.

But in today’s newspaper, I was shocked to read that Bush had cut back on funding for the Army Corps of Engineers. Here was a branch of the Army that could have done so much good in disasters such as we see today.

Despite my 80 years of age, I will keep on trying to see an Army of Peace come about. I believe readers would agree that this would help bring about a better world.

Gerald Samkovsky
Chestnut Hill

Katrina, the hurricane

My heart is heavy this Labor Day.

For my fellow Americans have been in harm’s way.

It’s Katrina, the hurricane, that monster, that tragedy

So, I wrote the following poem with the

hope of a remedy.

Meteorologists can track a

hurricane with their

instrumental toys

But they can only watch and stand by as it destroys

It is a mass murder of

Herculean proportion

Spawned from air currents in the tropical ocean

The eye of this monster can be viewed on the TV screen

As a whirling wrath of red

— a bad dream

The eye is its power source

We must figure out a way to control its discourse

For it’s a Cyclops —

reminiscent of Greek mythology

Destroy the eye and

its history

I have a plea, I beseech

the scientific community

So many wonders of

discovery have been invented

Why can’t this be

circumvented?

I’ll feel a burden for a long time to come

We’ve got to solve this

problem — we can’t succumb

For disasters, like hurricanes will recur time and again

We must be ready for them, no matter when.

Barry Farber
Mt. Airy

Beware of mercury

I am very concerned about the levels of mercury in fish, since people get most of their mercury exposure from seafood. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect memory, vision, motor skills and other brain functions, and it is particularly harmful to the development of fetuses and children. For this reason, the FDA has advised pregnant women, women of childbearing age, infants and children to avoid or limit their intake of fish, especially swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, shark and tuna. Although this information is available at www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html (“What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish”), I don’t feel that the FDA has done an adequate job of publicizing this health advisory.

I am writing to ask community members to talk to their local supermarkets and grocery stores and ask them to post a sign that women of childbearing age and young children should not eat these high mercury content fish, and to limit consumption of all other fish to 12 oz. (2 average meals) per week and no more than 6 oz. of albacore tuna.

People have a right to know about warnings from the FDA. Oceana, a marine conservation organization, has asked the major national grocery chains to develop a national policy to post this information anywhere swordfish and tuna are sold in stores. More information about this campaign is available at www.oceana.org.

Mary Ann Baron
Chestnut Hill