Dear Editor, The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights consists of 30 rights and freedoms that belong to every human being. In 1948, after the horror of World War II and the nearly 17 million people exterminated by the National Socialist Party (Nazis), concerned world leaders were guided by the esteemed formerfirst lady and human…

Dear Editor, If President Biden is interested in uniting our nation, the best thing he can do is to pardon President Trump in the first week of his presidency.  Both parties and the press would realize that our new president will focus on far more important issues. As Oscar Wilde noted, “There is only one…

Dear Editor, Trump says take the vaccine. Biden says take the vaccine. Scientists say take the vaccine. God says take the vaccine. Yet many of those who work with sick people won’t take the vaccine because their friend Dumbo the flying elephant says don’t take the vaccine. This is a massive failure of the churches…

Dear Editor, Trump reportedly intends to keep pushing the baseless claim that massive fraud of unbelievable scope robbed him of reelection even after Congress accepts the results, because  “Why should I ever let this go?… How would that benefit me?” That Trump plans to continue this demolition of democracy even after the almost certain inauguration…

Dear Editor, With the “year of Covid” barely behind us, we look forward to the New Year and the customary resolutions: reduce personal weight, reduce time on social media, and reduce consumption of animal foods. Yes, that. Nearly 40% of Americans are already eating more plant-based foods. Hundreds of school, college, and corporate cafeterias have…

Dear Editor, As we sprint away from 2020, and towards what we hope will be a happier new year, many of us have environmental resolutions front of mind. Leaders have resolved to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and host a global climate summit early next year. Many individuals are seeking to reduce their environmental footprint…

Dear Editor, As one of the longest and most challenging years of our lives draws to a close — with the promise of a vaccine offset by the gravity of staggering infection rates and devastating loss of loved ones — I would like to take a moment to reflect on the amazing resilience of our…

Dear Editor, As 2020 comes to an end (and no one is sad to see it go), the Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF) is winding down Covid-19 relief activities. The fund was established as a short-term measure to get folks through these economic challenges until they could get back on their feet. It is the…

By Karen Tronsgard-Scott Editor's note: Tronsgard-Scott is the executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Every Vermonter has the right to thrive and live their life free from violence. Unfortunately, the reality is that too many Vermonters aren’t safe. Each year, thousands of Vermonters experience domestic or sexual violence. What would…

Dear Editor, The long-anticipated Christmas holiday is nearly upon us. It conjures visions of happy families gathered by a warm fireplace, opening presents, sharing their love, and... feasting on ham and turkey. It’s the happiest time of the year, but not for the animals. The 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year were…

Dear Editor, “If you build it, they will come,” is a phrase that haunts the main character in the movie “Field of Dreams.” In that film, the thing to be built is a baseball field for spectral players from the early 1900s, but it got me thinking, and not about baseball. It got me thinking…

Dear Editor, As I gradually lost my sight over my lifetime, I realized how important work is. Obviously it provides the income you need to live, but it also shapes identity, builds confidence, and provides purpose and meaning. I benefitted from all the preceding because I was able to remain employed as I transitioned from…

Dear Editor, I was expecting a ghost town when I dropped my 13-year-old daughter off at Okemo on Sunday. I’d been working from home in Brattleboro for months, only seeing the occasional friend for a walk, and assumed most Vermonters were similarly wary of public spaces during the pandemic. So it was shocking to drive…

Dear Editor, Good news: Leading medical experts in the U.K. believe that eating vegan foods rather than animal-based ones is the simplest, cheapest ways to reduce one’s risk of “becoming seriously ill with Covid-19.” In an open letter to the British government, the physicians explained that people who eat wholesome vegan foods are less likely…

Dear Editor, Thank you for allowing my family’s voice to be heard. We’ve spent years in legal disputes, pursuing the town for our “grandfathered status” and illegal “selective enforcement.” There is a significant amount of information to share and I would be doing the story a disservice by only talking about the wastewater system that…