Letters to the Editor | May 15, 2025

Who said Donald Trump doesn’t like immigrants? You simply have to be the right type of immigrant to facilitate the reception of a warm welcome from the president. Haitians, Muslims, Nicaraguans, Afghans — including those who helped us in our ill-fated occupation of their country — none are welcome here, and if we previously promised you admission, too bad. It is our prerogative to go back on our word.

The worthy group that has earned the president’s empathy, and for which he arranged a lightning-fast entry and a path to U.S. citizenship, is residents of South Africa who claim to have been persecuted there. I am sure it is only coincidental that they are white, and it has nothing to do with Trump previously wondering why there are no immigrants from “nice countries” like Denmark or Switzerland seeking to live here. (Those South African white folks better not have any transgender individuals or Democrats among their ranks.) It is touching to note the extent to which our leader has a heart (for some).

Oren Spiegler, Peters Township

I agree with E-Z Park’s Harvey Spear that the 157-unit apartment building to be built on the 400 block of Bainbridge would be much better with fewer units and more publicly available parking spaces. This area of the town is painfully short of parking — a situation good for neither residents nor local businesses. If, as Spears says, it is high fees that the city charges parking facilities that are preventing publicly available parking facilities from operating, then the city needs to adjust the fees downward or build the parking facilities itself. Other cities seem to have more easily accessible public parking facilities. Why can’t we?

Neil Izenberg, Philadelphia

Donald Trump promised he could end the Russian war in Ukraine right away. He didn’t succeed, which isn’t surprising since Russian President Vladimir Putin is still dreaming of crushing Ukraine. However, there is a war Trump could probably end quickly if he wants to. The decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to let a partial ceasefire expire and resume the war in Gaza was very unpopular in Israel. If Trump were to pressure Netanyahu to seek a permanent ceasefire and a safe return of the Israeli hostages in Gaza, Netanyahu would probably have trouble resisting this pressure, since ending the war and getting the hostages back would have majority support in Israel.

Edward Witten, Princeton

The Inquirer editorial on the new pope and the current president was both hopeful and insightful. Americans — and the world — could use a respected public voice reminding us of our country’s aspirations and standards while the man in the White House does everything possible to denigrate and destroy them. It is ironic that we have lived to see, at the same moment in our history, both an American pope and an un-American president.

Tim McGrath, Chester Heights

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