Sounding off: Ready-to-drink cocktails are good for Pa.

Expanding the sale of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails to additional retail outlets that already sell beverage alcohol is a commonsense way to increase consumer convenience and generate millions of dollars for the commonwealth (“Pa. Senate passes bill to legalize cocktails-to-go, sends to House with modifications”).

In fact, allowing spirits-­based RTDs to be sold at grocery stores, convenience stores and local bars could result in up to $184 million in tax revenue for Pennsylvania.

Currently, spirits-based RTDs must be sold through Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) stores despite having the same or similar alcohol by volume as their beer and wine counterparts.

The pandemic has accelerated the growth of these products as adult consumers look to recreate the cocktail experience at home with convenient, canned cocktails. But in Pennsylvania, there is less than one spirits store per 10,000 people — well below the national average of 3.4 outlets per 10,000 people — making it much more difficult for consumers to enjoy spirits-based RTDs.

States are taking a closer look at this issue to provide consumers with the same equal access to wine-, malt-/beer- and spirits-based RTD products.

Expanding the distribution channels of spirits-­based RTDs will benefit adult consumers, local businesses, the state, and suppliers of beer, wine and spirits. We urge the Legislature to pass House Bill 1154 and Gov. Tom Wolf to sign it.

David Wojnar, Washington, D.C.

The writer is senior vice president and head of state government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

Not all Democrats want socialism

My dictionary defines socialism as “an economic system in which the government owns and controls the means of production and operates it for the good of the people.” As a lifelong Democrat, I do not agree with socialism. And I don’t know any Democrat who does. We Democrats vigorously support free market capitalism, albeit with regulations to ensure fair competition.

My dictionary defines fascism as “a system in which a few people own and control everything.” Gee, that seems like folks who would use their power to give themselves massive tax cuts and then justify it by claiming it will help us avoid socialism.

My decision to vote Democrat has become even easier now that the GOP has a clown running its circus.

Lew Kemerer, New Stanton

The audacity of Coke

I question the motives of Coca-Cola and other Atlanta-based companies boycotting the MLB All-Star Game and forcing the game’s move to Denver. Many Atlanta restaurant, hotel and stadium workers, many minorities, will not have the advantage of baseball fans nationwide coming to town. This only to protest honest voting measures that are already the law of the land?

Coca-Cola wants to be identified as a liberal warrior for social justice, but look at its corporate values. I am a Pepsi drinker when it comes to soft drinks, but recently I uncoupled a six-bottle pack of Coke to refrigerate for my wife. Each bottle was encased by two bands of plastic holding the bottles together, with the whole group bound with, yes, plastic.

Imagine the environmental impact of this packaging. When burned, plastic releases toxic pollutants into our already compromised atmosphere; buried in landfills, it needs centuries to fully decompose. Uncounted masses of these bindings end up in our watershed, killing fish and the birds that prey on them. Millions of plastics float in our oceans, again destroying not only marine life but the shorelines where they wash up. It will take decades to fully appreciate what damage Coke has done, and is still doing.

Social justice is important, but so is our environment. Coca-Cola relishes the accolades it receives with regard to its boycott; when will it be held accountable for the damage it is doing? Shouldn’t Coke be boycotted for its irresponsibility?

Ed Klein, Shanksville

Why does Fetterman feel he is above law?

According to the article “Wolf, Pa. Democrats again push for passage of LGBTQ discrimination protections,” “The GOP-controlled Legislature banned all but the U.S., Pennsylvania and POW MIA flags from being flown on Capitol grounds. … (Lt. Gov. John) Fetterman, however, has continued to fly Pride flags, including one removed by the Department of General Services earlier this month.”

This is a classic example of someone who perceives himself as being above the law. The law is meant for others, those “undeplorables.”

I find it very disconcerting that Fetterman feels he is above the law. Why is he permitted to run roughshod over the laws of our great commonwealth?

Don Walczak, Hempfield

Sen. Kim Ward should side with the wounded, vulnerable

Some Catholic bishops claim they worry about the president’s soul if he keeps taking Communion despite disagreeing with their views on abortion.

Here’s a suggestion: How about focusing less on the soul of America’s most powerful adult and more on the safety of America’s largest powerless children, who remain vulnerable to shrewd child molesting clerics and others abusers?

Though many predator priests are no longer on the job, many are living — unsupervised — among unsuspecting families. And many other clerics, who ignored or hid their crimes, remain in church roles today, never having faced any consequences at all for their wrongdoings.

Instead of worrying about one person’s fate after death, let’s worry about exposing two groups of grown-ups: those who exploit kids and those who turn a blind eye to this horror.

The one person in Pennsylvania who can best make this happen is Sen. Kim Ward, the Senate majority leader. But she is irresponsibly blocking proposed statute of limitations reform, reform sought by the state’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Let’s hope she starts siding with the wounded and vulnerable and stops siding with the officials and the wrongdoers.

Adam Horowitz, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The writer is an attorney who represents victims of sexual abuse.

Biden must fix border to save lives

I realize there are many problems for President Biden to resolve, but I believe one important duty is being forgotten or ignored: the duty to protect the people and provide security and safety for all Americans.

Biden announced at the G-7 Summit that the United States will be donating coronavirus vaccines to 100 countries to address a global shortage. During his speech in England, he noted it is our responsibility, our humanitarian obligation, to save as many lives as we can. I agree, but don’t the president and his administration realize we are killing Americans every day here with drugs by not securing the border and protecting our people?

To fix the border and save lives, we need to admit a mistake was made by undoing President Trump’s policies and orders. It’s time to quit playing politics, saying the border is secure when everyone knows it is not. If we continue to let the border be as it is today, more Americans will die as drugs continue to come into our country. Just look at the amount of drugs being confiscated this year.

This border crisis is killing Americans. The president should not ignore or forget his responsibility to protect the people of the United States and save lives here.

Douglas Johnston, Franklin Township, Beaver County

Protecting women’s sports

Here in the United States, Title IX, enacted in 1972, defined sports as education. That opened the door for a wide-ranging menu of choices for girls and women from elementary school to college to feel the joy of winning and the emptiness of defeat.

Many learned how to compete, and they learned that if they worked hard enough, they could win! Nearly five decades later, these competitive women are now found in leadership and decision-making positions in education, medicine, government, commerce, industry and in professional sports, all the while nurturing the next generation. As a result, today’s women have enriched our nation and our world in untold ways.

Recently, transgender individuals have threatened the progress that girls and women have made. Biological males, larger, stronger and faster, are now able to compete in women’s sports. Female athletes who have broken school and collegiate records are seeing their athletic careers, scholarships and future prospects diminished as they are no longer winners. Worse yet, the joy of winning is often gone, and along with it comes the attitude of “what’s the use in striving?”

If this is allowed to persist, many of the gains that women have made as a result of competing on an equal playing field will be lost. More to the point — it’s just not fair treatment for half our population. Numerous states have now banned biological males from women’s sports. Pennsylvania needs to join them.

The Pennsylvania Legislature needs to prevent unfair competition in girls’ and women’s sports at all levels.

Maury Fey, Murrysville