Ken Burns’ Warning

The Valley News on June 18 published an article about noted historical documentarian Ken Burns. In his commencement address at Stanford, Burns denounced Donald Trump.

Burns says he maintains a “conscious neutrality” in his work, avoiding the advocacy of many of his colleagues. But Burns, in addition to his other comments, launched a sharp and sweeping attack on Trump’s campaign for the presidency. He describes Trump’s “dedication to exploiting the contradictions in American society,” and his “appealing to crude identity politics.” “We see nurtured in his campaign an incipient Proto-fascism, a nativist anti-immigrant Know Nothing-ism, a disrespect for the judiciary, the prospect of women losing authority over their own bodies, African-Americans again asked to go to the back of the line, voter suppression gleefully promoted, jingoistic saber-rattling, a total lack of historical awareness, a political paranoia that, predictably, points fingers, always making the other wrong.” But Burns warned that what makes Trump especially dangerous is the convergence of these tendencies in a single candidate.

If possible, I would recommend all who missed this informative article go the Valley News website and look it up. To quote Burns, “This is not a liberal or conservative issue, a red-state, blue state divide. This is an American issue.”

Nancy Parker

Hanover

The Path to Gun Control

Passing gun control is urgent. And just as the best way to close down ISIS is to drain its money supply, the best way to enact reasonable gun control is through campaign finance reform — cutting off the funding by which the National Rifle Association buys the votes of House and Senate members. All the ranting and raving by members of Congress and the president to enact gun control measures, or anything else the citizens of our country want, will be in vain unless they cut to the chase and enact comprehensive campaign finance reform. The future of our democracy depends on it.

Charles McKenna

Wilder

Be Careful About Language

Language is powerful. Writers of letters to the Valley News Forum often use strong, sometimes negative language to persuade. One such letter (“An Alternative to Bad Choices,” June 11) described presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as “almost evil incarnate.”

Throughout history, there have been people who have seemed to be truly evil incarnate. One of their most powerful weapons has been language, which they have used to foster bigotry, homophobia and racism. To include former secretary of state Clinton in this group is unconscionable.

The recent attack in Orlando, Fla., the most devastating in recent memory, was the work of a person who had most probably listened and responded to similarly hyperbolic rhetoric from the Islamic State.

During this presidential campaign, it is essential that we remember the power of words and use them carefully and wisely. I think that Sen. Bernie Sanders, for whom the Forum writer planned to vote, would agree with me.

Judy McCarthy

Grantham

Pay Attention in Piermont

The people of Piermont should know how two members of their Selectboard conduct town business. On the evening of June 2, without prior notice, those two board members voted to relieve me of my duties as Piermont’s website administrator. The accusation was that I changed web pages without informing the departments or services involved, did not inform the board, or had a personal agenda.

In kangaroo court fashion, I was not provided any opportunity to defend myself; the only “evidence” presented against me was from two individuals who, when asked if I changed web pages, answered only “yes.” But not one shred of evidence of actual wrongdoing on my part was ever presented. Of course, I made site changes, but only because the board told me to do so.

The site I inherited in March was nonfunctional, poorly maintained and improperly coded, with spelling, grammar and content errors. I fixed all of that while making many other board-directed improvements. I also coordinated fully with every department or service that answered my emails. I never made any change to any page that was malicious, based on personal agenda, or not directed by the board or the individuals concerned. I never once received anything but accolades from the board.

My removal represents a blatant abuse of power on the part of two Selectmen. As a meeting attendee observed in disgust, the “good old boy” network appears to be alive and well. I hope that the decent and rational citizens of Piermont will remember this next March and the year after when we have opportunities to rid ourselves of this continuing scourge and waste of our tax dollars.

Albert George Mertz

Piermont

The writer is married to Piermont Selectwoman Terri Mertz.

Practice What You Preach

The June 15 Valley News editorial discussed the decline of punctuation. It suggested that our political leaders write things down and review before “sending” their message, which is hilarious considering that just a few inches down, Willem Lange’s opinion piece ended in mid-sentence.

Oh, that I was being nitpicky! Unfortunately, this has become a fairly common problem in your paper. In fact, I recall one recent editorial that also ended in mid-sentence. Yes, your own editorial.

There is an old saying, “little things don’t mean a lot, little things mean everything.” Truncated articles that end before the subject even gets addressed, articles ending in mid-sentence, and a general method of writing that appears to prefer to make fun of others rather than good, honest reporting makes me wonder if I am reading a quality newspaper anymore. The residents of the Upper Valley deserve better.

Raymond P. Kulig

Canaan

A Lesson from Firefighters

It is seemly to expect our fire department to extinguish fires, but the paramedics also have knowledge that may surpass that of a physician facing a crisis. Even more astonishing, experienced firefighters in Hanover may have the capability to extinguish rain.

A series of events that comprised a melodrama recently transmitted this awareness from Capt. Jeremy Thibeault to me. Following a visit to physical therapy and a trip to the Co-op, I indulged in a brief nap. A few minutes after I wakened, an alarm came to life, blaring out that everyone in the house must leave immediately because of fire.

But it was pouring rain outside. I went to the door and saw an enormous fire engine at the foot of my driveway and an ambulance behind the garage. Dozens of firefighters swarmed through the house while I sat in astonishment, watching everything moveable be moved.

How could this have happened? I asked Capt. Thibeault via email.

“Good question” he answered quickly. “Perhaps a component got wet . . . and is just shorting out a bit, but more likely it is a dirty detector. It can be as simple as an insect crawling through or just dust. We recommend that people hit them with the vacuum wand every few months. The alarm may also go off while you do this, but at least it won’t be while you are napping. If it happens again, it may be worth having someone come service the system, but it’s usually just spiders or dust.”

So now the challenge is to stay calm while I hit the detector, hoping that nobody watches through the door.

Audrey McCollum

Etna