To the Editor:
When protests broke out in Iran, President Trump warned the Iranian government against harming the protesters. He stated the United States was locked and loaded. The protesters believed him. Iran’s government did not. They shot and killed thousands of protesters. Trump did nothing.
A month later Trump sent an aircraft carrier to the gulf. It isn’t because of Iran killing protesters. He says it is because of Iran’s nuclear program. A program Trump claimed to have completely destroyed.
Our allies in the gulf don’t want to be collateral damage if Trump does attack Iran. They have banned us from attacking Iran from our air bases in their countries as well as using their air space.
Trump also loses interest as soon as things stop going his way. He then does something to divert people’s attention. Attacking Iran may be a diversion from the Epstein files and his mishandling of the economy. If our military begins taking casualties, nothing he can do will divert the country’s attention from that.
Walter Hamilton
Portsmouth, N.H.
Walter:
This letter came in more than a week ago. As time passed it has become more relevant, not less. Three days into the war as we write, there appears to be disagreement between the White House and the Pentagon about why we’re in an illegal, undeclared war with Iran.
The Editor
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Without Justice, There Is No Peace
To the Editor:
I recently watched the haunting docudrama “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The film takes place in January, 2024, inside a Palestinian Red Crescent emergency call center and uses recordings of Hind’s actual voice as the five-year-old in Gaza pleads for help from a car in which she is surrounded by her dead relatives.
Hind’s body was later found in the car, reportedly riddled with 335 bullets, believed to have been fired by Israeli forces. The ambulance sent to rescue her was destroyed, killing both paramedics.
Through Hind’s conversations with dispatchers, we learn that the name of her school was “The Happy Child,” and in preschool she was in “The Butterfly Class.” Her mother recalls that Hind loved playing in the sand and ocean, and we see home video of her joyfully doing so.
Strikingly, during pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, activists occupied Hamilton Hall, renaming it “Hind’s Hall” in her honor.
President Trump’s inaugural meeting of his “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza. At the meeting, Trump emphasized that the parents who received the remains of the last Israeli hostage “wanted that dead body as much as if he were alive… . There was great sadness, but there was great joy too.”
But in June, 2024, the organization Save the Children estimated that over 20,000 Gazan children were missing—lost to their families, detained, or buried beneath the rubble or in unmarked mass graves.
Trump also asserted that “the war in Gaza is over… . What we’re doing is very simple: Peace.”
Yet the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem contends that since the “ceasefire” started on October 10, 2025, the Israeli army has killed at least 609 people in Gaza, including at least 100 children.
Kaouther Ben Hania is the director of “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” At the Cinema for Peace gala in Berlin, Germany on February 16, Ben Hania noted that Hind’s killing is not an exception, and she refused an award insisting that “peace is not a perfume sprayed over violence so power can feel refined, and can feel comfortable… . If we speak about peace, we must speak about justice. Justice means accountability.”
As world leaders invoke peace in name, Hind’s story demands that we ask what peace without justice truly means.
Ben Hania’s words remind us that peace without accountability is not reconciliation—it is denial.
Terry Hansen
Grafton, Wisconsin
Terry:
Your letter demonstrates why a massive, ongoing campaign to cast Palestinians as “others” has been so critically important. Without proper guidance, the world at large might begin to perceive Palestinians as human beings, much like themselves. Bibi Netanyahu’s plans for a Greater Israel might falter. Mike Huckabee might expire of old age, without getting to witness Armageddon!
The Editor
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Warning From an Epidemiologist
Dear sir:
I read with great interest and serious concern the article in the Union Leader, “Ancient Microbes survived ice age, and a N.H. lab is seeking their secrets.” Why am I concerned about this information? We already have concerns about pathogens being released accidently from the melting permafrost as a result of climate change.
As a former public health official, I can assure the reader that these ancient microbes are serious potential threats to public health and require the utmost of protections. Previous research has been done on the bodies of victims of the “Spanish flu,” buried in the permafrost, identifying that virus’s genome so as to prepare for a similar virus emerging. The article states, about the microbes being unearthed, “Many are species that science has never seen before. These scientists are pulling entirely unknown life forms out of ice that have been frozen since the last ice age-and bringing them back to the lab. So far, 52 percent of the bacteria researchers have encountered in permafrost tunnel samples have been new species.”
Among these “unknown life forms” could be viruses and other pathogens that humans have never been exposed to before or some that no human currently living has ever been exposed to before. This means that no humans would have any immunity to these pathogens. If they were released into the environment there is a possibility of their being easily transmitted from person-to-person through the air. The consequences would be catastrophic. Humanity would have no immunological defenses, no vaccines, nor any treatments available to combat these pathogens. The result would be a pandemic that could rival the 1918 “Spanish Flu” or even much worse.
While the article makes no mention of the biosafety precautions being taken by the Army’s lab in Hanover, I would hope that it would be a level 4 lab with the strictest controls to prevent a leak. After all, we have some suspicion that the COVID 19 virus might have been accidently released from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. We cannot allow that to happen with a laboratory in New Hampshire or anywhere else. I think we need to be assured that this laboratory is taking every possible precaution to protect the population.
Rich DiPentima, RN, MPH, Former Chief, Communicable Disease Epidemiology, N.H. Division of Public Health Services
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
Yikes! After reading this, we felt the urge to order a hazmat suit.
The Editor
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The Tax Man Flim-Flam
To the editors:
As I listened to the president’s State of the Union address last night, I found it disturbing that he repeated his claim that Social Security is not taxed. The president had repeated this many times in many situations while the media has spottily reported that only the first $6,000 would be untaxed, and I had to have my taxes done by a professional to be sure I didn’t try to “save” too much. Having already filed my 2025 taxes, I know first-hand that only the first $6,000 of Social Security income is untaxed. AND that what you save by this “tax break” is factored by your tax rate. The higher your tax rate, the more you save as a result. For example: if your tax rate for 2025 is 12 percent, you save $720 by this tax break, but if you are a lower income recipient and your tax rate is five percent, you save only $300.
Of course, if you didn’t have income sufficient to pay any taxes—just the person who needs a break the most—you save nothing. And if you had to hire a tax professional to help with your taxes so that the savings you claimed using this “tax break” are correct, you saved even less. This does not merit applause for the president and his GOP millionaire and billionaire cronies who hope to fool us with their tax trickery.
I don’t get tips and don’t work overtime, so I have no first-hand knowledge of what kind of tricks exist in the actual implementation, if any, of these “tax breaks”—but I doubt it amounts to much, and I’m sure it pales in comparison to the massive tax breaks his Big Ugly Bill wrote into law this past year for large corporations and the president’s sycophants. For my eyes and ears, the things his administration has done for lower income families and seniors is overshadowed and consumed by the negative things his administration has done TO them. If 2026 mid-term elections are actually held, and the most important issue for voters is “the economy,” I hope they remember just this one tax trick that didn’t save anyone much and was lied about over and over again by the president. What kind of America do you want to live in?
Paul Cully
Dover, N.H.
Paul:
Among the myriad things wrong with this country, the tax system is particularly grotesque, and is rightly loathed by most Americans. We have to suspect, though, that some percentage of people—perhaps one percent—may well think it’s perfect. God knows it’s working well for them.
The Editor
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People Get Ready
To the editor:
Amid the chaos and destruction inflicted by Trump’s policies, one issue remains constant. It is his false claim that he lost the 2020 election because of massive fraud. This is the “Big Lie” that sustains his support among MAGA voters and underpins his incessant claims that the electoral system in Democratic states is corrupted. Recently, he has campaigned for the cancellation or the nationalization of the 2026 mid-term elections, both of which are clearly unconstitutional. He and his allies have threatened to use either ICE or the National Guard as security forces to ensure that no fraud occurs in local elections, also unconstitutional acts. He has threatened poll workers with prosecution for voter fraud without cause or proof. He has ordered the FBI to seize 2020 ballots in Fulton County, Georgia using a questionable warrant obtained in Missouri. He constantly rants against mail-in voting as a major source of fraud. He has proclaimed the necessity of the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for both voter registration and election day voting. Although Republicans claim that the act is a reasonable method of preventing non-citizens from voting, it would inevitably exclude many citizens who lack ready access to required documents. It is no surprise that most of this group are not Trump supporters.
Trump’s rants on election integrity are not intended to ensure secure elections. If they were, he would not have defunded the government’s election security operations early in his term. Rather, Trump intends to disrupt and subvert the mid-term elections by casting doubt on their integrity while preventing many Democratic voters from voting. His methods are taken from the autocrat’s playbook and are not designed to replace elections but to use democratic institutions to ensure that the process elects only MAGA candidates, thereby creating a false sense of legitimacy. He is using methods used by Putin in Russia, Erdogan in Türkiye and Orban in Hungary to subvert the election process and ensure the election of handpicked candidates.
The stage was set for election subversion when Republicans won both the House and Senate in 2024. The Grand Old Party has collapsed under Trump and is a hollowed-out shell of the GOP that once stood for small government, fiscal responsibility and individual rights. It is now made up of either sycophants who have jettisoned their principles because they fear loss of power or MAGA zealots who perceive Trump as a revolutionary paragon. The Republican Congress has lost any sense of acting for the common welfare and will likely collaborate with Trump to provide legislation abetting Republican election control. Trump has put in place other elements that would ease an election takeover. He has weaponized the DOJ and FBI so that neither agency would be likely to oppose him. The Supreme Court has been packed with conservatives who have already supported enhanced presidential powers. Media outlets that have opposed Trump have been browbeaten, threatened and sued by the Trump administration while conservative outlets supportive of Trump have promoted false accounts, tilting the narrative toward Republican policies. All these elements have been used by autocrats like Orban and Putin to consolidate power. One element from the autocrat’s playbook that Trump relies on is the manufactured crisis—look for Trump to manufacture another false emergency shortly before the mid-term elections.
These are precarious times. We are in the thrall of a demented wannabe king who has co-opted or corrupted many of the institutions designed to protect democracy. Our last line of defense may have been revealed by the courageous citizens of Minneapolis who took to the streets to protest the thuggish actions of ICE. The preservation of our democracy may be decided not only at the ballot box but by ordinary citizens taking to the streets.
Robert D. Russell, Ph.D.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Robert:
Thanks a lot. You have shown that the one thing that has been staving off despair—a rock-solid expectation that Republicans were surely bound to suffer catastrophic losses in the midterm election—has been wishful thinking. It was just a mirage.
That can only mean that instead of idly goofing off for the next 242 days, as would otherwise be our wont, we’re going to have to pay close attention, stay current, think hard, and act decisively.
Oh, well. Might as well get to it. The current state of affairs is bad enough. Anything worse would be intolerable.
The Editor
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Lower Our Flags for Rev. Jesse Jackson
To the Editor:
The death of Jesse Jackson marked the end of a particular era of civil rights activism that started in the 1950s. Many of us here in New Hampshire remember well the two campaigns he waged for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1984 and 1988. Those who worked for or met him have their own stories to tell. He was a nationally-known leader and statesman, who helped to bring home American hostages, and was an advisor to numerous presidents. Only four months ago Portsmouth lowered its municipal flags to half-staff to remember Charlie Kirk. Mr. Kirk was not well known nationally and had contributed very little to the general welfare of our country. Our city automatically lowered our flags because President Trump and Governor Ayotte had announced that they would. However, as our mayor and city council discovered, after the fact, a municipality is not required to follow suit. That is why I call on Portsmouth officials now to lower our flags in honor of Jesse Jackson.
Peter Somssich
Former State Representative
Portsmouth, N.H.
Peter:
Your argument seems sound. Let’s see whether anyone acts on it, or rebuts it.
The Editor
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The Ghost of Meldrim Thomson
To the Editor:
As we approach the March 10th vote, I am struck by a glaring contradiction in the Oyster River School District’s proposal for Article 3. We are asked to authorize nearly $10 million—actually $11.7 million with interest—to expand elementary schools while district enrollment is projected to remain flat or decline.
According to the District’s data, student counts are dropping at the middle school level, yet we’re told Mast Way and Moharimet are at a “breaking point.” If fewer students are entering the system, why rush into permanent expansion? Once built, taxpayers are stuck with the debt for a decade, whether the desks are full or not.
The burden is also alarmingly unequal. A Lee homeowner faces an estimated tax impact of $0.59 per $1,000 of assessed values—nearly double the $0.31 rate Durham residents will pay. For a town already facing a high rate of $27.61, this is a major burden based on questionable long-term needs.
Before committing to this bond, the School Board must explore creative solutions. Can we repurpose existing spaces or adjust boundaries? Most families “make do” with their current homes when budgets are tight; the District should be held to that same standard.
With property revaluations looming and the cost of living rising, now is not the time for “nice-to-have” construction. Vote NO on Article 3. Let’s demand a more efficient plan for the space we already have.
Thomas Ralph Paolera
Lee, N.H.
Thomas:
We can’t speak to the specifics of the two schools you mention, but we can say this: from Mel Thomson’s “Ax the Tax,” to Stephen Merrill’s somewhat more genteel and still operational “New Hampshire Advantage,” the powerful and connected in this state will forever defend their decision—it’s not a right, it’s a choice—to enjoy life in this state without paying their fair share for the privilege.
The Editor
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Let’s Do Anything Except What Would Work
To the Editor:
The Fair Funding (for education) N.H. event in Laconia on February 19th was disappointing. While talking about high property taxes, they didn’t address reducing property taxes or education costs, or even improving student educations. They just want more State education funding and control.
But increased funding doesn’t translate into better student educations. E.g., the cost of educating a Bedford student is about two-thirds the cost of educating an Interlakes student but Bedford’s results are significantly better and teachers are paid less.
Suggestions for raising money: increase state business, reconstitute the Interest and Dividends tax, and/or create an income tax.
Another idea was to take the State Wide Education Property Tax (SWEPT) from the local community to fund a new State bureaucracy to distribute SWEPT funds based on its, not local, priorities.
Although they claimed this was a non-partisan event, no one was there to explain current funding, future plans, or implications of the proposals put forth by the presenters concerning e.g., affordability of life in N.H. or loss of local control of education.
No one mentioned that New Hampshire’s school system, as currently funded, is successful; it’s generally ranked in the top five nationwide.
Presenters advocated the elimination of Education Savings Accounts. This would greatly increase the taxpayer cost of educating each student from about $5,000 via an ESA to our statewide average cost of $22,700, or much more some places, e.g., about $33,000 at Interlakes.
Funding public schools locally incentivizes the community to be interested in their schools, their spending, and each student’s success.
The Fair Funding New Hampshire event seemed primarily to want higher taxes to fund bigger government and a bigger, remote controlled, educational bureaucracy funding its priorities, not local priorities.
Don Ewing
Meredith, N.H.
Don:
Property taxes are too high because the state refuses to meet its constitutional requirement to fund public schools, leaving cities and towns to make up the difference, and your solution is to let certain parents drain local school budgets?
You say our schools are ranked in the top five nationally. As with so many things, that excellence is not evenly distributed. You can conjure up any argument you want by pitting one school district against another, but you can’t deny that kids in rich towns have the advantage.
The only way to fix that is with more state funding. Only seven other states and the District of Columbia have a higher per capita income than New Hampshire.
We can afford to solve this problem. The question is, can we muster the will to break our political fetters?
The Editor
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Why? Why Else?
Dear Editor:
On January 22, 2026 the United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO), an organization we have been a member of since 1948. Currently 194 nations are part of the WHO. It employs thousands of public health professionals, scientists, medical experts worldwide. It strengthens global health by coordinating a vast network of partner laboratories, including National Influenza Centers (NICs), specialized collaborating centers, and COVID-19 reference labs. All this will be lost to America. Instead, the Trump administration plans to create an alternative organization run by the U.S. that would attempt to recreate or duplicate the systems currently in place by the WHO. The estimated cost of the Trump proposal, which would be funded and operated through the Department of Health and Human Services, is $2 billion per year. Prior to leaving the WHO the U.S. contributed $680 million per year. From a public health, economic, and international relations perspective this makes no sense and will place the U.S. at greater risk from global disease threats.
By creating its own version of the WHO, America will be flying solo in a world where a disease threat can emerge from anywhere at any time. Instead of having 194 pairs of global disease surveillance eyes and ears, the U.S. will be on our own. There is no way America can duplicate the global disease surveillance and protection reach that the WHO currently provides, even by spending $1.320 billion more. Where would we find all the necessary scientists to fill these positions, especially after Trump and RFK, Jr. fired so many over the past year? It would take decades to train enough to meet the need. This is time we do not have. Not only that, but, by not having a seat at the WHO table, America will not be part of making any policies and decisions made by the WHO and will not receive real-time disease intelligence information. We will have no input on decisions that will directly and indirectly impact the health of Americans, whether we wish to believe it or not.
As we learned from COVID-19 and other pandemics like AIDS and influenza, pathogenic microbes do not respect borders or respond to politics, ideology or the whims of politicians. Viruses and bacteria only respect the laws of nature. Organisms, especially viruses, have only one objective, to survive by finding new hosts in order to multiply and spread. They take advantage of any opportunity humans provide them to achieve this goal. And thanks to the Trump policies, we are giving these microbes greater opportunities to wreak havoc.
Rich DiPentima, RN, MPH
Portsmouth, N.H.
Rich:
You’re missing the big picture. Sure, WHO provided more bang for the buck, and staffing would be a challenge for an administration that knew what it was doing. AI, though, will solve that problem. Best of all, this new outfit—let’s call it “Trump, That’s WHO!”—will offer unparalleled opportunities for profit and outright graft!
The Editor