Regional Commentary   

 

Recalling the artful pleasures of the mechanical typewriter. 05/15/2008

One writer's paean to the platen

By John H. Kennedy Occasionally, a distinctive racket shatters the peace and quiet in my ivory tower. Oddly, I relish it.

 

Let's try harder with rehabilitation 05/15/2008

By Leon A. King II Over the years while serving the City of Philadelphia as a deputy city solicitor for civil rights, I represented successfully in many trials, and/or interviewed, hundreds of police officers about the dangers of their jobs. I witnessed firsthand in court the unfair second-guessing of split-second decisions officers made in situations most people would run away from. My most cherished award came from the Fraternal Order of Police for my dedication to law enforcement.

 

Turbines can harm wildlife if they are in the wrong location. Site those windmills carefully 05/14/2008

By Eric Stiles Scientists have concluded that climate change and habitat loss are the two primary threats to the survival of wildlife and natural communities. Thanks to the recent passage of the New Jersey Global Warming Response Act and forward-thinking state policies, we are now beginning to wrestle with solutions, including energy conservation and expansion of renewable energy.

 

Telling are times with aging parent 05/14/2008

By Thomas Leibrandt When I was a boy, the highlight of every week was Saturday lunch with my father. Our time together was more than just fun; it was crammed with lessons in life and his stories of generations of family history in Philadelphia.

 

1929 yearbook offers us a vision 05/13/2008

From out of the past, words to stir the hearts of the future.

By Hannah Dougherty Campbell Aunt Agnes' dusty old 1929 Girls' High yearbook lingered on my bookshelf. She was my hero and my godmother, a career girl before her time who, as the oldest of eight children, went to work during the Depression to support her family.

 

Find the positives on your vacation 05/13/2008

By Mike Mac Bride Memorial Day is just weeks away, and the end of school is drawing near. The first housefly has buzzed around your head and driven you crazy. What do these things make you think about? Summer vacation. Ah, yes, visions of sunny beaches, amusement rides and picnic lunches. You ask yourself, "Where will we go this summer?"

 

NRA's opposition is misguided 05/12/2008

Requiring the reporting of lost guns would hurt only criminals.

By David Levdansky Why in the world would an avid outdoorsman and hunter like me sponsor legislation - to require the reporting of lost and stolen handguns - on what looks like a big-city gun issue? The reason isn't so far-fetched.

 

Letters: Education is a must on transgender issue 05/12/2008

Marybeth Hagan's May 8 commentary, "School's sensitivity is off-target," left me with this message: that a transgender child poses some kind of threat to the school and would be better off "separated" from his peers or "hidden" at home.