To the Editor:
Charlie Kirk, of Turning Point U.S.A., had a byline, “Prove me wrong.” Unfortunately, events appear to have proved him right. Mr. Kirk was killed by gun violence on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a college in Utah.
According to Newsweek, in 2023, Mr. Kirk said, “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights… .”
The premise of Mr. Kirk’s argument is that the Second Amendment must be read such that any restrictions on guns are unconstitutional. Until the end of the last century, the Second Amendment was construed differently.
We, as a nation, are suffering from gun violence daily. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more people, excluding the shooter, are shot. In 2025 there have been 301 mass shootings in the U.S.A. Johns Hopkins reports that in 2020, gun injuries became the leading cause of death for U.S. children aged one to 17, and this trend continued through 2024.
Our sympathies are with Mr. Kirk’s family and friends. However, we need more than thoughts and prayers to avoid deaths and injuries from gun violence. We need common sense gun restrictions to protect our “other God-given rights,” such as our rights to life and happiness. Even if such laws might not have forestalled the tragedy of Mr. Kirk’s death, gun safety laws can save lives.
Lorraine Hansen
Rollinsford, N.H.
Lorraine:
Oh, dear. According to the Republican Manual of Style, by quoting Charlie Kirk’s own words you’ve just celebrated his murder. How rude.
Note for any Republicans reading this paper: The above paragraph is meant to be satirical. Frankly, we fear it doesn’t rise above the level of mere sarcasm, but we’re pressed for time. We’re also a bit too aggravated by your peevish complaints to give much of a damn.
In fact, we are shocked—shocked—at how many rugged, gun-totin’ Republican Americans can so easily get their feewings hurt.
The Editor
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Breathtaking Hypocrisy and Deceit
To the Editor,
The hypocrisy and deceit of the Republican Party is breathtaking. Notice how cleverly they assert that any criticism of this bigot is celebrating his death. Democratic leaders have without exception decried the murder of Charlie Kirk, but we object to those on the right reinventing him as a great American patriot. They compare to Martin Luther King, a bully who spoke with unending malice toward blacks, gay people, Jews, and others. The Republicans honor this man but had nothing to say about a recent school shooting and the assassination of two Democratic representatives in Minnesota. And recall how the likes of Ted Cruz, Kari Lake, and Donald Trump made fun of the attack on Paul Pelosi by some lunatic with a hammer. They know their claim that Democrats are promoting hatred is a lie. Trump’s Justice Department just buried a report which concluded that a solid majority of political violence in this country comes from the right.
Michael Behrendt
Durham, N.H.
Michael:
It is pretty incredible. If this tendency had set in overnight, it would have been front page news: “Linguistic Epidemic: major political party forgets how language works.”
It’s happened gradually, though, over thirty years. It started when the GOP released the memo, “How to Talk Like Newt.” Here’s the tl/dr: act like a grade school pedant, twist the meaning of words inside out, pretend you’re pure as the driven snow while your opponent is satanic, and throw a hissy fit if anyone objects.
Our corporate news media, fearful of losing their precious access, have consistently knuckled under throughout this sorry process. On those rare occasions when they’ve been called to account for their failure to defend plain English, they hide behind the skirts of their supposed neutrality.
The Editor
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Is This a Reading Comprehension Problem?
To the Editor:
As Andru Volinsky’s Substack of September 24, 2025 makes clear (contrasting the N.H. Constitution with that of the state of Maine), those Republican “Free-Staters” and other poorly-informed politicians who do not feel it is the duty of the State of New Hampshire to provide an adequately-funded public education for all N.H. students would benefit from reading Part 2, Article 83 of the N.H. Constitution, to wit:
“Knowledge and learning, generally diffused through a community, being essential to the preservation of a free government; and spreading the opportunities and advantages of education through the various parts of the country, being highly conducive to promote this end; it shall be the duty of the legislators and magistrates, in all future periods of this government, to cherish the interest of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries and public schools, to encourage private and public institutions, rewards, and immunities for the promotion of agriculture, arts, sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry and economy, honesty and punctuality, sincerity, sobriety, and all social affections, and generous sentiments, among the people: Provided, nevertheless, that no money raised by taxation shall ever be granted or applied for the use of the schools of institutions of any religious sect or denomination.” [Emphasis added.]
How smart and insightful those early N.H. peoples were!
How foolish and unwise are those who, in violation of the N.H. Constitution, support the use of N.H. taxpayer funds ($Millions) to support voucher programs (“Education Freedom Accounts”) that fund religious and other academic endeavors with virtually no academic or financial accountability, and without any earned income limit that would exclude such well-off families from taking taxpayer funds!
Herb Moyer
Exeter, N.H.
Herb:
Ah, yes, the dreaded Spawn of Benson. Perhaps after the great success of his Nosferatu, former Lee, N.H. resident Robert Eggers could find the backing for a sci-fi/horror film about their takeover.
For those who may have forgotten, Craig Benson was the first incumbent governor in 78 years to be denied re-election after a single term [2003-2005]. We frequently used to see the Governor’s Humvee lurking around town. On one memorable occasion, we watched it being driven across a sidewalk.
For two decades now, Benson has been New Hampshire Republicans’s version of Voldemort—“he who must not be named.” Then, in January, Governor Ayotte, who had been Benson’s legal counsel, then his Attorney General, took a shot at rehabbing her old boss. On her first day in office she made him chairman of a 15-member Commission on Government Efficiency. We haven’t heard much about that lately—which is probably a good thing.
The Editor
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A Texan’s Screed Dissected
Dear Mr. Fowle,
Several federal judges have created a form of protection for criminal migrants but, meanwhile, they ignored President Trump and the majority of American citizens that had the original purpose of deporting dangerous criminal migrants during the process of I.C.E.
It is believed that most of these judges (which were appointed by Presidents Obama and Biden) are the same judges that produced numerous injunctions for [the] purpose of blocking President Trump’s agendas, but [are] completely silent on the subject of anti-I.C.E. protestors.
Why is it happening in America that these biased judges (mainly, democrats) [sic] are constantly “trying” to control this country and not our president?
They should spend more of their time and effort to work on true and equal justice cases for ordinary American citizens.
Indications show that these unelected judges have exceeded their authority and, thereby, should be removed from their current federal positions.
Ken Senkow
San Antonio, Texas
Ken:
In an effort to make it more comprehensible, we took the liberty of breaking down your diatribe into single-sentence paragraphs. You’re welcome.
Your first sentence crams in two lies about judicial intent, mis-characterizes the law, and conjures up a misinformed presumption about public opinion.
Your second sentence uses the passive voice to assert judicial bias, but fails to provide any supporting evidence.
Your third sentence—an ungrammatical mess, by the way—amounts to nothing more than distraught hand-waving.
Your fourth sentence exposes the typical right winger’s chronic urge to control others.
You wind up by suggesting that all the above actually amounts to something. In our opinion, it does not.
The Editor
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Trump Giving China the Upper Hand
To the Editor;
Innovation is the prime driver of both productivity increases and growth in the economy. Process innovation improves productivity by making organizations more efficient, thereby using fewer resources to manufacture products or deliver services. Consequently, in competitive markets where large corporations do not have excessive bargaining power, wages tend to increase and prices to decrease, increasing the wealth of citizens. Innovation may also be the source of entirely new products or services, creating new demand that stimulates economic growth.
The process of innovation, however, is often misunderstood. Contrary to what some Silicon Valley barons like to claim, innovation is not solely the result of the creative brilliance of entrepreneurs. Rather, it is the result of a long-term, iterative process that builds on prior knowledge that often originates in institutions outside of the business that eventually commercializes an innovation. For example, it is estimated that two-thirds of innovative drugs introduced by Big Pharma can be traced back to research first sponsored by the National Institute of Health. Additionally, innovation is a highly uncertain process, characterized by trial-and-error experimentation that results in more failures than success. The trial-and-error process yields incremental learning necessary for development, but it can take years before commercial success is achieved. The process occurs within an ecology comprised of diverse organizations. Research institutions in universities as well as in government are necessary for the creation of basic knowledge that is the seed corn for all innovation. The financial support of both government agencies and commercial banks is necessary for providing the venture capital that supports the development of innovative ventures in their early stages. The commercialization of creative ideas must take place in both small and large businesses so that game-changing products or processes can be brought into the market. All these organizations are essential components of a network that must work together to ensure that innovation flourishes within the economy.
The U.S. has been the global leader in generating innovation for decades, attracting both venture capital and aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world. Today, that leadership is being challenged. The rate of breakthrough innovations in the U.S. is declining while China has achieved significant technological advances. Chinese manufacturers lead in electric car and solar panel design and manufacturing. They dominate rare earth battery technology, and several U.S. manufacturers are dependent on Chinese battery manufacturers for use in electric cars, energy storage systems, defense and military systems as well as a variety of consumer products. Alarmingly, recent reports show that China has surpassed the U.S. in the number and impact of published scientific research papers, and a global ranking of top research institutions lists eight Chinese institutes in the top ten while only one U.S. university (Harvard) made the list. These are canary in the coal mine statistics since the development of scientific knowledge is the launching pad for future innovations.
China is implementing a national strategy for economic growth based on innovation; meanwhile, the Trump administration is dismantling the American innovation infrastructure. His vengeful and arbitrary attacks on universities have resulted in the cancellation of billions of dollars dedicated to basic research while his chaotic government budget cuts have hamstrung many research projects. We will never know what benefits may have been generated from the cancelled research. Trump’s confused immigration policies have reduced the number of foreign graduate students and professors entering U.S. universities. This cohort has long been a source of creative discovery and entrepreneurship that has boosted the American economy. The President’s capricious intervention in the market, providing benefits to firms that support him while penalizing those that oppose him is nothing more than crony capitalism. Trump has generated a climate of fear and intimidation among corporate leaders that requires their obsequious subjugation to his whims, hardly the condition for starting bold ventures that create innovation.
Robert D. Russell, Ph.D.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Robert:
We are disappointed but hardly surprised to learn that a man who lost money running a casino is now squandering America’s future.
The Editor
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Where the Founders Fell Short
To the editor:
In light of recent high-handed governmental interference—eliminating and/or intimidating persons and/or entities of their rightful and lawful free speech—perhaps certain changes to the First Amendment are now imperative. A proposed version suggested herewith, to wit:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances; or to mock, criticize, needle, parrot, pillory, spoof, parody or lampoon any and all governmental or otherwise notable liars, fabricators, jackasses, boneheads, dim bulbs, dolts or vengeful pompous-ass ex-real-estate schmucks.
Barnabas Umbrage
Portsmouth, N.H.
Barnabas:
The wisdom of this is self-evident. In retrospect, we are deeply disappointed that our sainted Founding Fathers failed to think of this.
The Editor
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In Which We Make AN EXCEPTION!
Dear Editor:
Donald Trump is not a doctor, but he plays one on social media. Recently Trump posted, in all caps, to pregnant women, “DON’T USE TYLENOL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, DON’T GIVE TYLENOL TO YOUR YOUNG CHILD FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON, BREAK UP MMR SHOT INTO THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS (NOT MIXED), TAKE CHICKEN P SHOT SEPARATELY, TAKE HEPATITAS [sic] B SHOT AT 12 YEARS OLD, OR OLDER, AND IMPORTANTLY, TAKE VACCINE IN 5 SEPARATE MEDICAL VISITS.”
There is no legitimate medical scientific evidence to support any of Trump’s recommendations, in fact they have some serious risks associated with them. Where to begin?
First, Trump’s advice regarding Tylenol fails to mention that Tylenol is simply one brand of the generic drug acetaminophen. Accordingly, he should have used the generic term to cover all brands containing acetaminophen if this was a real concern. Secondly, acetaminophen is used to reduce fever in young children. If Trump’s recommendation not to give it to young children “for virtually any reason” is followed, some parents may use aspirin to reduce fever as an alternative. This can be very dangerous since giving aspirin to children with fever caused by some viral infections can cause a potentially fatal case of Reye’s syndrome.
With regard to taking the MMR and Chicken Pox vaccine separately, these recommendations also come with risks, increased costs, inconvenience, and lack any supported medical evidence. And Trump seems not to know that children at 2, 4, and 6 months routinely receive a polio immunization and a combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP). I guess he is unaware of this combined vaccine schedule. Taking the MMR and chicken pox vaccine separately in five medical visits would extend the period of time a child is at risk of contracting one of these diseases and would add significant costs to cover unnecessary extra medical visits and cause more unnecessary inconvenience.
Trump’s recommendations lack any immunological or other medical evidence to support them. Hopefully parents and pregnant women will take their medical advice from their trained and experienced health care providers.
Rich DiPentima, RN, MPH
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
We have long had an aversion to publishing long blocks of text composed of upper case letters. The result is, in our view, ugly. In this case we make an exception, because we’re living in ugly times.
The Editor
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Only The People Can Fix America Today
To the Editor:
America’s two grand political parties and their voluminous constituencies have lost the ability to discern between right and wrong. For one of the parties, white is right, and brown is wrong. Republicans are worried sick about the “great replacement” phenomenon, where Hispanics will surpass whites in population in America in maybe 10 years if mass deportations are not expedited like crazy. As far as the other party, imperialist war is right and peace is wrong. Democrat presidents provoked or championed the Mexican-American War of 1846 where we picked up our West Coast states, the Spanish-American War of 1898 where we got a bunch of islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific, World War I and World War II where we planted 800 military bases in 100 countries across the globe, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the War on Gaza, for starters.
Government at the highest levels today is deeply corrupt and subversive of our foundational laws and values. Its everyday domestic goal is to sow chaos and despair on both national and state levels so that the electorate will exercise desperate and total faith in a leader who says he is the only one who can harvest what he has sowed. Government exports all this corruption out to the world by various means like speeches at the United Nations and by world leaders receiving “You are summoned to the Oval Office” notices to be lectured on the mandates of the Very Newest New American World Order.
Corporations are given over to misleading or false advertising. Monopoly, perpetuation of outrageously high consumer interest rates, and regressive taxation are their holy trinity. Over a hundred years ago, the largely clandestine and soft-shoe activities of the Robber Barons were defeated by a coalition of both political parties. But today leaders of both parties protect a permanent class of aristocrats, plutocrats, and oligarchs operating proudly out in the open.
Churches have been plodding along for a thousand years on faulty notions of ancient science and ancient spiritual matters, which were originally much more rational and much less mysterious than today’s doctrines. Conservative churches today go overboard on trying to overpower the secular world with Christian nationalism, while liberal churches act like tiny church mouses with their focus on behind-the-scenes volunteering at food pantries and marching in pride parades, not believing even for a minute that Jesus ever took a stand on the testy political issues of his own day.
Schools and universities have no idea what the priority is for curriculum in a democratic republic. The whole purpose of literacy in the days of the Founding Fathers and Mothers was to enable school children to read and study the constitutions and histories of democratic nations so the fabulous new American republic could last maybe 500 years like the one in ancient Rome did. Instead, Americans have opted to go flaming out after only 250 years, like the Hebrew Republic did when it ignored Samuel’s warning and opted for the despotic rule of King Saul.
Science has become politicized and is marshalled into the service of hurting people rather than helping them. Public health, once the linchpin of democracy in Athens, Rome, and biblical Israel, has now devolved into a tool used by the rich to impale and subjugate the poor so they have no strength to stand up against the ruling 1 percent class. Politics in electioneering has devolved into manipulation of electoral districts by gerrymandering, disappearing of election day ballot submission options, and outright force like the January 6th insurrection in the nation’s capital, rather than the much more familiar rational persuasion and intellectual reputation of the candidate.
American sports, entertainment, and news culture today is largely destructive, benefitting our filthy rich class rather than the mass audience. Once known to be immoral, unethical, and destructive of the social fabric of a democracy, today casino gambling and sports gambling, pornography, celebrity worship of studs and starlets, never-ending dull, sophomoric and anti-democratic Hollywood movies, daytime and primetime TV shows and streaming options, and newscasts focused on sensationalist videos about airport near plane wrecks, shark attacks, and other slop, fill American brains with toxic pablum that sits there taking the place of anything serious and sophisticated that might pass by their eyes and ears.
Anybody willing to get to work fixing this mess today? If not, see you in the hell of our own making, neighbor.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah
Kimball:
Gee, when you put it that way, things seem kinda bleak!
It seems to us that your diagnosis fails to properly assign… what shall we call it? Power? Agency?
Hunter S. Thompson famously wrote, “Politics is the art of controlling your environment.” Your average American has about as much capacity to control his or her environment as a lab rat. Meanwhile, those who do have power, thanks to a half-century of tax cuts, lavishly fund think tanks whose Prime Directive is to generate new ways to set the rest of us at each others’ throats, so as to keep us too busy to gang up on them.
Having spent decades trying, we can assure you that no matter how limited our success, trying to exert some small measure of control over our information environment goes a long way towards making life—even under these circumstances—far more tolerable.
The Editor
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Republicans: Now The Party Of Death
To the Editor:
Halloween is upon us, and the Republican Party is dressing up as the Grim Reaper. They’re trick or treating as the “Party of Death.”
Trump appointed RFK Jr., a crank with zero medical or scientific expertise, as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has fired hundreds of doctors, medical researchers, and scientists. He rails against vaccines and proposes outlandish and fully debunked connections (autism and vaccines). Meanwhile, he rejects vaccinations, which have saved 154 million lives just since 1974.
The Party of Death has siphoned off hundreds of billions of dollars from medicaid and medicare, they have increased premiums on the affordable care act, and will force hundreds of hospitals, particularly in rural areas, to close. They gutted cancer research. And, the reason for this desperate need to “save” money: to provide multi trillion dollar tax breaks to the wealthiest families in the U.S.
At the same time, the Party of Death is stopping subsidies and research for renewable energy, promoting coal use and drilling for oil in national parks. All of this reduces the health of Americans significantly. U.S. coal burning puts 524 tons of mercury into the atmosphere annually.
Of course all this fossil fuel activity is feeding global climate warming, which leads to massive hurricanes, floods, vast wildfires, drought, super hot summers, increased tornadoes, and thousands of deaths—all things climate scientists predicted years ago but the Party of Death rejected.
Michael Frandzel
Portsmouth, N.H.
Michael:
Ben Franklin—who almost certainly stopped by our premises when he visited Portsmouth in 1763—wrote to a friend, late in life, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes!”
Republicans, who have never been fond of our favorite old rogue, are now making us all suffer in their effort to dodge both.
The Editor