Infamy in hall of Congress

Many members of Congress probably applauded New Orleans when it removed a monument to white supremacy and monuments to three prominent Confederate figures ("Putting the past in the past," Sunday). But what is Congress doing to remove statues of infamous Americans who line its Statuary Hall?

A walk through the Capitol would reveal these individuals being honored by their states: Jefferson Davis, U.S. senator and president of the Confederacy (Mississippi); Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a congressman before and after he served as vice president of the Confederacy (Georgia); Robert E. Lee, an Army officer who fought against his own country (Virginia); Joseph Wheeler, a West Point graduate who became a Confederate general and later an Army general and congressman (Alabama); and John C. Calhoun, a secretary of state, vice president, and slaveholder whose name has been stricken from a building at Yale (South Carolina).

|Paul L. Newman, Merion Station

Not in one sentence in Charles Krauthammer's column did he mention the $110 billion U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia ("Trump change in approach to the Mideast," Monday).
Saudi Arabia, which inflicted 9/11 on us, gives the world the Islamic State, and al-Qaeda, and funds madrassahs around the world.

Krauthammer effusively wags his convoluted theory of Arab/Israeli cooperation against Iran based on pledges from this same Saudi Arabia to try and soften this military extravagance to the Saudis. Those arms and technology will at some point fall into the wrong hands and be used against us.

Global arms trade is gasoline on the fires of war.

|George Forman, Marlton

As a Republican Jewish American from Philadelphia, I applaud President Trump's trip to Israel. What took President Barack Obama more than four years took our current president only five months.

In Saudi Arabia, Trump mentioned his support of Israel and desire to achieve peace in the Middle East — a subtle but powerful stance with the King of Saudi Arabia next to him.
Throughout his Mideast visit, the candidate who had pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel kept his campaign promise and then some. I give credit to our president for bucking the trend of previous administrations and becoming the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall.

Israel is America's most trusted, reliable, and stable partner in the Middle East in the ongoing fight against global terrorism. Additionally, Israel is a country of innovation in the technology, life sciences, and military fields. Just as Trump has pledged to stand by Israel, Israel will always stand with America to eradicate terrorism and drive innovation around the world.

I am the treasurer of the Philadelphia Young Republicans, and these are my personal beliefs, not those of any organization.

|Bryan Leib, Philadelphia

Chris Satullo's column, "Let's experiment with open primaries in Philly" (Monday), hit the nail on the head with: "So why do we, the taxpayers and voters, go on subsidizing [the state Democratic and Republican parties'] closed primary elections? Why do we prop up partisan machines that so often give us unappetizing choices, leaving us with state and local governments prone to gridlock, bad policy, larceny, and the squelching of innovation?"

Put another way: Why do we continue to tolerate taxation without representation?

Closed primaries are among the top causes of extreme polarization, gridlock, and low turnout, because the majority of votes in closed primaries are cast by hard-core partisans. The inability to have a say in the primaries cause many unaffiliated voters to suffer learned helplessness and to drop out of the electoral process, resulting in low turnout in general elections.

|Hugh J. Campbell, Philadelphia

The decision by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Archbishop Charles Chaput to reinstate the Rev. Louis Kolenkiewicz, whose computer was found to have more than 12,000 pornographic images stored, is an absolute disgrace ("Porn priest returning to pulpit," Saturday). As a member of the Catholic Church my entire life, I am dismayed and disgusted by this decision, and I trust that parents of children enrolled in any of the schools in the archdiocese let the pastor of their parish and Chaput know of their disapproval.

|T.J. Smith, Jenkintown

As a contributor to the letters-to-the-editor section, I agree that the email address of the writer should be included with his or her name ("Afraid of confrontation," Tuesday).

I find most readers are balanced and respectful of another's perspective, and I have found responses to my letters enlightening and even challenging. There is always the risk of receiving an email from people who believe their thoughts are the only correct ones or from those who like to attack the messenger rather than the idea. I have dealt with both since I was on the debating team in high school.

Without providing the opportunity to respond, the Inquirer endorses the bully pulpit that reinforces little room for conversation. Dialogue rather than dogmatism is the path to peace and justice in a world of diversity and uniqueness. Just looking at the current atmosphere in our society and politics should reinforce this perspective. I look forward to hearing from those who think otherwise.

|Ernie Sherretta, Broomall, ejsherretta@gmail.com

There is room for you in my country,
Room for you in my city, town, village,
Room in my neighborhood,
Room in my home;
There is room for you in my heart.

|Stuart Hibben, Swarthmore, stuhibben@hotmail.com