Letters: Vote in every election; Ban pornography, not books
Editor’s note: The CDT welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the Nov. 7 election and will accept letters that are received by Oct. 30. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.
Vote in every election
Nov. 7 is the 2023 Municipal Election, but voters will elect more than municipal representatives.
Statewide judicial races are on the ballot: Supreme, Superior, Commonwealth, and two judges’ retainments. Judges decide if laws are legal based on a carved-in-stone Constitution written by drafters in the 1700s, or as a living document reflecting our evolving society. Vote to decide which!
Seek candidate information from the non-partisan League of Women Voters of Centre County Voters Guide at www.lwvcentrecounty.org. You can also check your registration status, voting dates, polling places and sample ballots there.
PA has 29 local LWV groups throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates have websites and local and regional newspapers cover candidates’ positions and promises.
Local officials decide important matters that impact your life: what books you can read in a library, how human data figures into regional budgets, what can be built down the street from you, how your fire department is funded, which school buildings will be replaced or renovated, which roads are maintained/plowed, building codes, whether solar will be encouraged, public transportation routes, and laws about how we treat fellow community members.
This Nov. 7, vote for the people you want making those decisions!
About 20% of eligible American citizens aren’t even registered to vote. They could swing any election if they chose! While 75% of PA’s registered voters turned out in the 2020 Presidential Election, “off year” elections pull just 20-30%.
Your vote counts in every election —and even closer to home in this one!
Kathleen O’Connell, Lemont
Ban pornography, not books
It would be easy to say thank you to Susan Johnston, the chair of AAUW state College’s education committee, for pointing out that the current system is indeed failing. She stated in her recent letter that “They selected lewd and vulgar books to read aloud at school board meetings.” On the assumption that these were books in our K-12 library, then she is acknowledging the current system is failing to keep this material out of our libraries. What is extremely distressing is she is trying to make the counter argument that there is no problem. This is very troubling when someone acknowledges the claims that this “small” group put forth and then still does not recognize the need to make corrective measures. Any school board member who supports this blind assertion that there is no issue does not deserve your vote. We need to elect officials that can see beyond a political ideology and ensure our children are safe from “lewd and vulgar” books. This blind assertion that a particular group is “banning” books is absurd. No intelligent person wants the banning of books, but in the same fashion that we have ratings for movies, we need to acknowledge that not all books are suitable for K-12 and either they are categorized as such, or this type of material is left to the parents to procure on their own if they want their children subjected to this material.
Chris Potalivo, Boalsburg
Show support for caregivers
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month, offering an important reminder to support the more than 400,000 family and friends serving as Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers in Pennsylvania.
My father, Ray Marcon, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease during the summer of 2021. The diagnosis wasn’t much of a surprise, as he was exhibiting Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, but it still hurt our family deeply all the same. My mother, Pamela Marcon, has been the “caregiver” of our family (I have two brothers and a sister) from the moment my siblings and I were born; however, this responsibility would be her greatest test. Ultimately, the disease doesn’t let up, and my mom, who made all the decisions related to my father with her heart, couldn’t provide him with the level of care that he needed. So, earlier this year, our family made the difficult decision to place him in a memory care facility. It’s a devastating disease, not only for the patient, but for family and friends.
I invite all State College area residents to join the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter in supporting caregivers. Run errands, help with a household chore, give caregivers a break by spending time with the person with dementia and educate yourself about the disease. These small gestures can make a big difference and offer well-deserved support to those who give so much.
For resources and support, visit alz.org or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
Anthony Marcon, Boalsburg
