Letters: Don't change East mascot, media failings, GOP overreach, Jake Corman

East mascot represents pride and leadership, don't change it

I am a proud alumni of East High School, class of 1957. The subject of the mascot came up years ago after they had built the “new, modern up-to-date” East High. It was something the east side needed. There was and is a fierce pride in our school. To us, as "warriors," we looked at our school as representing a people who had suffered much, lost their homes/lands and worked hard to rise above the hatred and distrust.

A meeting was held in the “new” school back then to change our mascot. Many were in attendance, including a young Native American, who listened intently to us (I can’t recall his name). He thanked us because he knew of the pride in East and what the mascot stood for. He then told everyone that he supported our stand to keep the name of Warriors.

The mascot is representative of a chief — a leader of a people, what many grads of East High have become.

We have a deep respect for our roots and pride in the efforts east siders have continuously made to improve our community.

More: Erie School Board urges more talks, tables proposal to retire Native American mascot for East MS

There was a football cheer that says it all: “Vincent has its Colonels, the Academy Lions roar, East High has its Warriors and they’re worth cheering for." We will always be the East Warriors!

Beverly (Jant) Pochatko, Erie

Local media needs to step up coverage of region's lawmakers

You have heard people say that the Erie area is not thought about by Harrisburg or Washington except at the time of elections. But the TV stations do not report how our representatives vote. If we do not pay attention and report what our Pennsylvania or Washington representatives are doing, why would Erie be that important to them?

More: Roll Call: Casey, Senate advance bipartisan infrastructure bill. Toomey votes no

I believe our TV stations are very lax when reporting what our representatives are doing or how they are voting. Sen. Pat Toomey consistently votes no to confirmations of judges who are well qualified to hold that position. Why? U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly and Glenn Thompson voted no for the GI Education Bill. Why? Kelly and Thompson voted no for the Freedom to Vote and the John R. Lewis Act. Why? Were they asked why they voted that way? Did they have no answers? These things need to be reported!

These are the types of votes that affect the people of northwestern Pennsylvania and yet our TV stations ignore what our politicians are doing. Why?

It is very nice that the TV stations cover all the local doings, but since the local newspapers tell us more about happenings outside of our area, who is going to report the important national news that affects the northwestern Pennsylvania area?

Patricia Raydo, Fairview

Don't mess with East's Warrior mascot

I am a graduate of East High School, class of 1971. We recently had our 50th class reunion this past August. I have been totally disgusted that removal of the “Warrior” mascot is being discussed. It is totally despicable! We faced many more obstacles back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. And we survived! We had the best class ever.

How dare some school board member try to take our alma mater away?

Rose (Kunik) Whitford, Lake City

Bill aims to give GOP permanent control of legislature

Once again, Pennsylvania House Republican leadership is demonstrating its contempt for democracy. Because the Legislative Reapportionment Commission (LRC) proposed a preliminary House district map treating both parties fairly and ending decades of Republican gerrymanders, Rep. Seth Grove has introduced a bill (HB2207) to eliminate the LRC in favor of a so-called “citizens” commission appointed by legislators.

The proposed bill sets up that commission for failure based on its hyperpartisan composition and short timeline to approve the maps. And when, as expected, the commission can’t produce a map, the legislature (without input or other controls) gets to draw them. The reason for this sham bill is clear: Republican leaders are desperate to retain control of the legislature no matter what citizens want or population changes require. They are perfectly content drawing maps that give them permanent power. That sounds like what Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have done in their countries.

Sadly, we should have expected this. After all, these are the same Republican leaders who stopped the creation of a legitimate independent citizen commission to draw legislative districts (no hearings or votes on that proposal) and pushed through a bill to impose “districts” on the Supreme Court as punishment for overturning the 2011 gerrymandered Congressional map (voters may see this constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2023 as well as HB 2207).

More: Voters could be flooded in 2023 with GOP-proposed changes to the Pennsylvania Constitution

Pennsylvanians must stand up against these dangerous power grabs. Tell Rep. Grove (717-767-3947 ), and your Republican state legislators, that their objectives are shamelessly transparent and that Rep. Grove and the GOP should withdraw this bill.

Rebecca Sheerin, Ben Avon

The two-party system is driving us toward dictatorship

I had a rant published in the Erie Times-News about why a two-party system is a danger, as John Adams also thought. We are seeing what eventually happens. One side unites against the other side. No middle ground. If all on one side agree unanimously, only one needs to be there.

Having only two sides on the field encourages an “us or them," “win or lose” mentality which degenerates into a win for the sake of winning, never mind the poor slugs giving them money (I can’t decide whether they are doing things for us or to us).

One-party control, for practical purposes, normally leads to a path towards dictatorship. The increase of executive orders lately comes to mind.

We had “Capital," “Quotations from Chairman Mao” and “Mein Kampf” to tell us the importance of one-party control. Too bad that few people read these — we don’t want to be offended — and fewer take them seriously.

In 2005, Charles Schumer supposedly said “They want to make this country into a banana republic, anything going where if you don’t get your way, you change the rules.” Sound like anything now?

Some of these major decisions should go on a ballot, but this is likely a dream, because only the people in office know what is best for us. Especially now, the operative phrase is “Für Ihre Sicherheit,” which means “For your safety/security/well being.” Guess who used this one.

Bill Ulrich, Girard

Thompson, Corman, Benninghoff wrongly put party above all else

It’s sad what’s become of the three elected representatives most closely identified with central Pennsylvania: Glenn Thompson, Jake Corman, Kerry Benninghoff.

Each has succumbed to the perks of his office and has put vicious and dishonest party politics ahead of state and country. If you want to know what’s wrong with American politics today, you need look no further.

Thompson, in Congress since 2002, voted for Trump’s tax cuts for the 1%, but prides himself in how many times he voted against the Affordable Care Act, which would provide health coverage to millions of Americans, including many in his rural district. He’s proud of how many Eagle Scout badges he’s handed out, but violated his oath of office by voting against certifying the electoral votes, and thus voting for the insurrection.

Corman, a state senator since 1998, has killed every attempt at openness and disclosure of lobbyist payments to legislators. Despite zero evidence of fraud, he continues his sham audit of the last election, while teeing up to steal the next one.

More: Company heading Pa. election audit vows to protect voters' information. But how?

Kerry Benninghoff, state representative since 1997, joined Corman in meddling with the election results. Now he’s claiming the redistricting committee he served on is unfair and wants a state constitutional amendment so that future redistricting will be done only by the Pennsylvania legislature, the most partisan body possible. He’s the poster child for gerrymandering.

Collectively they have been in office for 70 years. Collectively they are doing their best to destroy American democracy in my opinion.

Robert Potter, Boalsburg

Biden should not minimize threat Russia poses to Ukraine

Minor incursions, like minor surgery, are only minor when it happens to someone else.

Don Bates, Millcreek Township

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Letters: East mascot, media lawmakers, GOP overreach, Jake Corman