Letters to the editor MUST be accompanied by your daytime and evening phone numbers for verification purposes. Letters without phone numbers cannot be considered for publication. Letters must include first and last names. Short letters have a better chance of being selected for publication. We do not publish anonymous letters.
Redeemer Lutheran
is here to stay
On the cold and dreary morning of Dec. 16, a group of 60 parents, students and teachers from Redeemer Lutheran School marched around Lincoln High School to dispel rumors that the school may be closing.
Redeemer has been an important part of the community for 60 years, and the school plans to continue its mission to provide an excellent education with a Christian emphasis well into the future.
"We’re here to stay!" said Christine Buttenbusch, who has taught first grade at the school for 24 years. "I couldn’t imagine getting up in the morning and not coming to Redeemer to work with my children."
Sandra Kruvczuk
Redeemer Lutheran teacher
Lives are
worth saving
In regards to the letter in last week’s edition by George Wylesol of Cheltenham, (Some wills are meant to be broken, but not this one) shouldn’t the good of the many outweigh the good of the few or perhaps the one?
If Robert Ryerss were alive today he would surely understand the need for Fox Chase Cancer Center’s expansion project. He was a wise man who did things for the common good. I can understand your point that the 19 acres cannot be replaced, but what about people who lost their lives to this devastating disease? Can they be replaced?
I’m for natural conservation as much as the next guy, but I’m sure the reward is worth the risk. Just ask those who lost loved ones to cancer.
Kevin M. Coughlin
Fox Chase
Mother of murdered teen
appreciates the offers of support
If not for all of you wonderful people who have stuck by me through the horrendous murder on July 13 of my 15-year-old son Timothy Clark, I don’t know how I could have made it thus far. You all have been so very supportive of me and my family.
For those of you who helped with the car washes during the summer, to those who all came to the beef-and-beer benefit that we held, and to the many strangers and local unions — and a sponsor who wishes to remain anonymous — who donated money, I was able to raise the reward fund with the Citizens Crime Commission to $8,000. This would never have happened without your support, along with my friends and my family. I also want to thank all of you for lighting your candles for the worldwide candlelighting ceremony that happened to fall on my birthday, Dec. 9, in memory of Timmy.
Timmy was a great kid who was shy, kindhearted, always willing to give a helping hand, had the biggest blue eyes and the best smile ever. We miss him terribly, and with the Christmas season here, along with his birthday, which falls on New Year’s Eve, when he would have been Sweet 16 (hopefully you can say that for a boy), it has been most difficult for my family. I just want to thank you all who have been there for us, whether in prayers, in person, or just thinking of us — thank you from the bottom of my heart. I also want to thank my detective, who I know has been working so hard to find the terrible person(s) who could have taken the life of a sweet, kind, wonderful child. I keep you all in my prayers every night and also pray that whoever did this, do the right thing and give yourself up.
You took a young man’s life away for no reason, from his family and friends who loved him and adored him. He had his whole life ahead of him. We will never see that, we will never see him graduate from high school, fall in love, get married, have children.
As a mother, the pain in my heart will never cease. It has been torn to pieces, something that never will mend. I’m told over time it gets easier, but I know my heart will never heal.
Thank you, my friends, my neighbors, my family, for all you’ve done to help make a terrible tragedy a little bit easier to live through.
Bette Ann Clark
Tacony
What’s the matter
with parents today?
We wonder why kids today don’t have any respect for anyone. Just take a walk through any store and listen to some of these parents talk to their kids.
I am not against disciplining kids, but when you call them SOBs, MFers and other wonderful names, what do you expect?
They grow up with very little self-respect because their low-life parents treat them that way from birth. How could you expect them to have respect for others when their parents make them feel like dirt?
Of course, when they grow up and kill someone their parents don’t understand why. Maybe these low-lifes need to look in the mirror and wake up.
Try treating your kids with respect and maybe they will start growing up to be better people.
Rus Slawter
Bustleton
Another Christmas is gone,
but the memories persist
Growing up in Mayfair in the 1950s and 1960s was such a memorable time. We did not care about getting up at four in the morning for sales or dragging through overcrowded malls and shopping districts. We went to the Penn Fruit on Cottman Street for our tree, which we proudly carried home and hung out the window until Christmas Eve. My mother spent three weeks making cookies and traditional foods while my father and my sister and I happily decorated our tree and placed our tinsel, one strand at a time, on a tree that smelled so good of fresh pine.
Our shopping consisted of going up to the Avenue, as we called it (Frankford Avenue), to purchase a blouse for mom at the York Shop and the traditional slippers for Dad and trinkets at Woolworth’s. I was so proud to go into Penn Hardware with my dad to buy my first tree decorations.
Looking into the local candy shop windows decorated for Christmas was a yearly event, as was the erecting of the giant tree on Cottman Street in front of the Mayfair Movie Theater. We went to Midnight Mass as we got older and spent Christmas morning visiting our friends.
As children, our requests were simple — a doll, wagon, bike or train set. No piles of gifts, no expensive electronics or trendy wardrobes. What we carried with us through the years were memories of tradition.
We were proud to say "Merry Christmas," as it was the birth of Christ. A Christmas tree was a Christmas tree and has been so since the 1800s. Christmas is not a time of politics but a religious and traditional time of year that can never be changed in our hearts.
Arlene DeSantis
East Torresdale
Joy to the
Jackson Street scene . . .
It was so nice reading the sweet, sentimental letter by Kristen Gibson (Remembering Christmas on Jackson Street, Dec. 13 edition).
I remember very fondly visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins who resided on that very block and thinking how lucky they were to live there. Jackson Street did truly seem like the North Pole. It captured the joyous feeling of Christmastime. Santa and his reindeer, animated elves making toys for good girls and boys, the many Nativity scenes in wooden and glass boxes and the millions of colorful lights were just spectacular. My uncle’s house was decorated festively on the inside as well as the outside.
My favorite thing was the elaborate miniature train set they erected in their living room. It really was a magical place to visit, and I will always cherish these holiday memories.
Pat Quinn
Mayfair
. . . There was nothing
joyful about the traffic
Having grown up on the 6700 block of Jackson St., I can tell you that while the lights on the next block were pretty, the holidays were a living nightmare for all the neighbors on our block.
Not only did we have to put up with rude people, but we could not even get out of parking spots on our own street because of the traffic. Did we stop the lights? Yes, we did, but only because of the risks they posed. One year, a police officer sat in the traffic and it took him 45 minutes to get through it. Now imagine if there was a fire or medical emergency on our block — the emergency personnel would have never been able to get through in time.
One year we got permission to put a barricade at the top of our block and all the neighbors took turns standing at the top of the street. We politely directed people to an alternative way to see the lights on the next block.
People drove by and called us "Scrooge" and said we were ruining their holiday. Had they lived on our block, they would have understood why we did it. We were grateful to see the lights go out.
We still believe in the magic of Christmas, and our house is decorated every year, but it is a huge relief that there is no longer a traffic issue.
Karen Sassler
Bensalem
Thank you,
kind strangers
On a beautiful Saturday in August, between 6 and 6:30 p.m., I fell on Fairdale Road. Instantly, I was surrounded by Michael, Mark, Michele and their young son. Their concern and aid to me was very warm and caring. They literally carried me to my home six houses away. I sensed that that was not an unusual thing for them to do. The sun was shining brightly on their wings.
Dorothy Werner
Millbrook
May God bless
the Boy Scouts . . .
I want to publicly thank the Boy Scouts for the invaluable help they gave me years ago. I was widowed with seven children to raise, including four young boys.
I cannot express completely in words what it meant to see three of the boys involved in the Boy Scouts’ clean, character-building, fun activities. Weekends at camp, knowing who they were with and what they were doing, and being out of inner-city neighborhood problems brought a sigh of relief.
I am ashamed of city officials who, instead of showing gratitude to an organization that did so much good to so many in this city, chose instead to punish them.
How sad your political agenda was more important than the welfare of our young boys.
The Boy Scouts can hold their heads high through all of this, which is more than our city officials can do.
A national TV newscaster called our city Killadelphia. What a disgrace that it is formerly the City of Brotherly Love. This is on your watch, Mayor Street and City Council. The shame rests on you.
I am praying that the many people in this city that have benefited from the Boy Scouts will find constructive ways to show their support.
May God continue to bless them and supply everything they need so that they will be able to continue to bless our city with their services.
Elaine Thompson
Frankford
. . . But the Scouts
are discriminatory
Regarding Tom Lacey’s Guest Opinion in the Dec. 6 issue (Keep the Boy Scouts, dump the city officials), you issue a statement to the Boy Scouts in which you tell them to "resist the foolish, intolerant, hateful city administration."
I find it odd that you would refer to city officials in this manner, when it is you, sir, who is foolish, intolerant and hateful towards homosexuals.
You state, "True tolerance is about tolerating others’ beliefs, but it is not about having values, policies and beliefs that you do not agree with jammed down your throat."
The simple fact of the matter is that the Scouts acted in a discriminatory manner, similar to what you’re doing, and were called on it. Among other things, your statement about camping is absolutely absurd and makes it sound as though you believe that anyone gay is a sexual predator. Your letter indicates to me that you are sadly ill-informed and misdirected, and I feel sorry for my gay friends who have to deal with people like you on a daily basis
I am curious though — do you get this upset when people of a different ethnic background are discriminated against? How about folks who practice a religion different from yours? Somehow, I doubt it.
I just hope that your ignorance is not contagious and that one day you realize this world is big enough for EVERYONE to get along.
Margaret A. Butwin
Lawndale
Attack on English-only
sign is un-American
On Dec. 14, a hearing was held in Center City between the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission and Joey Vento of Geno’s Steaks.
A complaint was filed by a member of the Human Relations Commission against Joey’s sign, "This is America, when ordering, please speak English." It was claimed that this sign is an affront to all non-English speaking Philadelphia residents.
Witnesses testified that they and their friends and associates are humiliated by the sign. If one cannot speak or read English, how can one be offended? How would they know what the sign says? However, all those who testified in opposition to the sign, speak English. One witness/advocate teaches his Chinese clients English. His Chinese friends are taught at our universities in English. Why bother teaching and learning English if you are somehow offended by the prospect of someone asking you to order in that very language?
The purpose of this hearing by self-serving, pompous politicians and their hate-America supporters is to intimidate Mr. Vento into removing his sign.
The city of Philadelphia is using taxpayers’ monies to pursue this venture. Mr. Vento must use his hard-earned money to hire lawyers to defend himself and his rights. The hearing was a farce. Apparently, fraud was perpetrated to advance their un-American agenda. Just another example of our government at work.
Margaret W. Adelsberger
Willow Grove
Here’s some kosher food
for thought on animal abuse
Regarding your recent feature on kosher food (And the survey says, Dec. 6 edition), I would like to add some important information.
One of the central components of Judaism and its kosher laws is the humane aspect. Kindness and compassion are literally mandated in our Torah.
One of the largest processors of kosher foods, AgriProcessors, which makes the brands Aaron’s Best and Rubashkin’s, is also one of the most egregious violators of that precept.
An animal protection organization’s undercover investigation in the past few years revealed horrible practices completely unrelated to the kosher process, such as ripping out the tracheas of still-living cows.
Rabbis around the world, veterinarians and various animal experts were horrified and in complete agreement in condemning AgriProcessors. Unfortunately, AgriProcessors has never really cleaned up their act, consistently being cited for a number of violations at various investigations and inspections.
Anyone who is truly living a Torah-based life should avoid any company that treats its animals in a less-than-humane fashion. This is clear violation of not only animal humane laws, but higher Jewish law, and is therefore a violation of kosher law.
A simple Google search of AgriProcessors will give you all the information you need about the problems with this company, and anyone wishing to be more familiar with Jewish views of animal cruelty, kosher law and even Jewish vegetarianism will find a wealth of knowledge through a Google search of Jews for Animal Rights.
The works of Dr. Roberta Kalechofsky and Micah Publications are of particular interest and make for some fascinating factual and philosophical reading.
Arlene B. Steinberg
Bustleton
Share your opinion by e-mail
Click here to return to this week’s editorial . . .