HomeNewsLetters to the Editor: May 27, 2015

Letters to the Editor: May 27, 2015

The benefits of caring for our trees

When founding the city of Philadelphia, William Penn hoped that, “(Philadelphia) may be a greene country town which will never be burnt and always be wholesome.” And yet every time I return to my hometown, I notice it becoming a little less green and a bit more burnt. In my parents’ neighborhood in the Northeast, lonely tree stumps remind me of the beautiful tall Oak and Maples that had once lined the streets. And many of the surviving trees are subject to improper pruning and lack of care.

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Yes, taking care of trees is costly. But not taking care of them, or worse, cutting them down is far more expensive. The cost of cutting down a tall tree can range anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Additionally, various national surveys have shown that having mature trees on your property increases your property value up to 20 percent. Trees can reduce your summer energy costs significantly as their shade can cool homes down up to 50 percent. So having a tree and taking good care of it makes great economic sense.

Several medical studies illustrate that trees can be healing as well. One study showed that hospital patients who looked at trees out of their hospital windows healed much quicker than those who did not. Other medical research shows that children who suffer from ADHD exhibit fewer symptoms when exposed to nature and areas full of trees. And research on centenarians demonstrates that those who live to 100 tend to have and actively maintain their gardens (and trees). So if you want to live to 100, get digging.

Best of all, you can get a tree here in Philadelphia for free. Treephilly.org offers free trees for either your yard or your street. Check out their website at treephilly.org/free-trees/ for more information. And if you are interested in planting trees here in the Northeast, go to Tree Northeast at netreetenders.com for information about how you can help make our neighborhood greener.

Emilia Siravo

Zurich, Switzerland

Today’s mutual hostility and prejudice must end

The tragic death of Freddie Gray presents an opportunity to examine attitudes and prejudices that many police and minorities have toward one another.

The mostly peaceful demonstrations that followed the incident that cost Gray his life brought out people of all races. A small number of thugs took advantage of the chaos to break into a pharmacy, set fires, burn cars, loot liquor stores, ransack businesses and throw rocks and bottles at police while at the same time others in the neighborhood struggled to restrain that disorderly behavior and later gathered to clean up the property destruction. Community activists made an effort to disperse the protesters while community agitators called for greater violence.

Police of all races, sworn to protect and serve the public, every day go into high-crime areas risking their bodies and lives and too frequently are injured or killed. A few on the force take out their resulting anger and frustration, but rather than apprehending and arresting suspects, exceed their mandate and act as judge and jury, violently subjecting those arrested to over-reactions such as inflicting pain, shooting a fleeing suspect or subjecting them to a “nickel ride” in a police van

I imagine that many were stunned to learn that three of the six police officers charged in Gray’s death were black and one is being charged with murder. This incident cannot be blamed on racist police. The great majority of citizens as well as police are not participants in illegal or violent behavior. Those who are must be held accountable for their actions and be judged in a court of law. Otherwise, the mutual hostility will only escalate.

Mel Flitter

Somerton

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