To the Editor:
W.D. Ehrhart’s thirteen suggestions for coping with an administration headed by a convicted felon got me to thinking. Obviously intended as a bit of humor, it was missing a more serious option, one in which we Americans should be engaged now. NATO allies were reported a few days ago as planning on how to trump-proof the alliance. We should be doing the same for our democracy.
Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025’s disgustingly arrogant spokesman was crowing the other day about how his coming Second Revolution would be bloodless as long as “the left” rolled over and let him cram it down our throats. Instead of passively accepting whatever he and his merry band of fascists have in store for the rest of us, we begin making plans to to resist every single one of the odious “projects” documented in his 900 page manifesto. When they stupidly tell you in advance what they’ve got planned for you, believe them.
The sticking point to all of this is what exactly to do about it. Frederick Douglass’ observation that “power concedes nothing without a demand” has never been more true. Roberts’ barely-concealed reference to violence must not go unchallenged. Passive and legal resistance is and must always be the first course of action. But if it comes to it, nothing should be off the table. The unknown, of course, is how willing are we to do what it takes to preserve our democracy.
John C. Ficor
Richmond, Va.
John,
Democrats have a reputation for being experts in the art of pre-emptive surrender. With forty years of practice, they deserve it.
Republicans, on the other hand, seem to have cut their political teeth on the playground, taking lunch money from whoever they could bully.
For their part our corporate media, whose constitutional role it is to call out liars and lawbreakers, act as if there’s nothing going on outside of the usual rough and tumble of politics.
We get what you’re so carefully saying, and we do not disagree.
The Editor
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One Old Man Down, One To Go
Dear Editor:
Our world gives us surprises. New, positive energy can surge now among Democrats and Independents, for the release Biden has delivered. One old man still asks for votes, however, in the person of Donald Trump, now 79 (82 when out of office if he won this November’s election). Biden gave all, in energy spent the last four strenuous years. Now he’s 81. Trump starts this campaign season with thoughts difficult to follow or incomplete or off on tangents. Lesson here?
Have to pass on a comment I heard on NPR. An analyst commented that cryptocurrency just fell in value with Biden’s opening up our Democratic party ticket to a young and vigorous candidate. The value fell because crypto-lovers / buyers were counting on crypto-friendly Trump being elected. Now they are not so sure. (Sidebar—cryptocurrency manufacture is hugely energy intensive, sucking up cities worth of electricity. Not good.)
Lynn Rudmin Chong
Sanbornton, N.H.
Lynn:
When we first heard of cryptocurrency we could vaguely understand the appeal, having always been a bit anarcho-curious. We were never curious anough to do anything about it, though. Over the years—particularly as we’ve watched Free Staters fetishize the stuff—we’ve come to see it as a perfect signifier for the idiocy of the age.
Stuff? You can’t even call it stuff, since it doesn’t really exist—except in the environmental damage it causes. Speaking of going off on tangents… but hey—we’re not running for president.
Joe Biden has been far from perfect. Exhibit A—helping Bibi Netanyahu slaughter Palestinians. And it would have helped if he’d bailed out sooner. But if the switcheroo works, and keeps Trump out of the White House, much may be forgiven.
The Editor
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He’s Sticking Up for Joe
Dear Editor,
After the huge Biden press conference, I sampled post-mortems to see if any commentator got the real takeaway. Nope.
Biden is mentally fine, even brilliant. But like any citizen well past retirement age, if you challenge his wit after a long working day and after a long work week (like at the first presidential debate), he, like me, will likely not be able to remember his own name.
However, let him get a good night’s sleep and he will slay dragons in the morning. That’s life on planet elderly, Mr. Wise Guy, and you missed it.
Supposedly loving fellow Dems and analysts, long playing nice by sticking with Biden through thick and thin, are showing their real colors. They (you) are sharks, lunging toward any blood in the water to try to advance your own personal interests.
Biden was more lucid and incisive and communicative on important issues than today’s once friendly 40-something and 50-something critics will ever be. Yup, he stumbled on a name, but his critics are stumbling on roadside IEDs in comparison.
I have no horse in this race. I am an independent so I’m merely reporting what a dispassionate voice should have seen.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah
Kimball:
Judging from the way a lot of people reacted—many Democrats included—you’d have thought Biden went through the debate the way Trump went through his recent trial, with his head nodding, then suddenly jerking upright again. And you’re right. It wasn’t that bad.
Consider the context, though, and the demands of the job. Every hour of every day, between now and the election, the press and the Republicans would be hovering like vultures.
In the end, he did the right thing.
The Editor
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The Truth Is Not In Them
To the Editor:
Comments from some New Hampshire officials, engendered by the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump, and as reported in the Boston Globe, are:
Hollie Noveletsky asserts that the nonstop attempt to demonize President Trump and paint him as “Hitler” have been irresponsible and contribute to a society where this violence happens.
And, Russell Prescott faulted Democrats for what he called their “divisive and dangerous language.”
Also, Joseph Kelly Levasseur opined “First they tried to impeach him. Then they tried to jail him. Then they tried to assassinate him. … The mainstream media has blood on its hands.”
[All three are competing as Republicans in the 1st Congressional District primary. – The Ed.]
It is noteworthy that the shooter who wounded Mr. Trump was a registered Republican; the shooter was not a “leftist extremist,” as many have asserted on social media.
If Ms. Noveletsky hasn’t been listening to Mr. Trump’s spoken words and social media posts closely enough, and with the careful consideration of their historical context, then she should do so forthwith. The presidential candidate who has consistently, year after year, advocated, supported, and invited violence, is Mr. Trump.
Has Mr. Prescott not been listening to Mr. Trump’s language? If he had, he would have heard, over and over, Trump’s call to violence and arms to his followers. To blame Democrats for calling Mr. Trump out for his irresponsible, divisive and dangerous language, only furthers the divide and fails to acknowledge its root.
Mr. Levasseur’s assertions fail to recognize that the factual reporting of actual events and filing of legislation and legal charges are an important part of responsible governance. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
Public officials, who are so misguided, are apparently unable to evaluate and judge their surrounding reality, and, instead, clearly operate in their own falsely constructed reality. They are not people we should be electing or should be appointed to public positions. New Hampshire deserves better.
Paul Cully
Dover N.H.
Paul:
Internal cohesion has generally been thought to give political parties an edge against their opponents. This has given Republicans, with their internal “Obey” dials set to 11, a distinct advantage.
Democrats, of course, have done all they can to help Republicans in this regard. As Will Rogers famously said, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.”
To reiterate part of our reply to Mr. Ficor, above, our browbeaten media have been so cowed for so long that our unchastized Republicans seem over the years to have lost the ability to tell truth from lies. Any member of the GOP so unevolved as to insist on truthtelling is mercilessly flung from the bandwagon—preferably under the wheels.
As a result, we fail to see how anyone professing to care for the country can vote for any member of this party of scoundrels.
The Editor
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Don’t Take the Big Yellow Taxi to Despotism
Dear Editor:
Lately the 1970 song “Big Yellow Taxi” has been playing in my head, with the refrain, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone.” I fear that the American voters may not realize what we have til it’s gone after the November election.
The signs all point to a Trump victory and along with it, MAGA control of the House and Senate. With the Supreme Court right wing majority already strongly in place Trump will control all three branches of government and, with that, the elimination of any constitutional checks and balances to control his power. This will pave the way to unleash all the elements of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.
While the destruction of our democratic republic will not happen immediately, it will happen with every new court appointment, every law passed by the MAGA Congress and with every one of Trump’s executive orders. We have already seen part of this agenda unfold with the Trump immunity Court decision and the audition for a future Supreme Court nomination by Judge Cannon in Florida. Who better to replace an aging Clarence Thomas during a second Trump term?
Once all these pieces are in place during Trump’s second term, there will be nothing that can be done to prevent the coming disaster. Our only remaining hope is that the American people appreciate the danger and vote to prevent it in November. Otherwise, it will not take very long to realize that we don’t know what we had til it’s gone.
Rich DiPentima
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
We suspect a lot of people are unwilling to confront what’s right in front of their faces because the consequences seem too horrible to be real.
Clearly, you are not among that lot. To the contrary, you’re doing what you can to wake people up to the danger.
If the nation escapes this moment of peril, you’ll be among those who are owed thanks.
The Editor
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From The Department of Miseducation
To the Editor:
Republicans agree, “It is New Hampshire’s responsibility to provide for an adequate education.” American students face strong competition in today’s world. Offering each student a good, safe educational opportunity leading to a successful future is Republicans’ top priority. Unfortunately, preparing students for success isn’t Democrats’ top priority.
Democrats’ top priority is funding the public school system. Decades of experience show that Democrats don’t care how successful public schools are in preparing American students for successful futures.
Only 53 percent of New Hampshire public school students test at grade level in language skills and only 42 percent test at grade level in Math (https://tinyurl.com/4z9h6ht3). These dismal results don’t bode well for our students’, or our nation’s, futures.
For more than 50 years taxpayers have responded to the public education establishment’s demands for increased funding, new and improvements to buildings, more staff, computers and other equipment, free meals, etc. Yet U.S. public education still declines compared to other first world countries.
Most Republicans went to public schools, we’d be thrilled if our public schools fulfilled their reason for existing; they don’t.
[Deleted: A bunch of yadda yadda yadda about Education Freedom Accounts, a scam to provide subsidies to well-off families sending their offspring to private schools. – The Ed.]
Republicans’ priority is getting students prepared for successful futures. Democrats’ priority is funding the public education system; for that they sacrifice our children’s, and our nation’s, future success.
Don Ewing
Meredith N.H.
Don:
Congratulations on your boldness, starting your letter with an easily refutable falsehood. When it comes to Republicans and edutation, there is no agreement on the state’s responsibility.
Some Republicans say it should be zero, at least for public schools staffed by unionized teachers. Others say no, the state should be generous, at least when the school is in the home of a Republican.
To whatever extent there has been a decades-long trend towards lower achievement in public schools, we’d attribute it to the concurrent right wing effort to destroy teachers unions by defunding public schools.
The Editor
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How Is Our Labor Force a Threat?
To the Editor:
Many people have complained about inflation and immigration. They do not want either, but do not realize stopping the latter leads to the former. Since Covid came in 2020, this country has had huge labor shortages. Employers have had to raise wages to attract workers, then raise prices to afford those increases. Businesses that were paying $10-12 an hour had to increase their wage to $15 or see their employees leave for Amazon or Walmart or even McDonalds.
Meat packing plants which typically rely on immigrant labor have resorted to illegally employing immigrant children. So have construction companies.
Now Donald Trump says he will deport 10 million immigrants and impose 100 percent tariffs if he is elected. Tariffs are a form of sales tax on imported goods. Deporting 10 million people and imposing 100 percent sale taxes on imported goods will bring about inflation like this country has not seen since the oil crisis of the 1970s.
If you still support Trump’s plan, make sure you or your children fill those empty positions at meat packing plants and other jobs employers have been using immigrants to fill them. Sure, the pay is low and there are little to no health or retirement benefits, but it will be your duty in order to make America great again.
Walter Hamilton
Portsmouth N.H.
Walter:
Bingo—you have nailed one of myriad idiotic notions bouncing around in this country which seem to be ineradicable.
Why do such notions persist? We suspect it’s largely because our benevolent national corporate media would find their revenue stream drying up if their reporters were permitted to say, “There. That right there, that Senator X just said? That’s hogwash.”
The Editor
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The Apotheosis of Donald Trump
Dear Editor,
Some say Trump pumping his fist after he was grazed let the audience know he was okay. Others saw the gestures, the extreme facial anger, and the repeating of what appeared to be the word “fight” three times, as not just encouraging support for his candidacy but exploiting the moment to build resentment and perhaps even retaliatory violence. His son Eric wrote, “This is the fighter America needs.”
One politician offered, “First they tried to keep him off the ballot, then they tried to jail him, and now this.” Blame for the event was already being deflected away from the unidentified dead shooter onto the political opposition, the black-hearted demon democrats of the left. Another politician said, “Joe Biden sent the orders.”
His audience got the angry message. One of the attendees said, “Trump is immortal, I will fight for him to the end.” This was clearly an opportunity to elevate Trump from human to super-human. Commentator Martha MacCallum offered, “There are not too many humans that are made that way. Support for him will exponentially increase.” Hannity said, “He’s been through more than most people can take.”
Former Republican leader Newt Gingrich took the failed assassination attempt as an indicator of God’s partisan view of the election. He said, “It was providential” that Trump turned his head at the right moment. Perhaps it was just very lucky.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Wood Cross, Utah
Kimball:
On the ceiling of the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, 180 feet up, is a 4,664 square foot fresco painted in 1865 by Constantino Brumidi. It is called, “The Apotheosis of Washington.”
According to The Google, “Apotheosis, also called divinization or deification, is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The original sense of apotheosis relates to religion and is the subject of many works of art.”
So, there’s your precedent. Now that he’s survived the fiendish assassin’s evil bullet, raised his mighty fist above his bloodied head, and called on Americans to “fight, fight fight” for his election, a position in which he will be unconstrained by any law or court, how could anyone object to re-painting Brumidi’s work, and putting Trump in Washington’s place?
The Editor
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Silence is Complicity
Dear Editor:
Present-day political unrest reminds me of the Spanish cellist, conductor and composer, Pav Casals, known in English by his Spanish name, Pablo Casals. Casals was born in El Vendrell, Spain, December 29th, 1876. He lived in France after 1936, Puerto Rico after 1956, where he died, October 22nd, 1973.
In addition to his “virtuosic” technique and skilled interpretation of music, he was a deep thinker and valued sage in his time. A sampling of his profound beliefs included: “I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” “The first thing to do in life is to do with purpose what one purposes to do.” “We must all work to make the world worthy of its children.” He’s exactly right, America has benefited greatly because a lot was once expected of her children.
Casals captured the attention of Albert Einstein (a scholar in his own right) who had this to offer (circa 1938 during Hitler’s advance across Europe). “It’s certainly unnecessary to await my voice in acclaiming Pablo Casals is a very great artist, since all who are qualified to speak are unanimous on the subject. What I particularly admire in him is the firm stand he has taken, not only against the oppressions of his countrymen, but also against those opportunists who are always ready to compromise with the Devil. He perceives very clearly that the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than those who actually commit it.”
Martin Luther King also recognized the importance and true value of citizen involvement when, 30 years later, he proclaimed: “Our lives begin to end when we remain silent about the things that matter.”
And, corroborated as well, by Nobel laureate Wole Sayinka, quoted in The Cable (Nigeria): “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”
So here we are—2024. A recent and former president became the first U.S. president to refuse to concede an election. He’s also the first to incite an armed attack (a coup d’etat) on his own Capitol, and he is the first to be convicted of a crime (actually 34 crimes) which, in most Western democracies, would be disqualifying in the eyes of voters.
In the United States however, Republicans rally around their twice-impeached convicted felon and unite with their unprincipled role model in attacking judges, prosecutors, virtually anyone attempting to hold #45 accountable. This speaks to the magnitude of the moral and ethical degeneration of the once proud Grand Old Party.
For the core, the heart and soul of the matter; although the former president is unquestionably guilty of crimes and corruption (some things for which he has been tried and convicted others for which he hasn’t and may never be), consider what Albert Einstein observed and so eloquently phrased: “The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm, it is dangerous because of those who watch and do nothing.”
We, as American citizens, must recognize that, by choosing to remain silent on the sidelines and watch, we conspicuously confirm the major accomplice to the crimes and corruption occurring around us is our own indifference.
David L. Snell
Franklin, N.C.
David:
Amen.
The Editor
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Why Not Biden?
Editor,
Why is the media so intent on getting rid of Biden? It’s downright un-American. Many in the Real World support Biden, accept his age, and have gotten used to his stutter and occasional mess-ups. His policies are solid and he makes things happen. Best of all, he finally seems to get that Palestinians have a right to exist too. They have for thousands of years. If Biden were to die or become incapacitated, Harris would step in… a Woman and Person-of-Color! My my, wouldn’t that be great! Aren’t we facing a win-win with Biden-Harris?
Genevieve Harris-Fraser
Orange, Mass.
Genevieve:
Well, it looks like a moot point now.
We hope you’re right about Biden and the Palestinians, though we’ve yet to see much evidence of a change of heart.
In theory a lame duck Biden could act pretty freely—particularly since the Supreme Court ruled that he’s got the power to do whatever the hell he wants. He could call in a drone strike on Trump, for example, or a certain Israeli war criminal.
In practice, of course, he’s constrained by the needs of the Harris campaign. Also, he has the handicap of being basically a decent human being.
Harris’ opponent is an entirely different kettle of lampreys.
The Editor
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Who Needs or Wants These Buildings?
To the Editor:
We need more condos, hotels and office buildings in town! We don’t have enough! Don’t stop building them! Keep them coming!
All kidding aside; Our Community must stop more development, we don’t have unlimited resources (water, electricity, open space, schools, roads, police, fire, etc, etc) to keep all this development being approved !
Our quality of life is threatened. How does the city plan to keep our locals here, our workers, & our seniors?
Where’s the affordable housing ?
Are our city boards and commissions responsible to protect our natural resources, uphold our building ordinances, recommend updating ordinances when necessary?
Let’s always make our quality of life better for our citizens first (who pay taxes and live here, then businesses second, & tourists third.
When our children graduate from school can they afford to stay here? Can our senior population retire here? Can our workers afford to live, commute and park here? What’s the plan to preserve /protect our wildlife?
Are the developers, out of state people moving here, and tourists taking over where we live?
Why new office buildings, new million dollar condos, hotels? We really don’t need any more… there are already too many offices available to rent or buy, yet they keep building new ones! Why?
If we approve any new development let’s make sure they pay a surcharge to invest in and support our infrastructure! & Why build more when we can turn empty buildings into affordable housing , etc., ?
Always keep in the forefront the need for affordable housing, open space, clean water, a water supply that meets our future needs. Less pavement more greenery. It is getting much hotter and the pavements accentuate this .
Prioritize insuring a healthy environment. Let’s put Ordinances in place that limit growth. Our water treatment plants need to be of highest quality to protect our drinking water, rivers, wildlife, & our land resources.
We need less tar and brick, and more trees and foliage.
Let’s support our city employees who do so much: Public Works, Education, Fire and Police. Let’s not overburden them. Put the brakes on growth.
Let’s make sure the city residents have the power to voice their opinions before important decisions are made.
Let’s make sure our city council does not assume they have the right to make the call on issues before hearing public input.
Happy 400th!
Richard A. Smith
Cuzin Richard
Portsmouth, N.H.
Richard:
You ask, why? Money, we’d guess, is the answer.
Were it not for Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration likely would have specified our inalienable rights as “life, liberty, and property.”
A basic assumption in this country has always been that, unless otherwise restrained, the owner of a property can build upon it whatever he or she likes. More often than not, that’s going to be something that’s expected to make money.
It’s not so much the town, as it is the political and economic structure of the country as a whole.
The Editor