March 23, 2006 Issue                                               

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

From our readers

Smoking ban

Can you imagine anyone lighting up a cigarette while they are next to you in the movie theater, or on an airplane, or while they are behind you while you’re on the check out line at the market? Think about it ... times have changed and it would be very shocking for any of these scenarios to occur.

Why, then, is it still OK for smokers to light up when they are next to you at a restaurant or bar in Philadelphia? I just don’t get it. What makes one situation any different than the other? These are all public places and the effects of second hand smoke are no different if one inhales smoke in a restaurant/bar or at the movie theater. The city of Philadelphia needs to join with the times and take a stand for the health of all of its citizens. Shouldn’t we all have the right to breathe clean air in all public places?

Susan Bash
Mt. Airy

Surprising stuff

Turns out Larry Summers was right, after all. A joint study by Stanford and Pittsburgh Universities has found that there is at least one genetic factor that can explain differences between men and women in career performance. It has nothing to do with their respective abilities. The disparity is that women shy away from competition; men are drawn to it, even relish it.

But haven’t we known all along that men are more aggressive than women? (Just check our prison population.) And don’t we know that’s because men carry higher levels of the hormone testosterone? The male-testosterone-aggression syndrome is a product of our evolution and is universal among mammals, with one exception. Among hyenas, it’s the female who is dominant, more aggressive. And, of course, she’s the one with more testosterone than her opposite gender.

William Will
Chestnut Hill

Recommendation for Crime Report

We welcome the new editor of the Local and urge she change the policy, which identifies people by race in the Crime Report. That is, the person is identified by race if the person is not Caucasian — only if it is a person of color.

We call her attention to two items in the Crime Report in the March 16 issue. Not only is one accused person referred to as “a black male,” but he is described as having a “Sunni Muslim beard.”

In checking with knowledgeable people, we confirmed that there is no such beard. Such a description of race and ethnicity reflects a paranoia and racial bias that have no place in a community newspaper. It perpetuates stereotypes that hurt us all.

The same column refers to a different person: “Male was observed by complainant …” That observed male wasn’t described as black, so we are to assume he was white.

Many in the Chestnut Hill area refer to its inhabitants as “enlightened.” The sort of language referred to above belies any such enlightenment.

We look forward to reading in the Local an acknowledgment of such a policy change.
Libby and Morton Frank
Chestnut HillFond memories of the Water Tower

I was saddened when I read recently about the closing of the Water Tower Recreation Center on your Web site. As a kid I spent most of my non-school hours at the center. It was there that I learned about sportsmanship as well as social values from mentors such as Walter Bendon, Mike Giantisco, Harry (Chief) Bender and Skip Wilson.

To me and my fellow middleclass Irish and Italian buddies, the Water Tower was our Cricket Club. It’s shameful that the Philadelphia Recreation Department has let this great facility deteriorate to the point where it has to close.

By the same token, I’m proud of my alma mater, J.S. Jenks, for coming to the rescue of the children’s programs. Both Jenks and the Water Tower center will always be in my thoughts and memories.

Bob Braun
Henderson, Nevada