Electric bikes make trails dangerous
Thank you for covering the growing concerns around e-bikes. As someone who regularly rides the D&L and other local trails on a traditional bike, I can say bluntly: these trails are no longer safe.
I’m almost 70, my partner is 73, and what used to be a peaceful ride now feels like a gamble. Many e-bikes can hit 20 miles per hour or more — and that is far too fast for flat, unpaved trails filled with roots, rocks, mud, narrow bridges and blind curves. I’m not sure e-bikes of this power ever belonged on these trails, and if they are allowed, I don’t see how you keep the dangerous ones out without stronger laws.
I’ve had a frightening close call. A man came flying toward me on a narrow bridge with music blasting. There was nowhere for me to go. One wrong move and I would have gone down. I’ve also seen very young kids riding e-bikes unsafely on both trails and sidewalks. We all know serious accidents have already happened.
We need statewide legislation with real speed limits, age rules, helmet requirements, and enforcement so our trails remain safe for older adults, families, walkers, runners, and cyclists — not turned into speedways.
Michele Grasso
Hanover Township, Northampton County
Use empty warehouses to house displaced people
We need to do a better job in helping the people who were displaced along the Jordan Creek.
I have recently read that warehouses are becoming empty. Can’t the state take over a warehouse and make it into a facility for the displaced people?
Make individual rooms. Have a large meeting/eating area. Have the residents work in the kitchen and manage activities/care for the grounds. In effect, create a small town. Govern with rules. Help them find employment. Give them dignity.
Barbara Miller
Northampton
Democracy and socialism not mutually exclusive
A must-read article by John Crisp in The Morning Call on Nov. 20 clearly explains the concept of democratic socialism. As the Trump administration and many right-wing Republicans warn us, we may be heading into a troubling situation with individuals like New York mayoral-elect candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist. However, we should remember that America has often embraced elements of socialism throughout its history, as Crisp reminds us.
We are committed to supporting the less fortunate through food assistance programs, ensuring access to free public education, implementing public health measures and establishing Social Security for our elderly — all initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of our communities.
Additionally, while it may not be popular, taxing the wealthy their fair share to fund these programs is a wise choice. History has shown that there have been numerous uprisings against oppressive leadership, like the French Revolution and our own American Revolution, driven by the struggles of the less fortunate. The question now is whether we are once again approaching a crisis in our country.
Ann Brown
Lower Saucon Township
Trump’s statements deserve congressional censure
President Trump’s recent social media posts, which explicitly invoked the death penalty and the charge of “seditious behavior” against Democratic lawmakers who reminded military members of their oath to refuse illegal orders, demand an immediate and forceful response from Congress.
Regardless of political affiliation, the words of a sitting president carry immense weight. When that rhetoric targets members of a co-equal branch of government with calls for execution, it transcends political disagreement and becomes a direct threat to our democratic process. Such language dangerously normalizes political violence and attempts to undermine the fundamental duty of service members to the Constitution.
Congress has a solemn responsibility to protect its members and the integrity of the institution. A clear, bipartisan censure is necessary, not only for safety but to reaffirm that violent, inflammatory language has no legitimate place in the highest office. Accountability for such actions is essential to preventing the further erosion of democratic guardrails.
The time for equivocation is over. Congress must take formal action to censure this dangerous conduct and protect the sanctity of political debate in America.
Donald Cease
Allentown
Headline on jobs not much of a surprise
The Morning Call’s recent headline in the business section was “Surprisingly Solid 119,00 Jobs Added in September.” Not much of a surprise — the last person who posted a weak jobs report was fired.
Alan Canner
Allentown
Department of Education action will harm health care
As part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the Department of Education, or what remains of it, is moving to strip nursing of its status as a professional degree. This isn’t just insulting and disrespectful; it’s harmful to the future of health care. Nurses are the health care system backbone and make up its largest workforce segment.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing is leading the effort against this change, which would limit nurses’ access to graduate education funding and jeopardize Americans’ access to comprehensive, high-quality care. The department’s proposal even contradicts its own definition of professional programs as those leading to licensure and direct practice.
This issue doesn’t stop with nursing. This attack on health care education would also affect public health, social work, physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy and many others. In the midst of a nursing shortage and strained health care system, our government should not advance policies that further devalue essential health care professionals.
If you value a highly educated health care workforce providing care, I encourage you to contact your elected officials and urge them to recognize nursing, along with other affected health professions, as the essential professionals that we are.
John Mikovits
Bethlehem
The writer, a registered nurse with a Ph.D., is an assistant professor of nursing at Moravian University’s Helen S. Breidegam School of Nursing and Public Health.
The Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at letters@mcall.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.