Inquirer Letters to the Editor

Thank you, Phil Sheridan, for the column "Trial reveals football's frightening power" (Wednesday).

While there is more than enough individual guilt to go around in this case, the despicable institutional culture that valued football over children and allegedly allowed former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky to continue to molest children for years is the ugly monster in the closet. By outing the football monster, Sheridan's column provided an articulate and valuable public service.

One other thought: It might not be obvious to every football fan that circling the wagons to protect the football program was not about love of the game. Football at major universities is spelled M-O-N-E-Y.

After reading Phil Sheridan's slant on the Jerry Sandusky trial, I had to take a deep breath and wonder if I'm the only person who gets it. Sheridan makes valid points with his "almighty football" theory, but misses the real culprit. The force driving those collected heads into the sand was the almighty buck.

Former Penn State president Graham B. Spanier, former administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, as well as coaches Michael McQueary and Joe Paterno, were pulling in hefty salaries that they didn't want to lose and the residents of "Happy Valley," I'm sure, are getting restless wondering how big a dent this scandal will make in Penn State, their cash cow.

The Inquirer would have us believe that the gaffe machine occupying the White House is a victim of being taken out of context by its opponents ("Sound-bite duel lacks context," Tuesday). This isn't about the White House being a victim, but more about the old saying, "Figures lie and liars figure."

Not long ago, the lie du jour was that President Obama had grown spending less than any president since Dwight Eisenhower. The path to this conclusion required the transparently false assertion that the almost trillion-dollar stimulus in 2009 and the trillion-dollar budget increases were not the president's responsibility. Now he says that under his watch private-sector job growth is fine but government workers are struggling. In fact, out of 25 million civilian public employees, only 650,000 have lost jobs since the start of the recession. This compares with the private economy, with a labor-force participation rate at its lowest in 30 years and with 5 million fewer jobs today than there were in 2007.

If the private economy doesn't grow, there is no money for more firefighters, teachers, and police. Putting lipstick on this pig of a recovery is not going to pay the bills.

Thank you for shining a light on the horrific and inhumane activity of pigeon shoots ("Standoff over Bucks pigeon shoot," June 9).

The article gave a clear picture of what this activity involves, the impact it has in many areas such as animal cruelty, safety, and the environment, as well as the kind of individuals who would take part in it.

In light of the Philadelphia Gun Club's sanction of this exercise in cruelty, instead of their website description, which currently reads, "a mecca for shooting gentlemen interested in serious competitive shooting in a genteel atmosphere," it should state, "a club for soulless individuals, with guns, who are interested in killing or maiming innocent animals in an atmosphere of violence. No one with a conscience need apply."