Mash Notes, Hate Mail & Other Correspondence

To the Editor: It’s no wonder that out-of-state corporate control of the New Hampshire legislature spawned a state budget that not only undermines public education, human services, adequate wages and progress toward addressing the climate crisis, but also includes language that perpetuates systemic racism and removes the right of women to make decisions about their bodies. Over the years the populace has not remained vigilant about evolving legislation and how it affects the quality of human lives and the living world. This neglect has allowed our path to democracy to falter. We have stepped aside and surrendered our power to the corporate elite. But as …

Read more

To the Editor: Gerrymandering is election fraud. Its effect is to intentionally defraud. Yet, in 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court’s “conservative” majority, in an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit brought by Common Cause, failed to recognize government was established For the People, not political parties, when it ruled that prohibiting partisan gerrymandering was beyond its reach. The ruling is expected to produce an avalanche of manipulated maps benefiting parties, using highly sophisticated software, and powerful analytics about voters. In 2012, the Republican-majority legislature created Executive Council District #2, a packed, blue, gerrymandered district. Gov. Sununu refers to the salamander shape of the district as “weird,” inferring a harmless …

Read more

Dear Sir: Last week there was a front page headline in the Portsmouth Herald that read, “Sununu’s COVID plea: ‘You gotta get the vaccine.’” In the body of the article the Governor stated, “We know our fall surge in October, November could be worse than anything we’ve seen. We want to make sure we prepare for that.” I agree totally. Not only do we need to prepare for what the Governor admits is coming, more importantly, we need to do whatever is necessary now to prevent it from happening, or at least minimize the consequences as much as possible. So how is the Governor and …

Read more

To the Editor: President Biden’s incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan demonstrates a shocking disregard for the lives of others. Withdrawing troops without first withdrawing the 5,000 to 40,000 American civilians and our allies’ civilians working on behalf of our government’s goals is shameful, unpardonable, and displays Biden’s moral bankruptcy. Biden’s incompetence was not surprising, former Secretary Gates said that Biden has been wrong on every foreign policy issue for the last 40 years. But what explains the total incompetence of the rest of his administration, the State Department, or the Military whose motto is “Leave no man behind!”? Apparently winning wars and protecting Americans is a …

Read more

Dear Editor, The shortest LTE that I have ever written! A wise reader’s response to an excellent August 18th New York Times article by Sarah Mervosh and Giulia Heyward, headlined, “The School Culture Wars—‘You Have Brought Division to Us.’” “Covid 19: It started as a virus, and mutated into an IQ test.” Herb Moyer Exeter, N.H. Herb: Too true. Thanks for sending this—and special thanks for citing the source. The Editor

Hi Friends, I am sad because I used to pick up my favorite fortnightly newspaper at our local health food store and that has just closed. I ask you, what good is a town without a health food store? We have also, over the 41 years I have lived here, lost our downtown drug stores, hardware and stationary stores, our art supply store and many more that make a downtown worthwhile, at least to those of us who actually live here. Fortunately, there are still a few places I go where I can pick up this newspaper, including our local book store and our long-time …

Read more