Forum contributor Letitia Ufford’s letter is a simplistic list of slogans and misinformation that obscures the complicated political, historical and emotional situation of the conflicts among Israel, Palestinians and Gaza’s government, the terrorist organization Hamas (“Colonialism going on in the Holy Land,” May 15). An article on the website of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, “Understanding B’Tselem’s ‘apartheid’ libel,” offers a true definition of apartheid and will clear up the misleading and erroneous information in B’Tselem’s January report. Second, the dispute over homes in East Jerusalem is to be settled in a court case now before the Israeli Supreme Court. It has served as an opportunity for Hamas, using its stockpiled rockets and weapons provided through Iran, to launch its attack on civilian targets in Israel.
I am grateful that Israel, a democracy, is as yet the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons. Several other countries, a collection of monarchies, dictatorial monarchies and religious fanatics, are working to develop this capability; one goal, I believe, is to threaten Europe and the U.S.
The other concise statements in this letter fit well on protest signs and shouts in demonstrations. As such, their wording is one-sided and incendiary.
LAURA HARRIS-HIRSCH
Lebanon
A Massachusetts dad found two activity books in his kid’s backpack published by the energy utility Eversource (“Booklet praising natural gas irks parents,” May 11). Both booklets shamelessly promote “natural” gas. As we all know, underfunded educators are often constrained to accept resources from the community, but blatant indoctrination? Elementary school’s too early to conflict children that way.
Adults are a different story. While queued for a procedure at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, my escort noticed the guy behind us had his mask down. She reminded him of the policy and he retorted that the virus is fake. I gave him the evil eye. I should’ve asked the reception desk to contact security. Other organizations level stiff fines for maskless shenanigans, and if that’s not enough, what of the contempt for the health and safety of others?
Given the number of people disbelieving reality these days, I think a great many of them should get an attitude adjustment, undergo deprogramming or register into a reeducation camp. Be it anti-vaxxers or climate deniers, both groups selfishly threaten the well-being of the majority of voters. And again, the children: It isn’t their fault their ancestors favored money over people. Lastly, who’ll champion the wants and needs of the countless other innocent, living beings of our spaceship Earth?
I have my doubts the inertia of conservatism can be modulated by the clarity of truth, with the exception of reformist-martyrs like Rep. Liz Cheney and her campaign against the army of the would-be-emperor. It’ll be an uphill battle to get the For the People Act and Sen. Joe Manchin (or a sympathetic Republican) on board to end the filibuster. But if passed, we may be able to legislate solutions to our existential problems. Failing that? Maybe we should take a tip from Russia’s GRU, but instead of targeting the West, it’d be handy to train laser focus at only Big Oil’s infrastructure. Too bad if any of its patrons are in the way.
KEVIN McEVOY LEVERET
White River Junction
A young veteran pulled into our driveway recently when he saw us outside in front of the barn. He stepped out of his pickup truck and expressed how offensive he found the words on our sign at the entrance to the driveway: “Republicans are liars and traitors.” We replied that we found the behavior of most members of the Republican Party since the 2020 presidential election offensive. I then asked him, “Are you a Trump Republican?” repeating the question two more times before he answered, “Of course!” I said to him, “You’re a traitor, then.”
He reached into the door of his truck. I thought he was reaching for a gun, but it was his cellphone, and he said he was going to film me calling him a traitor. I told him to put away his toy and get off of our driveway, and we turned and walked away.
Aside from the hypocritical spectacle of a Republican/Libertarian type trespassing on a couple’s home in order to film them without their permission and what that says about the current depressing state of American society, I regret not saying the following to this deluded American citizen after he expressed his continuing support for Donald Trump: “Your support of the lie that he was robbed of a victory through massive election fraud on the part of Democrats, and that his fomenting of a violent attempted overthrow of the legitimate election process and the elected government of the United States on Jan. 6 was appropriate, and that his followers were merely peaceful protesters trying to save the country, is not only traitorous but undermines the structures of our constitutional democracy, our government and our nation.
“I believe the Republican Party today is guilty of all of the above, its despicable leaders especially so, and also the thousands of Republican legislators within state governments — such as Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Florida, Ohio and many others — who are passing voter suppression bills in an attempt to prevent Democrats from voting and winning free and fair elections ever again.”
ALICE MORRISON
Newbury, Vt.
The qualities required for the responsible possession of arms — semi-automatic, high-capacity or otherwise — are essentially the same as those required for responsible self-government. Thus, to question fitness for the former must be to question fitness for the latter, whether in an individual or a society. This self-evident fact would appear to divide proponents of gun control schemes into two distinct categories: those unable to grasp it and those who grasp it all too well. Not that it matters. Both camps vote the same way, and with the same result.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the same counterfeit intellectual coin, the joyless, humorless, dogmatic, self-righteous certitude of the regressive, counterproductive and comprehensively inane quasi-religion of wokeness makes the original puritans look like rakehells on a spree.
ANTHONY STIMSON
Lebanon