As a high school sophomore, I’m too young to vote, but I know the stakes could not be higher in this “off-year” election. That’s why I’m imploring you to vote this Nov. 7.
Across the ballot, Democratic candidates uphold election integrity and equal rights. Three key races illustrate the importance of your vote.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices have the final say on abortion, voting rights and so much more. The Democratic candidate, Dan McCaffery, is endorsed by Planned Parenthood and labor unions and stands up for values shared by Democrats. The Republican candidate has questioned mail-in ballots and the results of the 2020 presidential election—and she’s endorsed by organizations opposing abortion access.
Centre County commissioners affect our daily lives. Mark Higgins and Amber Concepcion have served us well and should continue as commissioners. They oversee elections and are committed to accurate vote counting and broad participation. Unlike their opponents, they support access to ballot drop boxes. They’ve worked tirelessly for mental health services, affordable housing, economic development, broadband services and sustainable energy initiatives.
State College Area School Board determines educational opportunities and resources. Slate for State candidates – Bader, Brandt, Demo, Kolbe, and Miller – prioritize academic success for all, trust and transparency and fiscal stewardship. Their opponents seem mostly interested in banning books under the guise of “parental rights.” That’s not in step with our district’s values, nor will their agendas help move the district forward.
This Nov. 7 help elect Democratic leaders who will stand up for our fundamental rights.
Sarah Ocampo,
State College
Online Games Make PA Lottery Partnership a Bad Bet for Penn State
The picture above is a screenshot of one of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s many online slots games. These games are made by the same manufacturer who supplies electronic gambling games to casinos. They are so similar to casino gambling that several Pennsylvania casino operators sued the Lottery for infringing on their market when the Lottery first introduced these games several years ago. Detailed descriptions of this particular game are available here; a video demonstrating the operation of this game is available here; and an analysis of how this game is designed to keep people gambling until they have run out of money is available here.
When Penn State advertises the Lottery’s “PSU” promotional code on the big screens at Beaver Stadium, it is encouraging students to gamble on online slots, which are one of the most addictive and destructive forms of gambling ever devised. Slots games have been refined over decades to exploit weaknesses in human psychology. Furthermore, because the Lottery’s online slots games can be played on smartphones — which Penn State’s announcement accompanying the advertising display encourages students to do — they are always available everywhere. Penn State students as young as 18 can legally gamble on these games.
Penn State did not sign up to advertise online slots and smartphone gambling to its students when its partnership with the Lottery was originally established over 20 years ago. The iLottery did not exist at the time this partnership was established.
Penn State should not continue using its name and reputation to sell online slots and smartphone gambling to students who are too young to legally gamble in online and land-based casinos. It is not the university’s fault the Lottery has become increasingly aggressive in marketing addictive online gambling products to young adults. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of Penn State’s Board of Trustees to monitor the university’s partnerships and to modify or terminate those partnerships in accordance with the university’s best interests.
Penn State should not willingly and actively participate in the exploitation of students. The university’s advertisements for the Lottery are intended to increase the amount of student gambling through the Lottery. Since participation in gambling is the primary driver for gambling addiction, gambling-related suicide and numerous other gambling-related harms, these advertisements are enticing Penn State students into being harmed. The “Play Responsibly” disclaimer that appears on these advertisements makes no meaningful difference in protecting students.
Penn State should re-evaluate its partnership with the Pennsylvania Lottery and establish a university gambling policy now. As President Bendapudi knows well, universities are sometimes better off cutting off partners who act scandalously or in ways that are harmful. Some things that are legal are nevertheless contrary to the university’s values. The Lottery’s increasing exploitation of Penn State’s students falls squarely into this category.
To learn more about Penn State’s partnership with the Lottery and to sign the petition calling on Penn State’s leaders to stop advertising addictive online gambling products to the University’s students, please visit https://saynocasino.org/psu/.
Andrew Shaffer,
State College
The Price Your Thanksgiving Turkey Pays
I have always looked forward to everything about Thanksgiving, especially the delicious meal I have been fortunate enough to enjoy. The centerpiece of that feast, of course, has usually been a tender, mouthwatering turkey. Therefore, I was shocked and dismayed when I became aware that such a delicious entree came at a price – to the animal, that is.
What I discovered is that all of the animals, including turkeys, raised in our factory farm system feel pain and suffer immensely. This is not at all surprising, as they evolved to live in natural environments, not made to live under the agonizing conditions found in factory farms. As very intelligent and sensitive wild animals that have been on this Earth for 20 million years, they naturally live on the edges of forests and fields foraging for a variety of foods including acorns, fleshy fruits, corn, seeds and insects. Hens lay many eggs, and the chicks (poults) stay with the mother throughout summer, fall and winter. Of course, turkeys have freedom of movement, spending most of their time on the ground but flying into trees at night to sleep, which offers more protection from predators. All of these characteristics of wild turkeys add up to a high quality of life.
Unfortunately, this is in stark contrast to the life experience of turkeys raised in factory farms, where they are subject to a nightmarish existence including debeaking without anesthesia; artificial breeding to make them twice their natural size, so large they have trouble supporting their own weight; overcrowding in dusty poorly ventilated buildings; feeding on a uniform controlled diet of corn and soy-based grain laced with antibiotics; having no chance to reproduce and raise their young in a healthy ecosystem of fresh air, clean water, abundant food and a community of other plants and animals; little kindness as they are considered mere objects for exploitation; and an extremely shortened lifespan.
The way we treat animals says a lot about us and the state of our awareness regarding the lives we choose to live. To become truly responsible, mature adults, we must become more aware of our place in the ecosystem, including the source of our food and how our actions affect the other species around us. Toward this end, please consider the feelings of turkeys and other animals we share the Earth with by adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet or hunting them responsibly in the wild.
Andrew McKinnon,
Pennsylvania Furnace
GOP ‘Incapable’ of Governing
Despite looming emergencies such as two wars and a possible government shutdown, the GOP continues to prove itself incapable of, if not totally disinterested in, governing.
The U.S. House of Representatives was rendered speaker-less and unable to conduct the people’s business for 22 days because a Republican congressman from Florida instigated the ouster of a Republican Speaker for the “unforgivable sin” of working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.
Actual governing is hard work. It is not glamorous or sexy. It requires respectful, intelligent dialog, cooperation, integrity, good will and, yes, even compromise. Effective government seeks to meet the needs of all Americans regardless of party affiliation.
Unfortunately, many Republicans have abandoned these democratic values for authoritarianism. They have turned governing into a never ending battle in which compromise is a dirty word and all that matters is getting your way by any means necessary. Instead of legislating, these Republicans prefer to focus on creating inflammatory sound bites to generate campaign donations and prevent MAGA backlash.
The election of Mike Johnson as Speaker exemplifies Republican contempt for democracy. Johnson was a principle architect of Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. He opposes women’s reproductive freedom; believes that easy access to guns does not contribute to mass shootings; vilifies LGBTQ Americans; and rejects America’s Constitutional separation of church and state.
Voters who value our nation’s freedoms and democracy need to remember and address this pervasive Republican dysfunction and authoritarian behavior on Election Day, this Nov. 7.
George Polycranos,
Port Matilda
