Hillary Clinton’s loss has generated some interesting reactions on the left as they seek to come to grips with reality. I thought we had reached a peak in bizarre behavior when they called for a boycott of the cozy-flannel, yuppie-friendly, family-owned, made-in-USA, building-a-new-plant-to-employ-200-people-in-Maine L.L. Bean.
Why boycott this American icon? Because one of L.L. Bean’s many board members made a substantial (personal) contribution to a Trump PAC.
Imagine my surprise to see in Saturday’s Valley News an article about the angst of Patriots fans who are Democrats, over whether to cheer for the Patriots on Super Bowl Sunday. Why? Because the Patriots’ owner, coach and star quarterback are friends of Donald Trump! Seriously? It seems as though if there were any part of our American culture that should be politics-neutral, it would be sports.
All of this would be amusing were it not for the more ominous overtones. Will the “new normal” on the left be to punish individuals with economic or social sanctions for their private, personal and legal political activities? Not to mention mere friendships!
Even more unsettling, to extend punishment to any organization associated with those folks, even organizations that are clearly politically neutral? This has been an election like none other in recent memory, and emotions continue to run high on both sides. I am a lifelong Republican, but I left both presidential candidates’ boxes unchecked as a protest against the poor choices we were presented with in 2016.
Sometimes the system does not work as well as we would like, but it is the best we’ve got. To those on the left I would say, “Relax.” We have been through this before, with victories by Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan triggering much the same panic on the left, and the nation survived.
I soldiered through eight years of President Obama; you will make it through four years of President Trump. In 2020 we will have another go at it, hopefully with better choices. And hopefully, with the Patriots at Super Bowl LV!
Harrison Trumbull
Enfield
Would Donald Trump have taken in Joseph, Mary and Jesus if they had showed up at the Trump Tower? I hardly think so. His despicable decision to ban Syrian refugees from entering the United States is based on fear and bigotry, a toxic combination that can only backfire in the long run. The Christian values of compassion and aiding the needy are totally absent from Trump and his ragbag band of billionaires. This is not America at its greatest.
Where are the Republicans with the moral fiber to stand up to this shameful behavior?
Rosamond Orford
Norwich
Danger at the Top
It is of enormous interest to a great many of us to follow the progression from amusement to annoyance, anger, fear and resolution in regard to the presidential campaign and election, and now the performance of Donald Trump as chief executive of our nation.
Resolution, in terms of how the very real present danger is to be overcome, deserves not only our attention but action. The word impeachment is appearing occasionally in the media and references to possible presidential mental impairment is being written and spoken about. I am neither a constitutional scholar, lawyer nor a psychologist, but I welcome and encourage such considerations by those who are.
The American ship of state must not be guided by anyone so apparently deluded by, and taking actions on, such petty and global narcissistic fantasies.
Christopher Harris
Weathersfield
A Demoralizing Threat
The most chilling, ominous and demoralizing threat to America’s destiny to be a better place for all our children than it was for any of our fathers is the Emperor Without Truth successfully fooling the naive, legitimate press and well-meaning but ill-informed public into obsessively covering and analyzing his staged showy brush fires while he burns the countryside down.
And all the while folks are wondering why he’s setting all these pesky little fires and never looking up the word pyromaniac.
Michael Schorsch
Orford
A Shameful Executive Order
Donald Trump’s executive order on refugees and immigration is shameful, and turns its back on our own rich history.
We are a nation of immigrants, but we’ve forgotten our grandparents’ hope. If we surrender to Trumpian xenophobia, folding our arms and turning away from people who aren’t like us, particularly terrified refugees, perhaps we should sandblast the words off the base of the Statue of Liberty, and replace them with “Now that we’re here and comfortable, you should know that we don’t want your tired or your poor; please keep your huddled masses yearning to be free; please recommend the wretched refuse of your teeming shore to somebody else (we’ll help you with the paperwork — we’ve become expert at that); send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to someone else; the lamp’s out and the golden door is closed; thanks for your interest.”
This is not a partisan issue. Please, all citizens, throw your bodies in the way of this horrible policy however you can. It denigrates the most fundamental principles of our republic.
Stephen M. Wood
Lebanon
Plainfield Library Solution
Plainfield residents will have the opportunity to use their tax dollars more judiciously at this year’s annual Town Meeting in March. How? Choosing to vote to pass the petitioned warrant article to adopt the Philip Read Memorial Library as the town’s sole public library will accomplish it.
Since the inception of the “unified” Plainfield Library system, the library trustees have reallocated resources from the ADA-compliant Philip Read Library to the smaller, non-ADA compliant Meriden “Public” Library that is essentially a private library in practice and spirit.
Ironically, the Philip Read Library became ADA-compliant 10 years ago due to private investment with a smaller share of taxpayers’ dollars. Meriden Library has been “flourishing” from the benefit of public funds. The library trustees have publicly advocated for the Meriden Library the past five years, but have have given very scant positive support to the Philip Read Library. In fact, I believe they have chosen to focus on just Philip Read Library’s perceived negative aspects as evidenced at their meetings.
I am the Friends of the Philip Read Memorial Library’s treasurer, but speak only for myself. Please contact me, if you are interested in signing this petition, in the name of inclusiveness and wise use of taxpayers’ money. The petition must be submitted to the town office by Feb. 7. Thank you for your consideration and support.
Diane Rogers
Plainfield
About Budget Committees
I would like to respond to George Caccavaro’s letter Jan. 24 Forum, “A Fine Leader in Mascoma Valley.” His letter does not reflect the facts about SB2 budget committees. I have been on the town of Canaan’s Budget Committee for 14 years and served on the Mascoma School District Budget Committee for three years. I have been to several workshops and try to stay up to date on current and new RSAs that pertain to budget committees.
I have found nothing in the law that says anything about SB2 school districts (or towns) being required to have a budget committee. For several years Mascoma had no budget committee, even though it was an SB2 school district. Several people made a petitioned warrant article (I don’t remember the year) to have an elected budget committee for the school district and it passed. No town or school district is required to have a budget committee unless the town or school district specifically votes to adopt the Municipal Budget Act under N.H. RSA 32. Some towns and school districts have them and some don’t. Some have appointed committees, in which case their budgets are advisory only. Please refer to the above RSA for specifics.
As a side note, the town of Canaan is an SB2 town and Enfield is not. We both have budget committees. The law regarding budget committees applies to both towns and school districts. He is right, though, that the budget that is voted on in March is the one that the elected budget committee proposes, unless it is amended at deliberative session (for SB2 towns) or traditional Town Meeting. In March 2016, the voters in the Mascoma School District voted down the Budget Committee’s proposed budget and the default budget had to be adopted. In this case, neither the Budget Committee nor the School Board determined the budget. The voters decided.
Eleanor Davis
Canaan
Seeking Help in Hartford
Once again, the Hartford Historical Society would like to recognize and honor the town of Hartford’s oldest resident by presenting him or her with the ceremonial Hartford Cane (modeled after the Boston Post Cane tradition in many New England communities). We need the public’s help in our search. If you have someone in mind, we will need the person’s name, date of birth and contact information. Make sure that the individual would be a willing participant.
We hope to make the cane presentation at a special gathering on July 4 at the Garipay House (our museum on Maple Street in Hartford Village), or it can be done at the person’s place of residence if mobility is an issue. The media will be invited to attend.
Last year’s honoree, our beloved retired Fire Chief Walt Morancy, has since passed away, but those in attendance told us that it was one of his happiest days in recent years, and family members said he was “uplifted” for weeks afterward.
Contact us at info@hartfordhistory.org or call me at 802-295-2123 to place a name in nomination.
Mary Nadeau
Hartford Village
There are still some caring people out there. Recently I drove into Jake’s Market in Hartford to get gas. A young man noticed I was having a problem, and he called over from his pickup — You need some help?
He came to my car and said if you want gas, give me your money. I’ll pump your gas for you. I gave him my money and he took it into Jake’s Market, came out and pumped my gas.
We had a nice visit, though it was the first time I had ever seen him and didn’t know his name — but I found out it was Colby.
Thank you so much. You proved you are honest, trustworthy, very polite and thoughtful. God bless from your 90-year-old friend.
Lorraine Withington
Tunbridge
A Dog to the Rescue
Thank you, Ray Chin, for that heartwarming story about Plato’s life (“Requiem for a Child’s Best Friend: Plato the Therapy Dog Soothed Hundreds of Upper Valley Kids,” Jan. 22). The Upper Valley was lucky to have him … and you !
This is a wonderful testimony to supporting our animal shelters, and to the rewards of a well-trained dog. The question we hear over and over again — Did we rescue them, or they us?
Susan Arnold
East Thetford