Discover More from This Category: Letters

Leopards don’t change their spots

January 20, 2021
Dear Editor, Today we have political Reds and political Blues. One party is out for blood—you can guess which one—and the other is not. We think that the ones out for blood will lose because they are in the minority. But a century ago, in a far away land, there were political Reds and political…

3 things parents don’t want to miss for next school year

January 20, 2021
Dear Editor, Yes, it’s January, not June, and you may feel like you’re finally settling into a routine during a challenging school year. But as the saying goes, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” Despite the disruptions of Covid-19, January is the ideal time to check in with your child about your school…

An assault on the American way of life

January 20, 2021
Dear Editor, The events of Jan. 6, 2021 in the nation’s capitol represent the culmination of a widespread revolutionary assault on the American way of life. The assault has been directed at all three branches of government: the executive branches of the 50 state governments, which are responsible for election security; state and federal judiciaries;…

Trump and fascists attempt coup in DC, unions need to fight!

January 13, 2021
Dear Editor, On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of neo-fascist Trump loyalists converged on Washington with the aim of forcing the annulment of the November election (which Democrat Joe Biden won by 7 million votes). There they were met by Donald Trump himself who addressed the mob, falsely claiming that he won, that he would never…

Social media companies impinge on human rights

January 13, 2021
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…

Pardon Trump, then ignore him

January 13, 2021
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…

Take the vaccine!

January 13, 2021
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…

Harvest time in absurd America

January 6, 2021
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…

New year’s resolutions

January 6, 2021
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…

Consider your environmental toll this year

January 6, 2021
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…

Red Crossers shine bright

December 30, 2020
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…

Covid-19 is winding down

December 30, 2020
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…

Uplift Vermont

December 23, 2020
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…

Let’s have a compassionate Christmas

December 23, 2020
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…

Effects of closing schools need closer examination

December 23, 2020
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…