Mash Notes, Hate Mail & Other Correspondence

To the Editor: Do you want your young children, grandchildren, or anyone’s children taught that, not due to their own actions, speech, or thoughts but, simply because of their race or gender: – They are racists, sexists, immoral, and/or unworthy of respect? – They should be made to feel uncomfortable, ashamed, or otherwise distressed about who they are? – They are oppressors of others? – One race or gender is inherently superior or inferior to others? – They should confess that they are horrible (e.g., racists, sexists, rapists, immoral) people? – There’s something wrong with them and their family if no family member is gay, …

Read moreHow To Defend White Supremacy

To the Editor: Are you concerned about the effects of global warming? In New Hampshire, carbon pollution in the air increases asthma and health costs. Extreme weather brings floods and drought, threatening our homes, roads and bridges, and our farmers’ crops. We look to our government to help find solutions. But in New Hampshire our representatives on the Science, Technology and Energy Committee are promoting a bill that would prevent discussion of any plan. House Bill 373 “prohibits the department of environmental services from participating in discussions of any state, regional, or national low carbon fuel standards program…or planning of such programs.” This bill is …

Read moreGOP Promotes Gag Rule

Dear Editor, HB138-FN, allowing prisoners serving life sentences to be eligible for parole after 25 years, is currently before the New Hampshire House for an April 9th vote. This bill is by no means a get-out-of-jail-free card. It merely provides an opportunity for select individuals to be heard, to plead their case before the New Hampshire Parole Board. Only those who have shown genuine remorse and willingness to make amends by whatever means possible, have a clean record, have fulfilled all rehabilitation programs required of them, have demonstrated themselves to have transformed their lives within prison, and have a concrete and practical plan for success …

Read moreLet’s Show Some Humanity

To the Editor, HB 341 was recommended “Inexpedient to Legislate” (ITL) by a vote of 10-9. Write to the full House asking them to vote YES on ITL of HB 341: nhhouse@leg.state.nh.us. We’ve seen many similar bills that attempt to “urbanize” rural towns in New Hampshire by favoring high-density construction over single-family homes. These bills should be sent to the trash bin. At HB 341’s hearing, two out-of-state lobbyists were allowed to testify in favor; one from Virginia, another from Portland, Oregon. They are indicative of the strong national push espousing the “new urbanist” scam, which is based on the idea people do not want …

Read moreThe Four-Plexes Are Coming!

To the Editor: When I moved to Portsmouth a few years ago I did not expect to encounter the ignorance of a white male in a truck pointing his index finger and thumb at me as if to shoot me while I was walking downtown, or a white woman knocking on my door because she could see that I was Black and questioned whether I had a right to be there, in my own home. I had no idea I would experience racism while shopping with my grandson on March 14, 2021 shopping at Aeropostale in the Mall at Fox Run. My grandson picked out …

Read moreRacism in Portsmouth, 2021

Dear Editor, “There’s not a big appetite to do things that actually don’t do anything to fix the problem,” said Republican Senator John Thune (S.D.). “I’m not attracted to something that doesn’t work,” said Republican Senator McConnell. What doesn’t work? Republican insistence on doing nothing about gun control doesn’t fix the problem. Time after time, multiple people are being gunned down. Even before we can grieve over the last mass murder, another gun rampage has happened. Doing nothing, time after time, doesn’t work. Let’s do better. Let’s regulate gun use like we regulate automobile use: license gun owners to use their weapons after they pass …

Read moreWhat Doesn’t Work? A Republican!