Jimmy Stewart was a Wonderful American and Republican
A recent letter to the Times uses the film It’s A Wonderful Life to bash President Trump and MAGA, as this fellow usually does in his letters.
He claims the film’s George Bailey would stand against everything represented by Trump and MAGA.
A pity he does not know the real George Bailey.
Jimmy Stewart volunteered to leave cozy Hollywood during WWII and command a bomber team based in Britain. He flew many missions over Germany.
He won two distinguished flying crosses.
Stewart was so loyal to his nation, he remained in the Air Force Reserve for decades, and nearing 60 — he even flew a flight in Vietnam, retiring in 1968 as a Brigadier General.
He did all this while being a rather busy capitalist in Tinseltown.
Stewart came from a small PA town and was a lifelong conservative Republican. I can’t think of a better representation of MAGA.
Oh yes, one more thing. Director Capra and Stewart made another American classic in 1939. It’s a story about a private citizen who goes to D.C. intent on reform for the people, and is hated by career politicians and the media.
Sound familiar? I’ll update the title: “Mr. Trump Goes to Washington.”
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
Council at fault for school district woes
Again with an audit and investigation of the School District of Philadelphia by our illustrious City Council. When is Council going to take some of the blame for the chaos we call the school district? The Council has been throwing good money after bad money into this cesspool for years with no strings attached. The district has abused these appropriations and has slowly deteriorated. It has lost about 50% of the student population since the 1970s but has basically the same number of employees and the results have been devastating. 67% of the students can’t do math and 75% can’t read, which in the end gives use a 67% graduation rate of students who can’t basically read and add. Even with these results, Council keeps shoveling money into the system. So whose fault is it, the district or Council or both? I blame City Council. They hold the purse strings so they have total control. It’s time they used it but continue to audit the district and its shady ways, like moving people and re-titling jobs just to give them raises.
It’s a big hole in the ocean that Council keeps throwing money into without any accountability.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
An attack on Christianity
Out of the gate, Democrat senators, at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing held on July 16, began a coordinated attack upon President Trump’s Ambassador nominee to the Slovak Republic, state Sen. Douglas Mastriano. There were four other nominees who received mildly neutral comments and questions, but not Doug Mastriano. Democrat Sen. Rosen, in her opening remarks, expressed her serious concerns for his nomination and his credibility. In a red-herring approach to mislead, distract or deflect from his true qualifications, she presented a litany of talking-point accusations, allegedly smearing Mastriano’s reputation. During her period of questioning, Mastriano was berated with criticisms and derogatory remarks, with little to no opportunity for response, only to be repeatedly harassed/interrupted by Rosen and the other Democrat committee members.
Most seriously was Rosen’s attack upon Mastriano’s Christian faith, suggesting that his conservative positions as a Christian would hinder him from service as an Ambassador abroad. This was an implied pronouncement against all who claim the name of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior in their vocation, as does Mastriano, and who stand for the Christian roots of our nation, the same views held by so many of America’s founders.
Christians should be concerned about what transpired at this committee hearing. Rosen set up a non sequitur that Mastriano’s Christian views were in conflict with modern America, when asking him if he thought U.S. political leaders should all be Christians. It is comments and questions like Rosen’s that are reckless and dangerous to Christian freedom and patriotic free thinking with an historic appreciation for the foundation of the United States. Douglas Mastriano stands for all that is good in our “one nation under God,” the God in whom we trust.
Ernie Springer
Willow Street, Lancaster County
