Another lousy job by school district
I guess the school district put the cart before the horse. Buying millions of dollars worth of Chromebooks without access to the internet is like buying a car and not getting a key. Now the district wants to make the internet companies the scapegoat. How about the district buys a mirror and looks in it to find the culprit again. This year has been a comedy of errors, starting with the asbestos fiasco and ending with the Chromebooks. Actually, this isn’t a school district. It’s a fire department, because of all the fires it has to keep putting out because of bad management.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
Kindness should continue after pandemic
When 2020 began on Jan. 1, who could have ever imagined that a mere three months later our entire world would be turned upside down by a microscopic germ? Yet, through this international nightmare, one thing has become very evident: Kindness really does matter. I have been heartened by the creative and innovative ways that people and organizations have used to help their neighbors, support their communities and get needed supplies to their destinations.
My hope is that many of these original concepts will continue after the pandemic has passed. It has been fun re-watching broadcasts of exciting sports games, such as the 2016 Villanova buzzer-beating NCAA win. And, the fabulous Super Bowl LII win never gets old.
Prominent citizens stepping up to provide loaner laptops to Philadelphia school students so they can continue to learn while at home, special shopping hours for seniors so they will be exposed to fewer germs, sewing face masks for first responders and healthcare workers, creating funds to supply meals and food supplies to people in need, decorating our windows with messages of hope, thanks and support, displaying our love for family and friends from afar, holding virtual meetings and church services, broadcasting Christmas music on the radio to lift our spirits and creating ways for people to work from home in order to keep as many people employed as possible are just some of the ways in which this city has shown its brotherly (and sisterly) love for each other.
Lastly, a big thank you to all essential and frontline workers for everything that you are doing to help out. I think I can speak for the entire city when I say that we are very grateful for all you are doing to keep us safe, to keep us well and to keep the city moving forward in as normal a fashion as possible at this time.
To everyone — stay safe, stay well and stay strong. We will make it through. After all, we are Philadelphians.
Marcia Buchanan
Somerton
Fly the flag
At this time of anxiety, fear, mourning and division, there is no greater need to our communal well-being than to feel that we are contributing in some way to battle the despair that has gripped us. I would like to encourage every American, regardless of your political sympathies, to fly the flag of the USA every day from your dwellings to symbolize that we are one nation, under God, that is united in a common cause to restore our nation to normalcy and heal the disease and divisiveness that has infected us.
This country, despite its flaws, is the greatest democracy to have ever existed, and of which we should all be proud. No country is perfect and without issues that make a concerned citizen cringe. As citizens, it is our job to help work toward perfecting this country. However, we must realize that it is imperative for us to all unify and strive together. We must focus on what we have in common and not what divides us. Although we may have differing visions of what we want to improve, we all share the common desire to make this nation the very best it can be.
By everyone flying the flag of our country, we can show that we are united as a people in the most important way possible: common cause. Let us fight COVID-19 together and answer this disease by unifying our nation, despite the forces that are pulling us apart. Please fly the flag proudly to show your faith that, together, we can heal this nation and make it into the vision of what we want it to be.
Ken Patkin
Rhawnhurst
