Eulogy for a gentleman

People here always say that Chestnut Hill is a village and it’s true, it is.

No matter how cranky I might be, going to the Hill usually lifts my spirits. I am never anonymous on the Hill. Invariably I encounter someone who wants to talk, who asks me how I am, who genuinely wants to know.

Recently, one of those people passed away. His name was Ernie Stinson and he was the attendant at the PNC parking lot. Driving by the lot, I would always glance toward the little hut on the lot to see if Ernie was there and he usually was. Many of you may have noticed him; a thin man in the “uniform” of the CH Parking Foundation: blue jacket, khaki pants, standing guard with cigarette in hand.

I didn’t know much about Ernie, just that he was retired, a widower and a Philadelphian for sure, with that unmistakable accent, and that he liked baseball. Stopping to talk to Ernie was like reaching a safe, comfortable place: he was reliably cheerful, peaceful and always glad to see me. He looked me straight in the eye and listened more than he talked. I admired how he could be so watchful of the lot without looking on guard or in any way, offensive.

Doing his job and doing it with ease, the measure of a truly talented man. I will miss him, this gentleman.

Marilyn Monaco

Chestnut Hill

Failure to focus on real issues

I wish to thank Sally Brown and Charlotte Vargas for responding to my letter to the Local of Feb. 11. To Miss Brown: I did not advocate being disrespectful to anyone. Had the reverends wanted to perform a blessing to same-sex couples in civil union, I would have no problem with that. I objected to their claim of same-sex marriage as a Christian sacrament.

To Miss Vargas: my letter deplored the reverends’ actions with respect to Christians of the global South who are offended by homosexual marriage. These actions said in effect that these peoples’ feelings count for nothing, and that the ministers of rich churches in the world’s “indispensable” nation can ignore how poor people feel.

Let’s talk reality for a change. There are a lot of issues facing us. For starters, the torture camp in Guantanamo; the decline of the rule of law both nationally and internationally, fostered by the evil doctrine that we Americans can do whatever we like; the creation of a new class of debt –slaves (students) thanks to predatory banking practices; the decline and outsourcing of American industry and the scarcity of good jobs; the out-of-control weapons industry and corresponding aggression shown by this government against many Middle Eastern (and other) nations, which has wrecked Iraq, Libya, destabilized the Ukraine, and tried or is trying to wreck Iran and Syria; the lack of universal health care; the mediocrity of our public schools; the pathetic charade of our political life, which is captive to the power of money; and, finally, the dishonesty of our press and media, which does not accurately report what is going on and which engages in endless put-downs and demonization of leaders and countries that stand up for themselves and support their own people. And I haven’t even mentioned the national debt (16 trillion by now?), our crumbling infrastructure, and our trivialized, sexualized, violent and degraded culture.

If the Reverends Kerbel and Cutler, in the great tradition of Christian witness, had called for a national day of repentance for our sins, I would be the first to acclaim them as true leaders in the tradition of the apostles. Alas, they chose a pincushion Jesus, for everyone to stick in the little pin-up of the day – not the Jesus who thundered against the moneychangers defiling the house of God.

Caryl Johnston

Germantown

Waskow’s a hero, not Justice Scalia

Thank you for the article by Rabbi Arthur Waskow (“Scalia sided with tyrannical power – except in my case,” Feb. 18). Rabbi Waskow is a giant who has been fighting for progressive causes for many decades. When a prominent public figure like Scalia dies, we see reams of copy about what a great man he is, and that is what is happening with Scalia.

The truth is that Scalia might have been a nice man in person, but he was a disaster who has set the country back decades. He opposed every decision that could have helped any minority group or the environment or the political process.

Thanks to him, we have unlimited money going to candidates from special interests, so the people who get elected owe nothing to ordinary people, only the biggest corporations. And Scalia gave us George W. Bush instead of Al Gore. As a result, we got the Iraq War and ISIS. We can only hope that the next Supreme Court Justice is the exact opposite of Scalia.

Ginger Callahan

Flourtown

Save Our 4-H! (It’s worth saving)

Hi, my name is Zoe Murphy. I’m going to be 13 years old next month, and I home school. I am also very involved in my local farm 4-H Club: the Manatawna-Saul 4-H Club. 4-H holds a very special place in my heart and is a huge part of my life. I joined 4-H two years ago in February, and I immediately loved it.

I have been a vegetarian my whole life, and a strict Vegan for about a year and a half. My connection with animals is very strong, and you can frequently find me lying down with the sheep in the sheep pen. I feel like I am most comfortable, and most myself, around animals. I can’t imagine my life without 4-H. I have made many friends in 4-H, both human and non-human. They enjoy spending time, and talking about their animals, just like I do, and I feel accepted by them. I feel like my 4-H club is one big family that supports each other.

In 2015, I raised a market lamb and pig. My market lamb’s name was Marigold. Market means that my sheep would go to slaughter. I knew Marigold’s destiny when she was born almost a year ago on March 12, 2015. I met her when she was just one hour-old. Some people don’t understand how I could raise a market lamb, being Vegan. I decided I would because their life isn’t just birth, and then death. Their life is all that happens in between birth and death, and I wanted to give Marigold the best life possible.

I loved Marigold, and she loved me. We enjoyed walking together, and running in the field, and over her life we became very bonded. I would never have gotten the opportunity to get to know and love Marigold without 4-H. I also started raising a pig named Ziggy in October, 2015. Ziggy enjoyed running around, and rolling in puddles. I would also not have been able to know and love Ziggy, if it were not for 4-H.

As you can imagine, I was very upset when I had to say goodbye to Marigold and Ziggy. What really touched me was that my 4-H family was hugging me, and telling me that I had given Marigold and Ziggy great lives, and that I showed them lots of love. I felt so grateful for my 4-H family, who wanted to protect me when I was upset, and who showed me love when I was sad.

4-H is a community, and I’m proud to be a part of the 4-H community. I’ve met so many kids in 4-H from all over Pennsylvania, whom I would have never have met if it were not for 4-H. I love going to different activities with the 4-H animals, like petting zoos, because I like sharing my knowledge of farm animals with kids in the city because not all city kids get to experience what it’s like to hug a sheep or pet a calf, and it shows people where their food comes from.

When I grow up, I want to own a small farm and become an animal behaviorist/ therapist/trainer. I was crying as I wrote this letter, looking back on all 4-H has done for me. And just think – in 20 years when I’m living my dream on a farm, someone will ask me where I’m from, and I will answer truthfully: I’m from Philadelphia. And they will ask: How did you become a farmer, you’re from the city? To them, it seems impossible, but to me and 4-H, we know it’s possible. In 4-H, I’ve learned how to vaccinate animals, dock lambs’ tails, shear wool, show sheep and pigs, and clean stalls.

But most importantly; I’ve learned to “Pledge my head to clearer thinking, my heart to greater loyalty, my hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.”

I’m using my heart to show my loyalty to 4-H, and I’m using my hands to write this letter. So, on behalf of myself and Pennsylvania 4-H’ers everywhere, please get in touch with your state legislators and ask them to support SB1120, which will restore the funds (recently eliminated from the state budget) that allows for the existence of our local Philadelphia 4-H: Manatawna-Saul 4-H Club.

Thank you, in advance, for you support. With lots of love for 4-H,

Zoe Murphy

Wissahickon