US overcame political violence 50 years ago, will do so again
In a civil society, there is no place for violence. Not domestically, politically or religiously. I completely disagreed with Charlie Kirk’s perspective and believed he distorted the teachings of Jesus Christ to suit his political views. That does not mean he deserved to be shot.
But remember this: The world will not end because Charlie Kirk was killed. I am old enough to remember when, in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and everyone thought there would be a civil race war. Then, three months later, Bobby Kennedy was also assassinated as he ran to be president of the United States. Then, in 1970, the National Guard killed four unarmed Kent State University college students during a protest against the Vietnam War. Yet we went on as a nation. The only difference then was that this country had some Republicans who had a backbone and a moral conscience and helped get rid of President Nixon in 1974. We will be divided, but we will go on.
Jeffery Ayers
Moore Township
Celebrating Kirk’s death is condoning murder
I have been reading comments from people who are celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. I’m wondering if they understand that they are condoning murder. Many people object to the Ten Commandments being posted anywhere on public property. “Thou shalt not kill” is not a religious statement. It is a statement that is to govern our humanity and protect all of us.
Diane Ungerer
Hanover Township, Northampton County
Cities don’t need soldiers in the streets
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said cities led by Democratic Party members should “Yield, man. Let the troops come into your city and show how crime can be reduced. It’s a morale boost for the country, and it’s safe and right for everybody involved.”
Well how about sharing the boosted moral, safety and happiness that the targeted blue cities will experience with some of the red cities such as Charlotte, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Houston and San Antonio. Why deny those red cities the benefits of having armed National Guard, Army or Marine troops roaming their streets and maintaining check points?
Speaker Johnson, make time to look out of your office window and observe how militarizing Washington has added to the happiness and safety of the citizens. Also note how the happiness spread in militarized Los Angeles.
Conquer the root causes of crime and do not use some trumped-up case for violating the Posse Comitatus Act as a solution.
George Myers
Allentown
Kirk’s death shows danger of divisive rhetoric
We live in a time when nearly everything is filtered through the lens of politics. Charlie Kirk understood this, yet he stayed true to his ideals and moral center. On this 9/11, I’m reminded again of the cost of freedom. Too often, unstable individuals are pushed toward destructive action by divisive rhetoric.
Freedom of speech is essential, but it also carries consequences. One solution is to hold our elected officials to a higher legal standard of honesty. Today, members of Congress can mislead the public without real accountability. This must end. Politicians treat politics as a sport, forgetting they are meant to represent us, not their own ambition.
I believe lying while in office should carry serious penalties — up to and including charges as severe as treason. That’s how important this issue is to our democracy.
You may agree with Charlie Kirk or not, but his death underscores the damage of divisive politics. It’s time our representatives stop playing games with the truth and start honoring their duty to the people they serve.
Gregory Labelle
Bethlehem Township
About time US government reassesses climate change
A Bloomberg columnist referred on these pages to what he calls “the U.S. government’s attempt to sabotage the clean-energy transition.” (Town Square, Sept. 11)
That’s a partisan framing. The administration is in fact reassessing what is known and not known about the atmospheric physics around carbon dioxide, and the costs versus the benefits of trying to reduce CO2 emissions caused by humans in the U.S. And it’s about time.
The United States — and the Democratic Party, in particular — would be much better off today if the Obama administration had been more diligent about this back when the existing regulations were rushed into place. Instead they gave us loud and over-confident assertions that the science is settled, and the only people who could possibly disagree with their policies were delusional science “deniers” or in the pay of corporate villains.
As a political tactic, it worked beautifully. But as climate and energy policy, the country was badly served.
Peter O. Welsh
Allentown
Don’t use Kirk’s death for political purposes
There is absolutely no doubt that the murder of Charlie Kirk is a tragedy. We know of the deaths of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, as well as the attempt on the lives of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, but Democrats don’t blame all Republicans for the actions of unhinged individuals.
Our Constitution affords us all freedom of speech, regardless of our opinions. I think that the ideology of Charlie Kirk was misguided, untrue and sometimes dangerous. That’s my right and he asserted his. No one deserves to be murdered for that. The problem now is that Donald Trump and his MAGA followers defend that right only when it benefits them, and possible future action toward anyone who doesn’t agree is frightening. That was not the intention of our Founding Fathers. It’s a shame that the death of Charlie Kirk will be used to further that hatred and fuel potential violence. We as a society should be better than that.
In the meantime, we should all pray for the soul of Charlie Kirk and for his surviving wife, children and family.
Edie Stahlnecker
Allentown
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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