Letter: A response to Rep. Costello’s recent Op/Ed
To The Editor,
The following is an open letter to U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6):
Dear Representative Ryan Costello,
Thank you for making a public statement about Charlottesville (Op/ed: Hate is a dangerous thing in The Times of Chester County). We need to talk about it. Staying silent and pretending it didn’t happen is not an option. You defined hate as “a personal decision to decide to be...
Op/Ed: Hate is a dangerous thing
By U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, Pennsylvania’s 6th District
Ryan Costello
A man drove a car into a crowd of people, killing one and injuring 19 others. It was a despicable act committed by someone motivated by hate.
Some of the commentary on this incident and the President’s myriad responses misses the mark on what is the bigger picture relating to the character of our country and what we aspire...
The shame of silence
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Sunday night people in West Chester, Kennett Square and numerous other locations around Chester County came together to do what our president could not bring himself to do: condemn the terrorism of White Nationalists, including the attack on demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday.
Instead, President Donald Trump has a new ad out attacking the media as...
Don’t forget there are important races in 2017, too
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Tanned, rested and ready — amazing what the blue waters of the Caribbean and lots of odd beverages with paper umbrellas will do for the soul — and ready to jump into the burning dumpster fire that is politics, 2017.
While Republicans in the U.S. Senate debates various health bills that will likely cost them both their Senate majority and the U.S. House —...
Why we all should care about the revitalization of Coatesville
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
COATESVILLE — It was a good a day as the city has seen in recent memory — finally, a real, honest to goodness revitalization project is underway, with the start of demolition for Coatesville Gateway.
But if you live in fashionable Unionville or Kennett or elsewhere in Chester County, you may shrug and say “why do I care?”
You should care for the simple...
Unintended consequences and Newton’s Third Law
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
While Democrats wept over special election results this week, U.S. Senate Republicans — in secret — put together their version of the health care reform, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which apart from some minor details, appears to be a lot like the house health care plan, the American Health Care Act: it cuts benefits for the poor, could lead to big...
It is time to try to dial back the anger
We’re deeply thankful that Costello, Meehan and Smucker are OK after DC shooting
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6) should have been at his usual perch, at shortstop, next to Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Wednesday morning, when a lone gunman opened fire on Republican congressman and staffers Wednesday morning — but he missed his ride by a couple of minutes.
The congressmen...
Is a ‘cross-fire hurricane’ bearing down on the 6th District?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
“I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at the morning driving rain
But it’s all right now, in fact, it’s a gas
But it’s all right. I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash
It’s a gas, gas, gas”
— The Rolling Stones, Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
It’s pretty clear that politics over the next 18 or so months will be anything but calm,...
The crossroads of hate and politics
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
In this very special edition of Politics As Unusual — a few days early to allow for copious time sitting by the pool and ingesting adult beverages — we’re going to take a look at how politics drives behavior (and the other way around), bad endorsements, chaos, dirty money and more!
First, if you’ve been on the Web, watched TV or been exposed to virtually...
Nobody asked me, but…