To the Editor;
On November 11, 2024, we celebrate the 106th anniversary of the signing of the World War I armistice that ceased hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect on the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. With this ceasefire, nations still recovering from the dreadful nightmare of WW I, one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, collectively embraced peace as a universal principle and called for an end to all wars.
Thus it was that Armistice Day was initially designated as “a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated.” But in 1954, during the Cold War, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that changed “Armistice Day” to Veterans Day. Stripped of its original intention, November 11th became a day identified with war instead of peace—a day for remembering yet more war dead, honoring all veterans, and glorifying militarism.
Veterans for Peace believes that a day that celebrates peace, not war, is the best way to honor the sacrifices of those who have served in war. We know the destruction war has caused and continues to cause, and we understand its senseless futility.
In reclaiming November 11th as Armistice Day, we call for an end to armed conflict and recommit ourselves to the hard work of building real and lasting peace.
Will Thomas
N.H. Veterans for Peace
Manchester, N.H.
Will:
It seems to us that the odds of success for this radical reframing fall somewhere between slim and none. Militarists—all of the Republicans, and half of the Democrats—are sure to oppose it. The proponents would be limited to those who know the cost of war, and are willing to row upstream.
Sign us up anyway. Just because you probably won’t succeed is no reason not to try.
The Editor
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Ayotte Backs a Fascist
Dear Editor:
“He is the most dangerous person ever. I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country…a fascist to the core.”
These words regarding Trump are from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Mark Milley, who was appointed by and served under Trump. It is almost impossible to believe that even with this five alarm warning of the danger presented by Trump, he still has a very good chance of being elected. What is also impossible to digest is that people like Kelly Ayotte place their own personal political ambitions above the nation by continuing to support Trump. This clearly demonstrates that Kelly Ayotte totally lacks any courage, character, and patriotism.
When the former chairman of the JCS tells you that your party’s nominee for President “Is now the most dangerous person in this country… a fascist to the core,” and you choose to ignore this warning you demonstrate that you are no better than Trump himself. This is the kind of despicable cowardice that will lead to the destruction of our democracy and Kelly Ayotte will share the responsibility for this disaster. As George Orwell wrote in his book 1984, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final and most essential command.” Orwell was off by 40 years, but his fiction has become a frightening reality in 2024.
Rich DiPentima, LTC, USAF, (Ret.)
Portsmouth, N.H. 03801
Rich:
There once was a time when Republicans backed the military, come hell, high water, or morally-depraved mission. Now many former members of the top brass are begging Republicans to wake the bleep up. Their unprecedented pleas fall on deaf ears.
It cannot be said too many times: the Republican party, by backing the Trump cult, has forfeited its place among legitimate political institutions.
The Editor
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Legacy Admissions at Harvard
To the Editor:
Harvard’s legacy admissions policy is an outdated practice undermining the meritocracy it claims to uphold. By favoring children of alumni, Harvard perpetuates an inequality rooted in early 20th-century biases, one favoring wealthy white families, while excluding immigrants, Jews, and minorities. Today, legacies make up 14 percent of each class, with a staggering 33 percent acceptance rate, compared to under five percent for all applicants.
Proponents argue that legacy admissions enhances alumni ties and donations. However, with a $53 billion endowment, Harvard need not rely on legacies to achieve financial stability. Other prestigious institutions like MIT, Caltech, and Johns Hopkins have thrived after eliminating legacy admissions, demonstrating that merit [may successfully] be prioritized over family connections.
Legacy admissions also hinder diversity. Despite efforts to increase racial and socioeconomic representation, this policy predominantly benefits affluent white students, perpetuating a cycle of privilege contradicting Harvard’s mission of broadening access.
Eliminating legacy admissions would create opportunities for underrepresented students, while restoring public trust in elite universities. By ending this practice, Harvard could lead by example, reaffirming its commitment to fairness, transparency, and a merit-based admissions process.
In today’s context, fairness is essential. Harvard must choose between maintaining privilege or embracing a more equitable future. Ending legacy admissions is a vital step toward inclusivity and a true meritocracy.
John B. Hoffman
New York, N.Y.
John:
Pardon us if we find it hilarious that Harvard admissions are being discussed in this paper. As the old saying goes, though, even a cat may look at a king. What’s more, if we follow our lineage all the way back, there is a direct connection. Our Founder, Daniel Fowle (1715–1787), had an older brother who attended Harvard. We can’t find our extract from Sibley’s Harvard Graduates, so we’ll have to make do with some notes taken from Descendants of George Fowle.
John Fowle graduated from Harvard in 1732, after paying a ten shilling fine for playing at cards. In 1735 he took a master’s degree in divinity. Nine years later, the Church of Christ in Hingham dismissed him “because of mental derangement.” After obtaining a priesthood from the Church of England, he returned to New England as a missionary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Sadly, “carelessness with finances made his position there untenable; he was dismissed by S.P.G. in 1756 [the year of our founding] for having sold the mission library and pocketing the proceeds.” After a spell in Portsmouth, working as a scrivener, he returned to Boston, where he died in debtor’s prison.
Around the time John died, in 1764, his son Robert Luist Fowle, formerly apprenticed to Daniel, became his uncle’s partner. The nine-year relationship was fractious. Daniel set Robert up in Exeter, perhaps to be rid of him. Robert got a contract to print currency for the rebellious government. Robert counterfeited extra, in order to devalue it. Caught, he ratted out his co-conspirators, then “took leg bail,” taking off for Tory protection.
What does this tell us about legacy admissions at Harvard? Nothing, perhaps. We just love writing about these guys. If we had more room we’d squeeze in something about Daniel’s younger brother, Zechariah—another piece of work.
The Editor
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Trump’s Economics are Totally Bogus
To the Editor:
In 2018 President Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on imported steel. He promised it would bring back jobs and help U.S. companies. It did the opposite. The higher prices for steel forced the auto companies and other steel users to reduce their demand. U.S. Steel had planned to invest $600 million in its Great Lake Works plant, the loss of orders caused it to close the plant instead, costing 1,250 jobs.
When Trump first imposed tariffs on China, it began buying soybeans, cotton and sorghum from other countries instead of here. The loss to farmers led to a $23 billion taxpayer funded bailout. His other tariffs caused Europe and five other major trading partners to implement retaliatory tariffs affecting $27 billion of U.S. agricultural sales to the world. Other parts of our economy were affected. Whiskey exports to the European Union (EU) dropped by 41 percent. Europe imposed a 15 percent tariff on Boeing airplanes.
Trump promised his tariffs would bring back jobs to the U.S. Instead, they lost over 245,000 jobs.
After Biden was elected the EU suspended those tariffs on the U.S., but you can be sure they will bring them back and impose harsher ones if Trump imposes tariffs again. So will China and our other trading partners. Because Trump has promised to impose tariffs on all imported goods you can be certain the world is planning to hit us where it hurts us most.
Finally, Trump’s tariffs are a hidden sales tax you pay on those imported goods. He says he will use the money to give more tax cuts to the rich. If you think the rich need more of your money, vote for Trump. If you don’t and want to keep your job, vote for Democrats.
Walter Hamilton
Portsmouth, N.H.
Walter:
Thank you for standing up for tradition. By that, we mean presenting a fact-based, logical argument which lays out clearly some of the contradictions and gaping holes in one party’s platform. This classical style of rhetoric has been losing ground ever since the gold-plated escalator cursed us with a diabolus ex machina.
We are now inundated—nay, engulfed—by a new style, modeled on professional wrestling. The Founding Fathers would flip their wigs.
The Editor
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On Not Knowing the Meaning of Patriotism
Dear Editor:
Trump supporters haven’t the foggiest about threats to our democracy as Trump says what he’ll do. He wants to be a dictator. That’s not just bad-ass ambition. With “liking” Putin for a friend, and Hungary’s dictator Orban, and not valuing laws, or law-making, ideally representing the people’s needs, Trump is a threat never to let into our Oval Office again.
A New York Times article (October 23rd) recalls Russian dissident Alexsei Navalny’s criticism of dictator Putin, when Navalny was a presidential candidate challenging Putin. First Putin tried poisoning Navalny, who then was saved by German hospital care. Upon Navalny’s return to Russia, Putin had him arrested. Isn’t this what Trump as President wants for his opposition? He says so. Navalny died at age 47, undernourished and without needed medical attention, in an Arctic penal colony. Trump, likewise, would love to lock up any who disagrees with him.
Navalny’s widow, Yulia, continues her husband’s work, and now has had his memoir published, titled Patriot. Ironically, Trump followers think of themselves as patriots. Alexsei Navalny, in contrast, really was one, against tyranny and a despot’s using power for his own advancement, any rules or laws in his way just trodden over.
Lynn Rudmin Chong
Sanbornton, N.H.
Lynn:
Defining patriotism is fairly easy. Being patriotic, on the other hand, sometimes carries consequences.
Today’s Republicans have opted for the easy way out: they are all postmodernists now. Their patriotism is whatever they say it is. If that also brings them wealth and power, they must have deserved it.
The Editor
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Local GOP Chair Courts Disaster
Dear Editor:
In a recent column in Seacoastonline, [Alan Forbes, chairman of the Portsmouth Republicans] lists four existential threats to America that “only one candidate who even has a plan to address them.” Well, if facts matter, that candidate would not be Trump.
His four existential threats are the national debt, World War 3, our poisoned food supply, and open borders.
Let’s review some facts when we consider who would actually address these problems in a responsible manner.
National debt: Trump raised the national debt by $8.4 trillion (The Hill, January 24, 2024)Trump’s budgets raised the deficit by $779 billion in 2018, and $984 billion in 2019, both coming before the COVID-19 Pandemic. The deficit rose by more than $1 trillion in 2020, the Pandemic’s first year. During Trump’s four years in office, America lost 2.7 million jobs, while in the first 42 months the Biden Administration has added 15.8 million jobs. (Forbes, August 16, 2024)
World War 3: Trump would end the war in Ukraine by ending all American support to Ukraine, destroying NATO, and allowing Putin to take over Ukraine. This would give licence to Putin to do as Trump stated, “Anything the hell he wants,” including invading other neighbors in the future with no fear of American opposition. This will set the stage for a larger war in Europe with America on the wrong side.
Our poisoned food supply that somehow will be fixed by Robert Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Kennedy has no expertise in science, food production or public health. However, Mr. Trump would actually make our food supply even more compromised by his plan to end most regulations on the food industry, destroy the EPA, the FDA and other agencies that actually protect our food and drug supply.
Open borders. President Trump did nothing significant to actually address our immigration policies and laws. When the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform and border protection bill, Trump was the one who made sure that the bill would be killed by Republicans in the House of Representatives, so as to not give Biden a victory.
Of course Mr. Forbes, while admitting that Trump is crass, speaks without considering the consequences, and has unorthodox diplomacy, never addressed issues such as the rule of law, Mr. Trump’s felony conviction and other pending indictments including violations of the Espionage Act, his serious mental health decline, his threat to democracy as pointed out by former Generals Milley and Kelly who worked under Trump, his praising of Hitler and saying he needed generals like Hitler, his promise to be a dictator “on day one,” his promise to use the DOJ and FBI to go after people who opposed him and the free press, and the list of his fascist tendencies goes on.
These are the reasons that a vote for Trump, despite his imperfections, would be a disaster for America and the world.
Rich DiPentima, LTC, USAF, (Ret.)
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
We have long been baffled by the purported logic of Forbes’ columns in the hollowed-out husk of what was once the Award-Winning Local Daily. Stimulated by your letter, we believe we may have solved the mystery. As the local chairman, he must toe the party line—a challenge when your party has lost its mind. Obliged to write apologias defending insane positions, it is no wonder that they don’t make sense. And yet, somehow, the work must be done.
Here’s our working hypothesis: being smarter than his columns suggest, he outsources the task of writing them over to ChatGPT. The work gets done by unpaid labor and the result makes no sense: it’s got Republican written all over it.
The Editor
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Trump’s Contempt for the Fallen
To the Editor:
My father was career army. So was his father. He served in Korea and Vietnam. If he had died in either, Trump would have called him a sucker and a loser as he called those buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Anyone who has such contempt for those in uniform has no right to be their Commander-in-Chief. Anyone who says he might use our soldiers to go after U.S. citizens he doesn’t like has no right to be president either.
If you think our men and women in uniform deserve our respect and gratitude, make sure Donald Trump is defeated this November.
Walter Hamilton
Portsmouth, N.H.
Walter:
You are absolutely right, of course. By his actions on January 6th, 2021 alone, the person to whom you refer has forfeited any right to be president and to further sully the White House. That is not to say, however, that the scurrilous individual in question does not deserve to be housed and fed at public expense—and the sooner this can be arranged, the better.
Due to budget constraints, caused primarily by Republican tax cuts and an inflated Pentagon budget, we would recommend certain economies. Since Secret Service protection is notoriously expensive—just look at the sums squandered at Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, and various other cheesy Trump-branded venues—an inherently secure location seems advisable. We therefore suggest the Federal Correctional Institution at Leavenworth, Kansas. The Bureau of Prisons is quite capable, we’re sure, of protecting the former Miscreant-in-Chief on the cheap.
He deserves no more.
The Editor
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Facts Matter
Editor,
Zionist forces took Palestinian land by force in 1947-48, massacring villages and forcing nearly three-quarters of a million Indigenous Palestinians out of their homes and off their lands to create the Western Power-backed state of Israel. For the most part, White Caucasian Ashkenazi Jews hold the seats of power within the state of Israel and are committed to the Zionist colonial project.
According to my grandmother, my great-grandfather, John Henry Maag, was a member of the Jewish Intelligenzia as a graduate student at the University of Leipzig in Germany when Zionism was a hot topic. Great-grandfather Maag was vehemently opposed to the project, believing that the vast cultural and racial differences and dispossession of these native people of their rightful home would inflame the Middle East and make it a tinderbox for endless wars.
Being Jewish may make you culturally Semitic, but not necessarily of Semite genetic origin. There are Semite Jews who still live in Palestine. Palestinians are Middle Eastern Arabic Semites. To be Jewish is to be a member of a respected, ancient religion. It does not automatically guarantee you are genetically linked to the ancient Israelites, as many Zionists claim. However, the Samaritan Jews in Nablus, Palestine are. An analogy can be made to the genetic descent of Roman Catholics. To be a Roman Catholic does not mean your ancestors once lived in Italy, though many Italians may be Roman Catholics.
PS—For reference to the Ashkenazi origins, read Arthur Koestler’s The Thirteenth Tribe.
Genevieve Harris-Fraser
Orange, Mass.
Genevieve:
A quick bit of Googling turns up some rather sharp criticism of Koestler’s Thirteenth Tribe, but that’s neither here nor there. Whatever the merits of that particular work, your great-grandpa had a valid point.
However, after millennia of abuse, culminating in an unspeakable 20th century, there can be no doubt that the Jewish people also deserve to live unmolested.
We are baffled, though, how they expect to attain that end by subjecting Palestinians to an apartheid regime, enforced by genocide.
The Editor
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Don’t Hold Back
Dear Editor,
[Note: Mr. Joffe appears intentional in his habit of declining to capitalize the last name of our 45th President. Though this clashes with our in-house editorial style, in the spirit of anarchy we honor his act of disrespect. – The Ed.]
Some people say they won’t vote for trump, but aren’t sure about Kamala. To those I’d advise that trump and his anti-democratic ambitions must be soundly defeated, not by a few percentage points, but by a tsunami. If persecuting “the enemy within” becomes government policy, spies will put names onto lists, people will begin to disappear; neighbors will distrust neighbors; everyone will be afraid to speak their opinions aloud.
Our freedoms cannot be yielded to a dictator, not even for one day; that day could last a very, very long time. Over 700 former national security and White House officials who have seen trump operate up close, have signed letters saying not only that trump is unfit for office, but that they support Harris for President. This is not the time for tepid reserve of not voting; active support of the Democrat is necessary to stop this anti-democracy threat.
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont, Calif.
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Ayotte and Sununu Ignore Dire Warnings
Dear Editor:
On the heels of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Gen. Mark Milley’s comments of Trump being “The most dangerous person in the country,” and the letter signed by 741 former generals, admirals, senior NCOs and national security experts from all parts of the political spectrum, we now read the comments by former Trump Chief of Staff retired four star Marine General John Kelly in a interview with the New York Times last week. Gen. Kelly stated, “In his opinion, Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator if allowed, and had no understanding of the Constitution or the concept of rule of law.”
Despite these warnings from all these patriots, our current Governor and possible future candidate for higher office and Kelly Ayotte the current Republican candidate for Governor still support Donald Trump for President. In fact, in an interview on CNN last week, Sununu stated that the news that Trump praised Hitler will not affect his support. “If we can get a Republican mindset out of Washington,” he said, “we need that culture change.” Sununu puts party and ideology over the nation no matter the costs. How Sununu and Ayotte can continue to ignore all these warnings and put the future of their country at grave risk should disqualify them from ever holding any public office. Their placing their own political aspirations and loyalty to their party over their country is disgraceful and unpatriotic. They dishonor the memory and sacrifice of thousands who have shed their blood to prevent the consequences of allowing a man like Trump to destroy our nation. Hopefully New Hampshire voters will hold them accountable for their complicit betrayal of our nation, but in any event, history certainly will.
Rich DiPentima, LTC, USAF, (Ret.)
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
We should be used to it by now, but it’s still a shock: individual Republicans, and their party, have pledged their allegiance to a lying, bankrupt draft-dodger who has openly expressed his contempt for men and women who have given their lives for their country.
Failing that litmus test ought to be the end of anyone’s political career.
The Editor
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How Ayotte Will Jack Up Your Taxes
To the Editor:
Under Gov. Chris Sununu, taxes for the rich were cut causing your property taxes to go up. Kelly Ayotte is promising to go further.
Consider the state interest and dividends tax, which the GOP voted to eliminate. You had to receive $2,400 in interest and dividends to pay any tax. For those over 65 it was $3,600. At a time when banks were paying less than one percent on a savings account, that meant you needed an account over $240,000, or $100,000 in a stock paying a 2.4 percent dividend.
Cutting those taxes meant less revenue for the state, resulting in less support for towns, less money for schools, less roads and bridges repaired and higher property taxes for you.
Kelly Ayotte wants to give school vouchers to millionaires. Today, families at 350 percent of the poverty line can get school vouchers. Kelly Ayotte said she wants millionaires like her to be eligible too.
Tax giveaways to the rich have to be paid for by you. If you think paying higher taxes to help the rich get richer is good, vote for Kelly Ayotte and a GOP legislature. If not, vote for Joyce Craig and a Democratic legislature.
Walter Hamilton
Portsmouth, N.H.
Walter:
Reading this was a painful experience. It’s not your fault. You think and write quite clearly. The pain stems from the jarring contrast between your letter and the public discourse, where lies, obfuscation, and misdirection prevail.
The Editor
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Projecting His Own Rottenness
Dear Editor,
We’ve seen trump project his own bad qualities onto others, hundreds of times.
He says “the election was rigged” because he tried rigging it, by asking Georgia’s election official to “find me 11,780 votes.”
He calls rivals “liars,” while telling over 30,000 lies himself.
He calls President Biden “corrupt,” while accepting bribe money from people renting his hotel rooms and never occupying them.
He calls fallen soldiers “losers,” yet he’s the loser who can’t admit he lost the election.
He calls political opponents “crazy,” while extolling virtues of fictional characters (Hannibal Lector) and a famed golfer’s genitals.
He calls Kamala “a danger to America,” while giving scarce Covid testing equipment to Putin, threatening to exit NATO, and planning to fire military officers who don’t promise loyalty to him over our Constitution.
He calls opponents of his despotic ambition “the enemy within,” while that Nazi phrase applies exactly to him.
Bruce Joffe
Piedmont, Calif.
Bruce:
No matter how hard his worshippers work to emulate this trait, he’ll forever be the master.
The Editor
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Vote to Support Offshore Wind Energy
To the Editor:
Residents of New England have a once in a lifetime opportunity to install a renewable, clean and price stable energy resource that would provide 13 times the electricity of the Seabrook nuclear plant. The federal agency BOEM (Bureau of Offshore Energy Management) is now requesting bids for leases in the Gulf of Maine to install Offshore Wind turbines. BOEM previously has been involved in a 5-year process to consult with stakeholders regarding environmental and economic impacts and is now engaged in the leasing process.
And yet some N.H. politicians are trying to stop it. Kelly Ayotte, who is running for governor said that she supports “all of the above” energy sources, except Offshore Wind.
Could it be because this resource is not a fossil fuel? And Pat Abrami, a candidate for state senate says that he does not believe that climate change is being impacted by human activities.
But, for renewable energy sources to provide maximum values, the challenge of being able to store energy when it is generated, regardless of when it is needed, must be addressed.
In many countries of the world, e.g. Japan, Australia and the European Union, this challenge is being taken seriously. Besides energy storage using batteries, they are investing in promising newer technology that allows energy to be stored in the form of compressed hydrogen gas.
Please support only politicians who are planning for an energy future that is renewable, clean and avoids volatile energy prices (as often happens during the winter).
Kent Howard, Dover
Peter Somssich, Portsmouth
Hydrogen Advocates of N.H.
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Trump’s Threats Are Real
To the Editor,
Donald Trump has sounded increasingly unhinged in recent days and months, so it is tempting, perhaps, to discount the threat he poses to our freedoms as Americans. But history can guide us, as past wannabe dictators, like Trump, both publicized and followed through on their plans to impose dictatorship. The family of a friend of mine barely made it out of Nazi Germany because they thought Hitler was a deeply unserious buffoon who was making empty threats. They were wrong, and quite a few of them paid for that with their lives. The lesson is clear: Take Trump’s open threats seriously.
Trump’s threats are dangerous. He says he wants to be dictator on day one, and as president, cozied up to dictators hostile to America at the expense of our national security. He says Russia can do “whatever the hell they want” to our fellow NATO democracies. He wants to pack the leadership of federal agencies with thousands of unqualified loyalists (his 2020 “Schedule F”), and then use the Dept. of Justice and the FBI to persecute and jail his political “enemies.” Using fascist language, he vilifies those who criticize him as “thugs,” “vermin,” and “the enemy within.” He proposed executing Gen. Mark Milley, who led the U.S. military under him. He wants to use the National Guard and the military against Americans who protest. He wants to “terminate the Constitution.” He promises violent dictatorship.
To preserve our freedoms in America, please join me in voting for Harris-Walz and Democrats.
Herb Moyer
Exeter, N.H.
Herb:
You may count on us.
The Editor