Mash Notes, Hate Mail & Other Correspondence

Mmm…Lab Meat!

To the Editor, Way back in 1931, Winston Churchill predicted the rise of cultured meat. For those who don’t know know, this revolutionary protein is grown from animal cells, without slaughter. It has only recently been granted regulatory approval in Singapore. An Israeli company has reduced its production cost to $7.50 for a quarter pound of cultured chicken. “With a greater knowledge of what are called hormones, i.e. the chemical messengers in our blood, it will be possible to control growth,” the future British leader wrote in Strand Magazine. “We shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast …

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New Hampshire is better, and braver, than HB 544

by Dan Weeks In 1645—decades before the colony of New Hampshire was independently established—historical records show that the purchase and sale of human beings began in the “Live Free” state. In that year, an African man was kidnapped in Guinea and brought to Portsmouth for a life of servitude. His European enslaver would later be punished by the local Puritan authorities—not for owning another human being but for working his human chattel on the Sabbath. On the eve of the Revolutionary War in 1773, official statistics showed that 674 persons of African descent were enslaved in New Hampshire. One of them, Prince Whipple, fought for …

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Governor Sununu vs. The Truth

To the Editor: Covid spreads easily in college towns, where students live, shop and work alongside the adult population. Durham recently reported 164 active Covid cases, 155 of them students (Foster’s, March 25, 2021). Governor Sununu is denying Covid vaccines for out-of-state students, claiming “No state in New England is giving out-of-state college students vaccine.” False. Associated Press reports all other New England states are making out-of-state students eligible for the vaccine (Portsmouth Herald, April 2, 2021). Sununu claims “no state is given vaccine” from the federal government for out-of-state students. False. A letter from leaders of eight New Hampshire college towns contradicts: “The U.S. …

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Shutting Down Honest Conversations

To the Editor: On Feb 11, Rep. Keith Ammon introduced the controversial HB544 banning conversations about race and gender in government. This Bill has now also been included in the budget bill. This is another attempt by elites in this country to pit people against each other, maintain control, and hoard the vast majority of wealth and resources. We know for this country to live up to its promise of a multiracial democracy where Black, Brown and White communities can thrive together, we are going to have to talk about racial and gender justice, in particular within government. Against the wishes of the majority of …

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Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire: An Open Letter to Members of the NH Legislature

Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire: An Open Letter to Members of the New Hampshire Legislature Regarding “HB544 – Relative to the Propagation of Divisive Concepts” New England is often seen as the cornerstone of United States history and, as such, the history of New Hampshire is integral to the history of this country. For too many years, however, a critical part of our state’s history has been omitted from its historical markers and from our classrooms—the contributions of Blacks and African Americans. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire [BHTNH] promotes awareness and appreciation of African American history and life in order to build more inclusive communities …

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Step Up, Democrats

To the Editor, Democrats, in the future the filibuster will go away. The relevant question is, will the Democrats do it, or will they wait till the Republican have a narrow majority and do it (citing numerous Democrats opining that it should be eliminated to justify doing so). Either way it’s gone. The Democrats can dump it now. They can pass lots of stuff that helps lots of people and pay for it by taxing institutions that need to be taxed. A small per-transaction tax on stock purchases is an example of an “institution that needs to be taxed.” Super profitable corporations that are able …

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