Be wary of elites
So once again the elites step into a mess of their own makings.
Dr. Anthony Fauci proclaimed on Face the Nation that … “it’s easy to criticize, but they’re really criticizing science because I represent science. That’s dangerous.”
Let’s review, shall we.
The elites tell the “deplorables” how our children must be educated in schools, and that parents should not tell teachers what their children need to learn. Stay out of your kids’ schools and education, parents!
The elites tell “smelly Walmart shoppers” why we are to drive electric cars and that higher gas and fuel prices are necessary and good for us. Don’t worry about the cost of electric cars and where to find a charging station to recharge your car. Pipe down you truck drivers and supply-chain movers. We have an environment to save. Jobs, inflation, and shortages be damned.
And now the elites, the same elites who helped send U.S. taxpayers’ money to China to fund gain-of-function research that allowed a deadly coronavirus out of research lab and into the world, killing over 750,000 Americans, these exact same elites are now telling you and I that we are not to criticize or question the science or scientists that are directly attached to the COVID-19 pandemic of the last two years. Dr. Fauci, the CDC and the World Health Organization will tell doctors, nurses and the public-at-large what science is and isn’t. No discussions. No criticism. Dr. Fauci’s got this.
So to sum up, the “great unwashed” people like me and you are to no longer engage in dangerous activities like having opinions on how we are educating our children, on what type of car we can afford to drive, or on what we want to have put into our bodies or over our children’s mouths. I guess wearing a mask 24-7 really does cut down on all of those pesky pursuits like freedom of speech and diversity of thought. Tony Fauci is right. He and the current administration’s attitude toward regular folks having ideas, thoughts and opinions on how we would like to live our own lives is upsetting to the elites. “That’s dangerous.” No, Dr. Fauci, that’s called democracy.
John Farley
Somerton
The power of prayer
I loved your piece on the front page of the Nov. 3 issue entitled A beautiful place of prayer, highlighting Robbie Lewcun’s project for Boy Scout Troop 97. The fact that he designed and supervised the building of this beautiful prayer garden, later blessed by Archbishop Perez and now available to all the parishioners of St. Albert the Great Church, is extraordinary.
This story especially attracted me because of its unspoken connection with the letter on the Opinion page written by John Farley (RIP, Democratic Party) and the power of prayer. John Farley’s insightful analyses foretells where we are in the USA and writes prophetically about the eventual demise of the Democratic Party, which he ascribes to the controversial statement (“I don’t think that parents should be telling schools what to teach.”) made by Terry McAuliffe (2021 gubernatorial candidate for VA). The parents showed their objection to it by voting against him and McAuliffe lost the election.
Thank God for parents who are standing up for their right to have a say about what their children learn in school. I taught remedial reading in the Philadelphia public school system. In my experience with these students, what I learned about the role of educators and my own personal role in teaching was repeatedly being reinforced, and, i.e., the role of educators is to pass on the values and culture of the parents to their children. Whenever a problem student began to improve, I used to feel proud of myself for contributing to that student’s development and self-esteem. However, I later learned that something changed at home.
One case that stands out in my memory has to do with a young man who changed from being disruptive and an underachiever to a stellar student. Again, I gave myself credit for this change, until I overheard him tell a friend: “My dad is getting married; and I’m going to have a mother.” There you have it.
Children are our creator’s gift to parents who are to nourish them by love and truth — not be indoctrinated by what has become secular education.
To appreciate the power of prayer in our governing institutions, we need to go back to the early pilgrims, the great migration of 1,500 people who came to the New World in 1629 from England for religious freedom. Their form of practicing their faith inspired them with a personal incentive to do everything for God. God in turn blessed them with an abundance of produce that could be shared or sold. In addition, they lived and dressed modestly, and were able to amass great fortunes and became the first capitalists. Max Weber captured this period of history in his book entitled The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of Capitalism. Each person’s individual incentive of doing one’s best for God is what made our country the greatest in the world.
Certainly, prayer influenced the election results. Prayer is the leaven in the dough — it works unseen to raise the bread. Although prayer is ignored by the social media, we know that for this election, there was a great emphasis on prayer by our religious leaders of all faiths to bring back the values and freedoms that our Constitution guarantees.
Parents, please continue to prayerfully stand up for your children, whether it is at the voting booth or at parent-teachers’ meetings. While many of us do not have access to a prayer garden, all of us can make a private garden of prayer in our hearts (and when prayer is combined with fasting and alms to the poor, they increase that power of prayer beyond all measure) such that parent by parent, and family by family we can win back our country as a nation under God with liberty and justice for all.
Helena T. Gaydos
Holme Circle
An idea for 8400 Pine Road
For nearly 100 years, the Medical Missions Sisters have given to a cause. I am about to ask them to give even more. The property at 8400 Pine Road is an important part of Fox Chase. The 69 acres of mostly open space includes historic buildings and is contiguous with our other neighborhood treasures: Fox Chase Farm, Pennypack Park and Lorimer Park. It is also part of the original hunting grounds that bore the name Fox Chase. If this land were developed, it would not cut off our access to these areas, but we could no longer win Connect Four with open spaces.
Most importantly, an entire border of this open space comprises the “yet-to-be-installed-we-are-all-holding-our-breaths” walking path extension by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy that will connect the urban and suburban Pennypack Trails. Opportunities where land is returned to the public do not present themselves often and the trail is critical for the future of Fox Chase. Developers are swarming to capitalize with plans to build yet another older adult community with assisted living and nursing facilities. Zooming out with Google satellite view reveals this already exists just next door. Also apparent is a potentially greater purpose for this property; a proper entrance to new trails. An open space, not much different than now, with large outdoor sculptures lining the driveway, more on the upper lawn, paths and smaller outdoor art tucked into every corner of nature, inviting all to explore. The boathouse – a restaurant. The buildings – a children’s museum. Parking is already there for access to the Farm and upper path without crossing the street. These may sound like lofty ideas that require enormous amounts of money, but as the Medical Mission Sisters have shown, more can be done with a cause than with money.
Scott A. O’Donnell
Fox Chase
