Guest columnist Gerard Simonette: Trapped Republicans do have a way out

By GERARD SIMONETTE

Gloria Caballero: Negotiate with Russia, end war in Ukraine

I agreed with the guest column about the Ukraine war in the Jan. 2 Gazette. With its third anniversary, I think President Donald Trump should do what I wish former President Biden had done — talk with Russian President Putin. They should figure out how to stop not only the awful destruction of Ukraine and the horrific loss of soldiers on both sides, but also the risk that this war could easily escalate into a direct confrontation between the US/NATO and Russia.

Sidney Moss: English as the national language is the wrong direction

I’m very disappointed that President Donald Trump has now signed an executive order designating English as our country’s official language as was forecast in a recent Gazette article [“Trump to designate English as official U.S. language, Gazette, March 1].

Kip Fonsh: Down the Trump hole of fascism

We have descended down the deep hole of fascism. The guardrails have been stripped away and we are in grave danger of becoming an authoritarian state. Democracy will die down this hole. I am perplexed as to what 77 million Americans were expecting when they voted for this man. To make matters worse, he has brought in his sidekick, Elon Musk, an ununelected man with a chain saw to obliterate our government and our democracy. And this man with his chain saw has fired thousands of government workers, men and women who daily keep the system going.

Paul M. Craig: Saving Social Security means ‘all hands on deck’

The only way to save Social Security from fiscal disaster is to revert this federal social welfare program to its original purpose. This means to reconsider it as a “floor of income in old age” so that it is no longer thought of as a personal pension or retirement plan.

David Roitman: Legislators: Go where it counts!

The most valuable commodity these days isn’t gold, diamonds, or crypto — it’s attention. In our fractured information environment, power and influence are gained by the people who know how to get it. That’s why I’m calling on U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren to go where they’ll get attention — red districts.

Margie Riddle: A caring community

An enthusiastic crowd of dog lovers and their owners and admirers welcomed the 17th annual Volunteers in Northampton Schools Dog Show back on Saturday, March 1, for an afternoon of fun and smiles. Ribbons were awarded to a dog shown by both a youth and adult owner in 14 categories including Best Fetcher, Pooch Who Can Smooch and Most Photogenic.

Scott Barton: Don’t let them normalize disrespect

When J.D. Vance said the other day that an economic deal in Ukraine was a “better security guarantee than 20,000 troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years,” he once again insulted the two European countries who have provided troops in Ukraine.

Guest columnist Kurt Heidinger: Spy cams on our public lands — Massachusetts must make rules

By KURT HEIDINGER

Columnist Dr. David Gottsegen: Spreading disease with vax misinfo

By Dr. DAVID GOTTSEGEN

I’ve been a physician for nearly 40 years. We are trained to evaluate information about human health based on a foundation of knowledge learned in 11-12 years of pre-med, med school and residency training, evidence-based research, and experience listening to and treating thousands of patients.

Guest columnist Al Norman: Let’s expedite ‘local power for local people’

By AL NORMAN

Benjamin Spencer: Vote for Laurie Loisel in Ward 3

I was very pleased to see Laurie Loisel throw her hat in the ring and announce her candidacy for Ward 3 city councilor. I appreciate the experience, knowledge and energy she will bring to that role.

Mary Olberding: Hampshire Register of Deeds Responds

The Gazette article “Racism still being handed down in Northampton deeds” [Feb. 28] refers to work done by me and the Hampshire Registry of Deeds to find restrictive covenants in our deeds. Restrictive covenants, here, is language that prohibits certain discriminatory action as a condition of transferring the deed to another party. The language is unenforceable per Supreme Court decision Shelly v. Kraemer in 1948 and expressly prohibited by the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Larry Cervelli: Time for Supreme Court action

We all have seen years of movies about the critically important historical contributions of people of color and women to science, health, space exploration and education. But our current president, without resistance from elected Republicans, has fired Gen. Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of Naval Operations; and Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, U.S. Coast Guard commandant.

Natalie Adams: Broom making at the Hartsbrook School — A fuller perspective

It was a pleasure to read reporter Emilee Klein’s article on broom making by the students at the Hartsbrook School [”Fifth graders at Hartsbrook School make brooms from scratch,” Feb. 21]. Because the article describes Hartsbrook as “an agricultural school,” I would like to offer a fuller perspective on Waldorf education in general and the Hartsbrook School in particular.

Candy Krepel: Thank you, sports team

As a woman who attended high school and college before the enactment of Title IX, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to see the many photos of women and girls playing a variety of sports. Congratulations to the sports editor for the parity in coverage.

Guest columnist H. Patricia Hynes: How women’s equality could change the world

By H. PATRICIA HYNES

Columnist Bill Newman: Battling Trump’s war on truth

By BILL NEWMAN

Censorship functions as a deadly weapon in the arsenal of authoritarian regimes. Consider this.

George Anderson: More to the utility bill story

I read the Feb.24 story regarding the state DPU proudly proclaiming a 5% reduction in Eversource gas bills starting in March. I have to say I was quite underwhelmed by the amount of the reduction.

Deb Friedman: Mass deportation is Trump's gift to for-profit detention center contractors

Undocumented immigrants do not endanger the safety, writ large, of U.S. citizens, as shown by U.S. statistics on violent crimes. The tiny portion of undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes is nonetheless used to justify inhumane treatment, such as the threat of deportation, toward all.