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While I appreciated U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern’s time and many thoughtful responses to questions from constituents at First Churches of Northampton on Saturday, I was disappointed that he did not call out the crowd members who booed the man who exercised his First Amendment right to free speech and spoke his mind about Obamacare and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Donald Trump is not a conservative but a reactionary and the press needs to make this important distinction. Whereas true conservatives are supportive of traditional values and democratic institutions, President Trump’s disregard for the U.S. Constitution, federal court orders, and his aggressive expansion of the executive branch at the expense of the Congress and the judiciary shows contempt for our democracy.

We are learning more about the dangers of plastic in the environment, most recently in alarming reports of microplastics in human brains. Our day-to-day existence is completely entangled with plastic — from packaging, bottled water, toys and building materials to automobiles and electronics.

I want to thank the Gazette for publishing Trumpist screeds like “Let’s leave Age of Ignorance behind” [Guest column, Jan. 29], because we must recognize that propagandized neighbors live among us, filled with anger and recrimination.

By CAROLYN BROWN

On Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9, the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Community (WMSHC) will host their biggest annual event, the Western Massachusetts Sacred Harp Convention, at Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity in Florence from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In his Jan. 31 guest column ”All-electric rule: Costlier homes, worse efficiency,” David Murphy discusses the wisdom of Northampton’s new fossil fuel-free construction ordinance and asks the question “Am I missing something?” The answer is yes.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notorious promoter of conspiracy theories and misinformation, has been nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS is one of the most critical federal agencies, responsible for safeguarding public health and guiding the country through health crises. This role demands a leader grounded in science, who prioritizes evidence-based policies, and upholds public trust.

One of the central tenets of the Trump administration’s approach to issues of race is a narrow interpretation of “racial colorblindness.” Racial colorblindness theory takes the stance that a person’s race can and should be ignored.

Do you remember “The Godfather” franchise movies? For those who have not seen the movies, they were about a mob boss, his family, and their rise to power.

Thank you to the woman who I stopped in her car coming out of Westwood at Ryan Road and asked for help corralling my friend’s dog. You pulled into the driveway the dog had taken, called to her and got her to stop running. I was able to re-harness and leash her, and get her home safely. Thank you!

MLK Jr.’s legacy was his essential intuition that the only lasting, effective remedy for any inequity lies in collective action. His drive to undo injustice writ large led him inexorably to an exhortation to see the common roots of personally felt injustices.

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

By CAROLYN BROWN

Jonathan Edwards, one of Northampton’s most famous residents, was a revolutionary preacher whose legacy has endured through centuries. He was the first minister in Northampton to baptize African Americans, yet he did not free those he enslaved. He was a loving husband, yet he supported complementarianism, a theological belief that gender roles are ordained by God. And his work inspired several suicides.

The recent cabinet nominations by President Donald Trump — Kash Patel for FBI director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary, and Pete Hegseth for secretary of Defense are not just poor choices — they are dangerous. These appointments could jeopardize our nation’s safety, health and security at a time when we need strong, competent leadership the most.

By CAROLYN BROWN

A singer-songwriter showcase series in Florence is expanding to include the trans community.

There is a grave moral crisis underway in Northampton: namely, the economic injustice being perpetrated on working- and middle-class people in our community by city government. Understandably, the focus of news coverage has been on the inexcusable actions of the city toward the schools and what I believe is an undisguised effort to destroy the long-accepted notion in Northampton that a public education is a right — and this is happening with a shrug and an “Oh, well” by many people in town, especially the mayor’s most ardent supporters.

After partying on King Street with friends and family this New Year’s Eve and anxiously waiting for the ball on Hotel Northampton to rise, signalling the start of the new year, my granddaughter asked why all the huge Department of Public Works trucks...

I was glad to start the new year off reading the Jan. 2 guest column by John Berkowitz [“Negotiate Ukraine peace now, not risk nuclear war with Russia”].I’m worried that the Ukraine war, if it escalates into a direct confrontation between the...

By JOE SILVERMAN

Despite a year with record-breaking heat waves, wildfires, storms and floods, President-elect Donald Trump promises to drill-baby-drill. These policies will bring us closer to a climate tipping point, which is a threshold that, when crossed, will...

By EDWARD ORZECHOWSKI

A few days before Christmas, I was driving up North King Street, Route 5 in Northampton, on my way to drop off cookies my wife had made for my sister and brother-in-law in Hatfield. And there he was. The man who waves at cars.I had seen this guy...