Letters to the Editor
To write a letter to the editor of the Inquirer, click here. Be sure to include your full name and city for verification.
Shannon's uncle: Death not the answer
Philadelphia Daily News Tuesday, June 11, 2002
I AM Shannon Schieber's uncle. I read Michael Smerconish's column and the family's response. Something striking about the terrible situation surrounding Shannon's death is the difference in attitude that she brought to the world in her life, compared to the attitudes that must lie behind the behavior of your city's government and public agencies.
Abraham's comments on Schieber lawsuit
Philadelphia Inquirer Wednesday, June 5, 2002
District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham's comments about the Schieber case sink her to a new low in my estimation ("Schieber's family presses for apology," May 31).
Life vs. death for Shannon's killer
Philadelphia Daily News Tuesday, June 4, 2002
I WOULD LIKE to give my condolences to the Schieber family for their tremendous loss. Shannon's picture shows a sweet and lovely young woman. To think that her murder could have been avoided if the police in this town did their job, is a crime itself.
Puncturing Smerconish's argument
Philadelphia Daily News Thursday, May 30, 2002
RE MICHAEL SMERCONISH'S open letter to Vickie Schieber (May 23): His statement comparing killing in self-defense to state-run executions is transparently shallow. The first is an act of desperate necessity; the other is not.
Shannon's parents: Why her killer should live
Philadelphia Daily News Wednesday, May 29, 2002
DEAR MR. Smerconish,
We are Shannon Schieber's parents. Your column in the form of an open letter made it clear that you want to see our daughter's murderer put to death for his crimes. We oppose that on at least three grounds.
Michael Smerconish | Life, death - and Shannon Schieber's killer
Philadelphia Daily News Thursday, May 23, 2002
AN OPEN letter to Vicki Schieber: Dear Mrs. Schieber,
Please accept my belated condolences for the tragic passing of your daughter, Shannon.
Police department's handling of Center City rapist cases
Philadelphia Inquirer Friday, December 21, 2001
In his exit "question-and-answer session at the Down Home Diner" (Commentary, Dec. 10), Police Commissioner John F. Timoney once again misleads the Philadelphia community in his comments about what the police knew and did about the Center City rapist. Timoney has consistently misled the public about this investigation since holding a press conference on May 8, 1998, the day after my daughter, Shannon Schieber, was murdered.
Departure of Commissioner John F. Timoney
Philadelphia Inquirer Dec. 9, 2001
After The Inquirer revealed that the Philadelphia Police Department did not fully and completely investigate sex crimes, Commissioner John F. Timoney reinvestigated cases for the previous five years.
Alerting community to dangers
Philadelphia Inquirer Dec. 10, 2000
Capt. Leonard Ditchkofsky's comments, included in a story on the civil suit brought by Shannon Schieber's family against the city, that "he believed strongly in alerting the community to threats - using information to make the community a partner in the fight against crime" (Inquirer, Dec. 3), is what crime prevention is all about.
Violence against women
January 27, 2000
I found the juxtaposition of Cathy Young's commentary on the Violence Against Women Act with the editorial on "Bolstering police reforms" delightful (Inquirer, Jan. 20). Maybe Young's claims are "supported by distorted and false statistics."
Women's groups not alone
December 11, 1999
Although the information that surfaced about the Police Department's noninvestigation of rapes has been demoralizing, recent events have sounded a hopeful note.
Philadelphia police and treatment of rape cases
November 2, 1999
As a former volunteer for Delaware County Women Against Rape, I have accompanied victims to Philadelphia's Special Victims Unit.
Philadelphia rape cases
October 24, 1999
The Inquirer deserves lots of credit for its stories on the Philadelphia Police Department's disgraceful treatment of cases involving sexual assault.
Police and sex crimes
October 20, 1999
I am outraged at the behavior of the police sex crimes unit (Inquirer, Oct. 17-18).
Police and serial rapist
October 13, 1999
As a woman living in Philadelphia, I was horrified by your story about the attempted sexual assault in
1997 that has been linked to the "Rittenhouse rapist" (Inquirer, Oct. 7).
