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By OLIN ROSE-BARDAWIL

In the face of chaos and deterioration at the federal level, one can very easily feel powerless. For the average citizen who is opposed to Elon Musk’s careless destruction of federal agencies or Donald Trump’s recklessness with foreign policy, there are few ways to directly effect change. Sure, they can write to their representative or hold protests — as many in the area have been doing — but these efforts, while important, can only go so far.

By JOHN PAINE

At a time when reactionary forces seek to undermine an open and inclusive society, Amherst must reaffirm its commitment to institutions that uphold our progressive values. Chief among them is the Jones Library, a vital resource for knowledge, civic participation, and cultural exchange. More than just a building filled with books, the library provides English language programs, historical archives, and shared public resources that ensure every resident, regardless of background, can fully participate in community life.

The recent onslaught of actions taken by our new administration is calling to mind the regrettably prescient quote by Martin Niemoller. With apologies to the Rev. Niemoller, I offer an update:

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.

By ROB OKUN

Lost amidst the fire hose of lies uttered by Donald Trump at his address before Congress March 4, was a New Mexico Democratic congresswoman’s succinct description of the crisis facing the United States: Rep. Melanie Stansbury held a small sign that said, “This Is Not Normal” as Mr. Trump greeted lawmakers upon entering the chamber. That Texas Republican Rep. Lance Gooden ripped the sign from Ms. Stansbury’s hands was not surprising. What is remarkable was that more Democrats didn’t highlight Rep. Stansbury’s message.

While I appreciate Gazette columnist J.M. Sorrell’s honest look into her own roots, as well as her commitment to fighting antisemitism, her column “Jewish neshamah” [March 5] essentially endorses the idea that any criticism of Israel is tantamount to hatred of Jews.

I would like to commend Gazette reporter Emilee Klein for her excellent article “Fired veteran suffers through address” [March 6] focused on testimony from Springfield Vet Center receptionist and veteran Michael Slater and on the broad funding and staffing cuts in the works for the VA.

After reading Kevin Lake’s March 4 guest column [“Misinformation, personal attacks, have no place in Northampton debate”], I am starting to wonder if reading comprehension is a widespread problem in this city, and not just for kids who can’t get reading services because of the mayor’s school budget.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., disrupted President Joe Biden’s 2023 and 2024 State of the Union addresses without any repercussions. On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was escorted out of the House chamber for pointing out the obvious, that Donald Trump does not have a mandate to cut Medicaid. He was swiftly censured.

‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

By KAREN GARDNER

This should not be happening. We have a constitutional democracy created nearly 250 years ago with the goal of serving the needs of its people by providing for their “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And for those nearly 250 years, it has worked.

We Americans, we will not be forgiven for the criminal in the White House. Neither by the world nor by future generations. None of us. There will be no absolution for our failures that have brought the United States to the abyss.

By CLAUDIA LEFKO

“I will say, from my own belief and experience, that imagination thrives on contact, on tangible connection. For humans to have a responsible relationship to the world, they must imagine their places in it. To have a place, to live and belong in a place, to live from a place without destroying it, we must imagine it. By imagination we see it illuminated by its own unique character and by our love for it. By imagination we recognize with sympathy the fellow members, human and nonhuman, with whom we share our place.” — Wendell Berry, August 2016

By GERARD SIMONETTE

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.

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].

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.

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.

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.