Gilded power
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the National Trust for Historic Preservation cannot challenge the construction of Donald Trump’s monstrous ballroom, partly because the trust’s objections constitute “mere offense, disagreement, or distaste.” While this narrow view may be legally correct (though Chief Justice John Roberts dissented), taste is the essence of the problem.
As originally built at the turn of the 19th century, the White House was a restrained two-story rectangular block in the Greek Revival style. The north and south porticoes with their elegant tall columns were added in the 1820s. The capitals of the columns are Ionic, an order that is graceful but not showy, in keeping with the understanding of the building as the “executive mansion” rather than a presidential palace. Roman emperors preferred the larger, more ornate Corinthian capital, a taste shared by later kings and despots and Trump. His ballroom will have Corinthian columns inside and out, and it will be heavily gilded, expressing his desire for imperial wealth and power. With missile-resistant columns, it will also be indestructible. We will be stuck with it, just like if his attempts to manipulate voting access are successful, we may be stuck with him.
Dale Kinney, Bala Cynwyd
Cruel politics
Columnist Jonathan Zimmerman’s take on Australian politics is quite interesting. Their style may be different from ours, but history and current events show real currents of racism, antisemitism, and cruelty that wind through Australian culture and should not be minimized. But where Zimmerman states that “American politics is an accident waiting to happen,” he is behind events. It is happening right now. Encouraged by the current administration, currents of cruelty, fear, voter intimidation, demonization of immigrants, and unnecessary war permeate our culture and are already destroying our elegant experiment in democracy that once was the envy of the world. Let’s not look to Australia for a more positive experiment in democracy, but look to ourselves to live the ideals we all inherited as Americans.
Dorothy Smith, Ambler
Penalty questions
I think there is one glaring omission around reporting about illegal tire dumping at Fairmount Park, and many of us would appreciate an answer. While these dumpers face potentially gigantic fines, what happens when they can’t be paid? What is the deterrent in that case? I would expect most of these people to operate small independent shops. If they had money to pay fines, then they’d surely use it to pay to have tires hauled away. So when “Jack’s Auto” can’t pay a $4 million or even $100,000 fine, what happens next?
Is there jail time in their future? Property seizure? Business licenses revoked? What exactly is the progression of accountability if the monetary punishment can’t be met? The cost of these fines is stated repeatedly — I assume to accentuate how severe and impressive they are — and that is a commendable endeavor. But there’s no difference in fining someone $1,000 or $1 million if there’s no money to pay it. Not only would readers like to know this information, I think it would be important for the violators to know these things, as well.
David Altimari, Philadelphia
Sheriff scrutiny
Congrats to Judge Paula Patrick for calling out the incompetence of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office under the “leadership” of Sheriff Rochelle Bilal. As witnessed in court, Bilal decided to appoint a scapegoat, Steven Wakefield, to fall on his sword and blame other tertiary or unemployed functionaries for any title deed backlog. Confounding this was the sheriff’s incredulous claim that she had no “personal” knowledge of deed processing issues. Anyone with any experience as an administrator of any department would know that claiming ignorance is a damning indictment.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker should ignore the party cabal insulating Bilal and disband an obviously incompetent office. Further, an administration so easily beguiled by incompetence deserves reevaluation, and City Council owes an apology to the people of Philadelphia for endorsing such a culture of proven incompetence. I can only hope this embarrassment does not become national news.
Richard O’Connell, Philadelphia
Cruel tactics
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut was right to call out the fundamental cruelty of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents waiting near school bus zones to arrest parents the moment their children board the bus. School should be a safe haven for children, and the journey to and from school ought to offer peace of mind. Instead, this tactic deliberately targets the precise moment a child is separated from their family, inflicting maximum emotional distress.
Forcing a child to watch their parents be detained — and sending them off to school wondering if they will ever see them again — is not just an enforcement strategy; it is a profound psychological trauma. What kind of law enforcement agency intentionally designs methods that inflict such calculated harm on innocent children? Enforcing immigration laws should never come at the expense of human decency, basic moral standards, and the fundamental well-being of our community’s youth. This is grotesque.
Maria Duca, Philadelphia
D.C. nursery
America’s ongoing master class in bullying serves an essential purpose of enlightenment. It has now been clearly demonstrated that inside every bully is a baby, forever parroting: “I want, I want. Me, me, me.” The bullying babies are everywhere — in homes, work settings, and, as we have clearly seen, in elected office. Prone to tantrums, they bluster constantly but often do not follow through. They merely adore reading and hearing about themselves, putting their names wherever they can, and complaining that all of their genius has not been lauded fully enough. A sure sign of a bullying baby is how much they love toys and games, such as a new private plane, with all kinds of bells and whistles, gifted by those we must be wary of.
Some have found a way to ignore the bullying baby in the White House. As to the baby’s rants and threats, Brando Benifei, the chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the United States, said, “We don’t take them so seriously anymore.” Still, there are dangers inherent in these bullying babies. When their bluff is called, they can act out to prove to the world — and themselves — that they are strong. So far, the U.S. has kidnapped the president of Venezuela and his wife, killed dozens in illegal strikes against alleged drug boats, and started an ill-conceived war that has claimed thousands of lives, including those of 18 Americans. At home, National Guard troops needlessly patrol Washington, and his immigration agents have brought terror and misery across the nation.
An all-consuming trait shared by bullying babies is the inordinate need for control — over everyone and everything. Would that extend to seeking control over our upcoming midterm elections? As incredible as that threat may seem, who could have imagined our bullying baby in chief’s refusal to accept a legitimate 2020 electoral defeat, his undermining of the rule of law, his desertion of America’s friends, his stomach wrenching adoration of dictators, or his violations of the people’s White House? This inconceivable threat cannot be ruled out.
SaraKay Smullens, Philadelphia
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