Barbara Sharp: Cartoonist ‘one of the greats’

Now, more than ever, when the Gazette arrives each morning, I skip the headlines and go immediately to the cartoon page.

Charles Dickinson: Editorial cartoon misleading

Does the Gazette not support checks and balances or the Constitution of these formerly United States? I strongly object to the editorial cartoon of June 25 where the Democrats are characterized as an old fuddy-duddy mule asking President Donald Trump if he had permission to slay the dragon of Iran’s nuclear effort. The bombing was unconstitutional. And in fact, the dragon is hardly slain: a more accurate image would be that of a childish Trump saying he solved the problem by hitting the hornet’s nest with a baseball bat, but there is a swarm of angry hornets ready to descend on him (us!). The Democratic Party is desperately trying to claw back our democracy and civility from this lawless, grifting, cruel administration.

Peter Vogel: Column left out Hamas similarities

Gazette columnist Olin Rose-Bardawil’s June 13 column [“Calling out a ‘monstrous’ war”] was 792 words long, but he unfortunately never wrote why there has been a war in Gaza for over 600 days. Isn’t it because 1,200 innocent Jews living their lives, farming, attending a music festival etc. were brutally raped, maimed and killed? With what, a couple hundred more taken hostage? No words about that? The column states, “At this point in the war, it is almost as futile to claim that the destruction of Gaza and an ethnic cleansing aren’t the ultimate goals of the current regime.” Which sounds exactly like what Hamas leaders say — they are for the total destruction of Israel. We are lectured but no words about the similarity?

Local and Green: It’s time for reusable take-out containers

By DARCY DUMONT

Though much could be said about the Trump administration’s retreat from climate action and the disappearance of funding to state and local governments, there is still a lot we can do on a local level without needing any government action or funding.

Erdmute White: Puffer’s Pond

It is hot and people look for relief and it is difficult to find a refuge. Puffer’s Pond is neglected by the town of Amherst. The “no swimming” signs from last year were still on their posts. There are no trash cans close to the beach area and the littering has begun. Dogs are a constant issue, they defecate and pee where people will put their blankets. Dogs also get into dog fights, like last evening. Loud music is played whenever.

Henry Morgan: How Trump's ‘One, Big Beautiful Bill’ threatens educational opportunity for working-class Americans

The Republican “One, Big Beautiful Bill” that has stormed through Congress is an omnibus bill that would adversely impact the lives of working-class Americans. Among the ways this legislation will impact Americans is in higher education access. In a misguided effort to slash government spending to address some very real issues of fiscal responsibility, Republicans have proposed changes to financial aid eligibility and Pell Grant allocations that would make it even harder for working students to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The bill proposes increasing the threshold for students to be recognized as full-time and thus receive adequate aid, this would be disastrous for working students who need to constantly scramble with limited time to meet credit requirements.

Guest columnist Rabbi James Greene: Feeding the hungry a sacred obligation

By RABBI JAMES GREENE

“Breadline Blues” — one of the haunting anthems of the Great Depression — tells the story of a man who saw all of his fellow “good folks” in distress at the changing economic collapse. The person in the story is an everyman; a worker looking for a better life who even after all his efforts is still stuck in a breadline. His story echoes from our past to this moment, as Congress considers deep cuts to food-assistance programs that millions of Americans rely on today.

Guest columnist David Ball: How not to understand the war in Ukraine

By DAVID BALL

Sometimes I’m tempted to think that a fraction of the left gets its views on Ukraine from Vladimir Putin’s cyber-disinformation network. Take John Berkowitz’ guest column on June 15.

Guest columnist Mariel E. Addis: Celebrating great friends during Pride Month

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

Last month, I had a dinner date with two trans women friends of mine. One of the women is a couple years older than me, the other two years younger. Each one of us transitioned from male to female in our 50s.

Columnist Carrie N. Baker: Our generation’s ‘rendezvous with destiny’

By CARRIE N. BAKER

Americans today face an existential threat to our democracy and our rights, but not for the first time. In the past, Americans have transformed similar threats into opportunities to realize bold and ambitious new visions for America. We must now do the same.

Guest columnist Kayla Baillargeon: Keeping families intact takes advocacy, resources

By KAYLA BAILLARGEON

Last year, I joined local non-profit Community Legal Aid as a parent advocate for the organization’s Family Preservation Project, an innovative initiative which provides legal support to families who are involved with the Department of Children & Families (DCF) for poverty-related reasons rather than issues of abuse or neglect.

Guest columnist Skian McGuire: The image of Emily Dickinson

By SKIAN MCGUIRE

Even though I have lived in the Pioneer Valley for almost 40 years and have long been a student of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, yesterday was my first visit to the Dickinson Homestead in Amherst. It’s a wonderful resource, and the museum has done a great job of restoration to give us an idea of the environment from which Dickinson drew much of her inspiration. The tour guides were excellent, and I especially enjoyed the tour of The Evergreens, where our guide Thackeray’s encyclopedic knowledge and deep love for the place made the tour the highlight of my visit.

Guest columnist Gary Michael Tartakov: The two most important things to know about antisemitism

By GARY MICHAEL TARTAKOV

The two most important things for us to know about antisemitism today are, first, that it is not universal, and second, that it is not what Israel is fighting in Gaza. Whatever the U.S. government’s reasons for supporting the ongoing massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and more limited assaults on the West Bank, it seems clear that many Americans, not only Jews, believe that the government of Israel is doing what it must, to protect Israel from a world of Jew-hating antagonists, threatening its very existence.

Richard D. Little: In a world of chaos, why support the JAMBs?

Franklin County has unique 200-million-year-old features called Jurassic armored mud balls (“JAMBs”). Hopefully, many readers have heard about these. The Massachusetts Legislature is considering recognizing JAMBs as the official state “Sedimentary Structure,” in addition to over 50 other distinctly Massachusetts items such as Podokesaurus (state dinosaur), Dinosaur Footprints (state fossil), and Boston Crème (state donut).

Jody Nishman: Shared-use path in Haydenville benefits entire town

A recent Gazette guest column regrading the proposed Haydenville South Main Street shared-use path (SUP) was misleading. The writer criticized the project as unsafe, and forced upon the neighborhood by outsiders. In fact, the plan for the SUP has been a townwide public process under the auspices of the Select Board for over 12 years. The process considered every concern raised for safety, legality and the impacts on private property in consultation with engineers and town counsel.

Angela Wack: Solutions together

Two things can be true simultaneously— our city and schools are doing wonderful things and there’s still room for improvement. For several years, Northampton’s political conversations have focused heavily on criticizing what’s wrong with our city and schools, with limited discussion of practical solutions beyond increased funding. It’s time to expand the conversation. Three years ago, my family chose to move from Florida to Northampton for its liberal values and excellent schools. As a neurodivergent family with children at JFK, NHS, and HCC, I understand the struggles of advocating for neurodivergent people: from IEP qualification battles to accepting developmental differences while celebrating strengths. I have a master’s in education and classroom experience teaching students with diverse abilities, demographics, and needs. As the leader of an educational advocacy group, I developed innovative solutions for a school facing fiscal constraints — building and maintaining a butterfly garden with an open-air classroom, establishing a school’s first multicultural committee, and providing essential technology during the COVID pandemic.

Tim Walter: Oil and war

Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution states, “The Congress shall have the Power To … declare War ...” Before President Donald Trump bombs Iraq and possibly starts World War III, doesn’t Congress have to declare war?

Guest columnist Rob Moir: For cod and country

By ROB MOIR

In 1638, it was clear to the people of Plymouth, Massachusetts, that there were fewer cod and striped bass in their coastal waters because they knew what we were capable of. They did not blame divine intervention or the biblical call to “fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Maia Hinesley-Saunders: The Skrmetti decision, Dobbs, and solidarity with the reproductive justice movement

On June 18, the Supreme Court decided United States v. Skrmetti, one of the most important transgender rights cases to be heard by the court. The court ultimately decided to uphold a decision by the Sixth Circuit banning gender-affirming care (GAC) for minors, regardless of parental consent. Of great consequence was the court’s finding that Tennessee’s law (SB1) does not discriminate on the basis of sex and thus necessitates only a rational basis test (as opposed to heightened or strict scrutiny). The court thereby rejected the Equal Protection argument to protect access to GAC.

Letter: Protest to support the taken

We live in perilous times. Immigrant neighbors, upon whom we depend for friendship and community, have been taken from schools, houses of worship, workplaces and homes without due process. They have been “disappeared.” Yet, as Gazette columnist Bill Newman has so clearly articulated, protest is effective! Thus, on June 26, in concert with the National Day of Action for the “Disappeared in America,” we will gather at Northampton City Hall at noon to walk Main Street and bear silent witness to the more than 1,500 people who have been “taken” by ICE in Massachusetts. We invite you to join us without signs, perhaps with a flower! As we walk, we will distribute information to activate and educate. (The Interfaith community will continue calling attention to such actions by ICE with more than 10 local faith groups planning a silent procession in mid-July.) Please join us at Northampton City Hall at noon on June 26.