1 week Ago
Nazareth students showed their theatrical talentsOn April 2, I attended the dress rehearsal show of “Seussical” presented by Nazareth Area High School. The district generously provided complimentary tickets for seniors in the community.I am always amazed by the talents of students from area schools and urge one and all to attend these shows and support the students’ efforts.
Rita O’BrienNazarethSecurity leaks shows incompetenceIs anyone in the least bit surprised with how totally incompetent this administration is, or are they concerned with how much of a danger it is to the United States? Anyone other than the MAGA Republicans who will try to simply sweep the recent alarming security breach under the rug? This surely includes President Trump, the unfit commander in chief of our military. Do any of the bewildered regret their vote?This is only the beginning of our next three-plus years.What’s next?God help us.
David R. PetersBethlehemFederal fund cuts raise questions about food programsOn March 13, an article by journalist Matthew Rink that appeared in newspapers belonging to the USA Today Network stated that the current administration’s planned cuts include $35.9 million in funding for Pennsylvania food programs in 2025.
A similar article by Michael Sainato in the March 11 edition of The Guardian also focused on the loss of federal money to support food programs. According to Sainato, nationally, approximately $660 million has been slashed from the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. The money was to be used by schools and child centers to buy food from local farmers.
In addition, the Department of Agriculture will no longer fund the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, which supported local food banks and other initiatives. Together, these national programs will be denied more than $1 billion in federal funds in 2025.Sadly, important questions remain unanswered.
What research was done in support of these cuts and by whom? How does cutting lower income families’ access to much needed food and farmers’ incomes benefit society? Are this administration and its supporters prepared to accept responsibility for the damage these food and monetary denials will cause? How is this policy “making America great?”Beverly SpringerEmmausTariffs likely to raise the cost of getting dressedLet’s make it personal. Tomorrow morning, when you get up and dress, look at your clothes labels to see where they were made. Here’s my list: My newly purchased Andrew Scott nightshirt was made in Bangladesh.
My Calvin Klein T-shirt was made in China and my Jos A Bank boxer shorts come from the Philippines. My L.L.
Bean khakis were made in Malaysia and both my SFA wool pullover and Brooks Brothers leather belt come from Italy. That leaves me with shoes and socks to complete my morning dressing. My Rockport sneakers were made in India.
Socks usually do not have labels. So, it’s conceivable that they were made in the USA (but I doubt it).As noted, the nightshirt was newly purchased and none of the other items will soon need replacement.
So, my morning dressing will not be affected by the Trump tariffs. But, the price of all those items will likely go up. And if the tariffs do bring some manufacturing back to the U.
S., the listed items will still experience price increases because they can only be domestically produced at higher cost. It was those higher costs that earlier led the domestic production to be replaced by imports.
George HeitmannSalisbury TownshipTrump administration demand about masks hypocriticalI find it interesting that one of the demands the Trump administration is making on Harvard University (The Morning Call, April 5) is that masks be prohibited on campus protesters while Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers wear plain clothing and face masks to prevent any kind of identification. This is the great America that Donald Trump promised?Sara Ann ThomasAllentownTrump shows disrespect towards veteransDuring the campaign, Trump said how much he “loved” our veterans. What a lie.
After 60% of veterans voted for him, how did he show that love? His administration proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs and fired veterans from federal jobs. Instead of the commander-in-chief being at Dover Air Force Base to welcome home and honor the soldiers who died during a training exercise in Lithuania, he went to a Saudi-sponsored golf tournament at Mar-a-Largo. Funny (not funny) way to show love.
Dennis M. O’ConnellWhitehall TownshipLibraries are a national treasureThis week is National Library Week — the perfect time to celebrate our public libraries and the vital role they play in our communities. Libraries serve readers of all ages and interests with current bestsellers, enduring classics and hidden gems that deserve more attention.
Here in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos, we’re especially fortunate. Thanks to the new Lehigh-Pocono lending partnership, cardholders can now access 1.4 million items from over 20 regional libraries — a remarkable and underappreciated resource.
Books (print and digital) remain at the heart of it all, but today’s libraries offer so much more: research help, tech instruction, job search support, free Wi-Fi, great free programs and the lending of specialty items such as puppets, games, museum passes even birding backpacks.Yet in some parts of the country, libraries are under attack by forces hostile to intellectual freedom. Librarians have faced threats — even prosecution — simply for offering access to books some find controversial.
Let’s not take these institutions for granted. Libraries are among the last truly free public spaces — powered by curiosity, open to all, and deeply democratic. This week, and every week, they deserve not just our support, but our gratitude.
Deb MesslingBethlehemThe Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication..
