Opinion
Kathe Geist: Hypocrisy on display
I was amused by one reader’s objection to Democratic lawmakers not standing in honor of the little boy who had been sick and wanted to be a policeman amid the torrent of lies that was President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress earlier this month.
David Goldstein: Bad drought conditions?
I just don’t believe the Recorder’s March 17 front-page story, “Drought conditions upgraded to critical.” The people who fret about the weather all voted for Harris-Walz, the dumbest ticket in American history. I voted for the guys with common sense.
Gordon Humphrey: On owning things
If something happens during Biden’s term, it’s Biden’s fault. If something happens during Trump’s term, it’s Biden’s fault. So all the tariffs and global disruption is all on Biden? Got it.
Eliot Sanborn: Dear ChatGPT: A writer’s plea
Dear ChatGPT, Can you write me a letter about how to be a good writer? Can you teach me to problem-solve, be creative, or express myself concisely? Well, I hope you can, because with you here now we aren’t going to learn these things the same way we have before. As a writer who has learned through banging my head against the wall and juggling my words around my brain, I believe that learning to be a better writer makes you a better person.
Jerry Markoski: Don’t submit, resist!
I attended the March 18 packed town hall with U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern at Greenfield Middle School. Frustration and urgency were palpable. Communication also was an important topic, so I’ll put out some thoughts.
Robert Boulrice: Make Picture Main Street work
In 1995, I co-chaired Envision Central Square, a two-year urban design effort to revitalize Massachusetts Avenue from Cambridge City Hall to MIT. At the time, I led the Central Square Neighborhood Coalition; my co-chair, architect George Metzger, headed the Business Association. Together, we hosted around 50 meetings on everything from sidewalks and bike paths to storefronts, street life, and pedestrian flow.
Jack Tulloss: Play It Again, Sam
Woody Allen’s contribution to cinema is the lovable nebbish — a hopelessly hopeful Don Juan wannabe who never will be. In the 1972 film “Play It Again, Sam,” Mr. Allen portrays Allan Felix, a recent divorcé who feels like a stranger in a strange land when it comes to meeting women.
Katy Wight and Debin Bruce: Library Giving Day, April 1st
We are writing to highlight an urgent issue that threatens our community: the defunding of our nation’s libraries due to a recent executive order. The order aims to eliminate funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the sole federal agency dedicated to supporting public libraries nationwide. The proposed cuts jeopardize essential services such as interlibrary loans, eBook services, and crucial grants.
Terry Sprecker: My wall crumbled
I don’t cry often, there is so much bad news these days, I’ve built walls to distance myself. But to read of that woman stomping her dog to death breached that wall [”Northampton woman jailed in dog death,” Gazette, March 20]. I’ve heard dogs cry in fear and pain, it is a heartrending plea, not easily ignored.
Guest columnist Donald Joralemon: First, they came for the idea of the common good
By DONALD JORALEMON
Rosemary Seifert-Graf: We must protect IMLS
The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides necessary funding and administrative funding to museum and library programs. They promote American English literacy by reports and funding research on literacy development. They help with the digitization of local historical records, career training, and projects studying American industry, Founding Fathers, and more. IMLS supports each of the 50 states, D.C., and American territories with technology access and instructions aimed at American information services. With the National Park Service, they fund the preservation of artifacts. Without their funding libraries will take away our learning through books, programs, classes, and the internet, which is free! Libraries can help with job searching, skill building, resume writing regardless of your age. Rural and underserved areas has vital resource in libraries and museums.We must not take away IMLS.
Marc Warner: Mayoral competence? Look at results
While the writers of the March 21 letter, “Mayor Sciarra, a competent, compassionate leader,” list several examples of what they see as the Northampton mayor’s compassion, they’re pretty thin on their basis for declaring her competence. The one item they raise of any possible relevance here — she’s “a whiz at budgets and spreadsheets” — is an awfully low bar for someone at the top of the organizational chart for a $137 million per year operation. A better measure of mayoral competence is to look at results.
Robin Jaffin: Silence is not an option
As a 65-year-old woman who has lived in western Massachusetts for 47 years, I have seen my share of political crises in this country. But never — never — have I witnessed such a brazen, coordinated attack on our democracy and our communities as we are seeing today. This isn’t just about political differences; it is about the systematic dismantling of government institutions that serve and protect us all.
Bob Gardner: In defense of Hatfield Housing Board member
I was baffled and confused by the March 14 article about the Hatfield Housing Board and the criticisms launched against Chris Smith of Prospect Street in Hatfield [”Hatfield Housing Authority board presses for removal of ‘toxic’ member”].
Douglas Amy: Undocumented immigrants' contributions
Fox News and the Republican Party have convinced many Americans that undocumented immigrants don’t contribute anything to our society and are just a drain on federal programs.
Douglas McGaw: A veteran speaks
As a veteran who spilt blood for his country, I am now utterly embarrassed and ashamed of what my country has come to represent. Ethics, morality and mutual support, both globally and locally, are now lost and need to be regained.
Stephen Armstrong: Bird flu, RFK Jr. and the price of eggs
If I had one wish for government officials (not that I have only one), it would be that they understand exponential equations.
Rachel Markowitz: The alternative news I needed
Once again I feel compelled to sing the praises of our daily newspaper. Last week, in addition to covering the day’s pressing news stories, the Gazette featured a quieter but no less important item in the B section: retired Hitchcock Center naturalist Ted Watt’s spirited recollection of taking a group of schoolkids on a snowy hike in search of animal tracks [”Learning a Sense of Wonder,” March 19].
Barry De Jasu: Becoming Vichy officials
Our Democratic experiment is under a full blitzkrieg. And too many Democrats really believe that remaining calm and quiet is the best tactic in defense. Sen. Chuck Schumer and others really believe that we should not challenge this blitzkrieg because these anti-democratic corrupt forces will just destroy themselves before they completely undo the American government and decency.
Guest columnist Sarena Neyman: Political sadism and defying the power of cruelty
By SARENA NEYMAN
Your Daily Puzzles
An approachable redesign to a classic. Explore our "hints."
A quick daily flip. Finally, someone cracked the code on digital jigsaw puzzles.
Chess but with chaos: Every day is a unique, wacky board.
Word search but as a strategy game. Clearing the board feels really good.
Align the letters in just the right way to spell a word. And then more words.
