Reelect Jacob Hammond as district judge

Despite the lack of a headline-grabbing race in the upcoming November election, there is what I consider a very important one: voting to keep Jacob Hammond as the magisterial district judge for North and South Whitehall townships.

I have appeared before Judge Hammond as a lawyer many times, and win or lose, I have found him empathetic, intellectually curious and, most important, always fair and impartial.

There is a reason Pennsylvania allows judges to run in both parties: because a good judge doesn’t answer to a political party. It would be a profound shame to lose Judge Hammond’s 18 years of experience on the bench, and his years of experience in law enforcement. I urge both Democrats and Republicans to join me in voting to reelect Judge Jacob Hammond.

Kevin L. Orloski, Esq.

South Whitehall Township

Trump’s speech to the UN was embarrassing

Embarrassed. That is the word I choose to represent my feelings as I listened to President Donald Trump’s speech to the United Nations. This speech to the world assembly is supposed to represent the people of the United States. Instead it was a narcissistic representation of one individual’s ideas about himself and the country he leads. Trump, I believe, does not represent us. He simply expresses his own beliefs. His denouncement of climate change or immigration is simply wrong. We are a nation of immigrants, including members of Trump’s family. Ask your representative or senator what they thought of his speech. If they can convince you that it was logical and sane, let me know so I know who not to vote for next time.

Charles John Kochenash

Upper Milford Township

Guns are too easily accessible in US

On a recent trip to upstate New York I passed a sign in a store window that said, “Never underestimate the power of a single prayer.” When I got back to my room I saw the news about the shooting at the immigration center in Dallas.

Another shooting on top of the Kirk murder, on top of another school shooting, on top of another approximately 125 gun deaths per day in the U.S.

Maybe all the prayers offered for all the killings aren’t working and it’s time to focus on legislating laws to control the violence caused by too many easily accessible guns accessible to whoever wants them.

Chris Letourneau

Bethlehem Township

Resist distortions of the Gospel

I read with interest your coverage of the vigil held in Hellertown this past Sunday for Charlie Kirk. I believe every life is precious, and I grieve when anyone dies. Yet I must speak honestly about why I cannot join in publicly honoring Kirk’s legacy.

Jesus taught us to welcome the stranger and care for the marginalized. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35). Our calling is to show compassion to immigrants and those pushed to the edges of society. In my view, Kirk’s rhetoric and activism worked against these values — particularly in his harsh stance toward immigrants and the dismissive tone he often took toward Black and Brown communities.

As Nijay Gupta recently observed, elevating Kirk without reflection risks distorting the Gospel into a tool of exclusion rather than grace and justice. To praise him without naming the harm his words and policies caused is, in my conscience, a betrayal of the Christ who came to break down dividing walls.

I pray for Kirk’s family in their grief. But my greater prayer is that Christians in the Lehigh Valley will resist distortions of the Gospel and instead recommit to welcoming immigrants, seeking racial justice, and following Jesus with humility and courage.

Don Kuntzman

Upper Saucon Township

Who is to blame for the government shutdown?

The shutdown that took effect on Wednesday, Oct.1, 2025, begs the question: Who do we, the American people, blame for the interruption of government benefits and services that are now in place?

Do we blame President Trump and the Republicans who, in order to partially offset the cost of their “Big, Beautiful Bill” tax cut extension for millionaires, billionaires and corporations, have caused a 75% health care premium hike, on average, for 20 million Americans that is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2026?

Or do we blame the Democrats, who are fighting to put a halt to Trump’s and the Republicans’ Robin Hood-in-reverse “rob from the poor (working and middle class) and give to the rich” smoke and mirrors scheme?

Unfortunately, it all depends on which media outlets we watch and which politicians we believe; a sad state of affairs that now divides us even more than we were divided prior to the shutdown.

However, two things seem to be a given concerning Trump and his priorities: until this shutdown ends, he has more time to work on his short-game at one of his many golf courses, and as long as this government is shut down, it is a major distraction from talk about releasing the Epstein files.

Robert K. McFadden

Upper Macungie Township

UN official off base on Israel’s actions

After Israel started to retaliate against the Hamas atrocity of Oct. 7, 2023, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was quick to condemn Israel for what he considered a disproportionate response to the attack. Since then, he has continued to use his U.N. soapbox to attack Israel’s response.

One wonders if Mr. Guterres would continue to be so critical of the Israeli response if it had been one of his family among the 2,500 kidnapped, killed or taken hostage by Hamas. Not likely.

President Trump’s speech at the U.N., where he excoriated the feckless organization, was right on target in his numerous criticisms. A good way to start would be by electing a new secretary general.

Sheldon P. Siegel

South Whitehall Township

ELECTION LETTERS 

Letters to the editor about candidates and issues in the Nov. 4 general election must be received by 10 a.m. Oct. 27.  Election-related letters will not be published after Oct. 30.

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Town Square Cartoons

https://www.mcall.com/2025/10/04/letters-district-judge-deserves-to-win-reelection-to-the-bench/