During this past year, my belief in my fellow Americans has been both reinforced and modified somewhat. I knew that nearly half of our countrymen were OK with pardoning violent criminals who beat law enforcement officers. I knew that half of our population wanted to remove immigrants who crossed the Rio Grande as children decades […]

I see once again that the elected representatives of the Senate and the House in Washington, D.C., have abandoned the American people and gone home for the holidays — without doing anything about health insurance. Let’s be honest, the reason is that they do not care.  No one talks about what they, senators and members […]

I am heartbroken by the news of another child’s death in such a tragic circumstance in Maine. I know that parents, grandparents, and those who work with children have been holding them closer and watching over them with increased care. My prayers go out to the family and to the bus driver involved in this […]

On Dec. 17, Congress disappointed many Americans. A resolution to block the Trump administration from hostilities against the country of Venezuela, without congressionalauthorization, failed by two votes. This was a modest resolution, simply requiring that Congress be included in a deliberative process when there is the possibility of stumbling into a war. The Constitution is […]

It amazes me to hear and read that “we need experienced people in Congress.” We have experienced folks in Congress now and to say they’re disappointing is an understatement.  Americans can’t even have “affordable” health care. Many countries have free health care. We have a president who is tearing down the government without a peep […]

If the media (television talk shows in particular) did not trash talk our government officials and policies, maybe some of the political violence would subside. There is hardly an hour in which someone is not trashing U.S. leaders and policies. No wonder shootings and other violence is occurring everyday. Where has the love of our […]

Thomas Ewig’s Dec. 14 letter to the editor (“Capitalism will save us in the end”) would have us believe that capitalism lifts all boats. History teaches a different story. Over the past 50 years, what Lincoln called “the government of the people, by the people, and for the people” has been hijacked by the wealthy […]

Our beauty routines are making animals suffer. Every year, countless rabbits, mice and dogs are subjected to toxic chemical tests so companies can sell new makeup products. These animals are burned, poisoned or blinded, then discarded when no longer “useful.” This cruelty continues even though safe, effective, non-animal testing alternatives already exist. We cannot pretend […]