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By JOHN BIDWELL

Eight years after the end of our Peace Corps service, my wife Kris Holloway and I returned to Mali, West Africa. While there, we reunited with Madou Mariko, who trained with me to repair wells.

I read the Gazette’s coverage of the rally at Rep. Jim McGovern’s office demanding that he speak up for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine [“A call for peace talks,” Feb. 25]. In addition to the immeasurable suffering of the Ukrainian people, the specter of nuclear war keeps growing as the U.S. pours arms, money, and sanctions into escalating the war. Consider the situation in reverse: Suppose China or Russia formed an alliance with Mexico or Canada, then built up their military forces and gave them advanced weaponry. Would the U.S. have named that as a hostile threat and invaded? Of course it would have.

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.

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.

By MARIEL E. ADDIS

As the U.S. decides whether to stop support for Ukraine to prevent Russian takeover, I notice a complete lack of information about what life might be like for ethnic Ukrainians under Russian rule. I’ve seen no real reporting on this in either commercial or public media.

Last week I had the misfortune to need medical attention at Mass General Brigham, Cooley Dickinson Hospital for a minor but painful injury. I spent five hours waiting to be seen. However, I was very surprised waiting five hours in an emergency room would turn into a wonderful, heartwarming, educational experience.

I cannot imagine a more incorrect headline than the one that ran on Page 1 on Feb. 22: “All agree: Northampton schools in ‘crisis’ mode.” There are a few city councilors and a small but vocal group of parents demanding that the city recklessly spend $600,000 with 11 weeks left in the school year. Hardly everyone agrees that we are in a “crisis.”

Yes, yes the streets aren’t in great shape and by the end of next week Mother Nature will have done the city’s job. Let’s discuss our Main Street, you know, Main Street.

In the classic 1962 Cold War movie, “The Manchurian Candidate,” a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Korea is kidnapped, drugged and brainwashed by Chinese and Russian communists. Purpose: Send an American assassin to kill the next president and install a communist puppet. That plot failed.

I appreciate Richard McCarthy’s recent columns addressing articifial intelligence. AI is taking the country by storm and it’s wise to slow down and evaluate this technology. AI is concerning given its massive energy consumption, copyright infringement issues and capacity to spread misinformation. Additionally, Google recently broke its promise not to use AI for harmful purposes such as building weapons.

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!