Marion Griswold: War dead

I noted with sorrow the Recorder’s editorial cartoon published on May 3, which honors the 58,220 American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. We grieve for those lost lives. But the cartoon is a lie, because it tells only a fraction of the story. For surely it is not just our own American soldiers who died that had lives worth living, and whose deaths are worth noting with grief. No one knows how many people died in that fruitless war, but one of the more recent estimates was a 2008 study by the British Medical Journal that estimated a total of 3,812,000 dead in Vietnam between 1955 and 2002. That’s not a number; those are people.

Lynn Waldron: Disappointed in use of photo of pro-Palestinian encampment

I was deeply disappointed that you chose to show a picture of a pro-Palestinian encampment as part of your article on antisemitism [“Antisemitic incidents remain up,” May 1]. Those of us, and we are many, working to stop the genocide in Gaza perpetrated by the Israeli government with the help of U.S. weapons, are tired of the press trying to conflate support for the Palestinians with antisemitism. The Recorder staff would be well advised to read up on the meaning of antisemitism and what makes someone a Semite. Most Palestinians by virtue of language, culture and place are Semites. Many Israelis, by virtue of coming to the Middle East from Europe are actually not Semites. Following this logic, Israel, with U.S. support, is practicing antisemitism on a devastating scale.

Liz Brown: Support for Palestinians is not antisemitism

I trust I was not the only Greenfield Recorder reader who was taken aback by the headline on the May 1 front page (“Antisemitic incidents remain up”) accompanied by a photograph of a pro-Palestinian encampment at Emerson College. Conflating these students’ actions with antisemitism is precisely what the Trump administration wants, but it is not the truth. People like RumaysaOsturk, Mahmoud Khalil, and Mohsen Mahdawi who express concern over Israel’s ongoing violence against Palestinian civilians are not antisemites. This regrettable placement of the photo and that headline warrants a correction by the paper or at least a commitment to do better in the future.

My Turn: ADUs — The owner is gone, and so is granny

By JOAN MARIE JACKSON and MITCH SPEIGHT

Most days in Greenfield you can find us talking with our neighbors at our three favorite local stops: the Public Library, the Greenfield Senior Center lunch, and Saints James and Andrew church. We listen closely to what our community friends say about the challenges facing our city.

Guest columnist Jennifer Pederson: Do you know how often your water gets a check-up?

By JENNIFER PEDERSON

When was the last time you visited your doctor for a regular check-up? Maybe annually, perhaps even twice a year if you’re diligent. Now, consider this: your drinking water gets checked hundreds, even thousands, of times every single month.

Pam Roberts: Buddy Baseball starts May 10

Saturday, May 10 is opening day for the 31st season of Buddy Baseball! This year our team logo is the yellow Bumblebees. Buddy Baseball is a program for youth with disabilities to play ball with the help of peer buddies. We invite new players, buddies and coaches to join our enthusiastic, family and fun-oriented crew.

Wendy Sibbison: Antisemitism in the news

This paper should have done a better job of reporting the Anti-Defamation League’s claims of growing ”antisemitic acts of hate” on Massachusetts college campuses. ”Antisemistism incidents remain up,” [Recorder, May 1]. Buried deep in paragraph 14 is the ADL’s assertion that it “is careful to not conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.” But the content of the article proves quite the contrary. In it, the ADL admits that 63% of the purportedly antisemitic incidents reported last year “were related to Israel or Zionism” — i.e., were not acts of hatred toward humans who happen to be Jews. Two of the three specific incidents reported were similarly not attacks on Jews but on the state of Israel: at Smith College, an Israeli flag with a spray-painted swastika; and at Berklee College of Music, a student telling a Jewish classmate that he “cannot stop following Israel’s war against Palestinian children.” The third example was flagrant antisemitism which I won’t repeat.

Corky Miller and Mark Arnold: Time to draw the line on ADUs

Some years back, Greenfield changed its zoning rules to allow a single-family home to be converted into a two- or three-family dwelling — by right. This goes beyond the state law which only allows a two-family home by right.

Kathe Geist: Crossing the line on relocation

My most recent issue of Massachusetts Wildlife explains that relocating wild animals is both harmful and illegal. “Imagine, for a moment, if you were removed from your home and randomly “relocated” to a place where you had never been before and were given no money, means of communication, supplies, or directions. It would be disorienting and stressful, to say the least, and locating and obtaining the basic necessities in this circumstance would be incredibly difficult.” Uh-huh. This is the situation facing migrants who have lived in the United States for 10 or 20 years and are deported back to their “home” countries. It seems that the rabbit in your backyard enjoys more protections than the migrant who has lived in your neighborhood for 20 years. Of all the Trump administration’s abuses, its treatment of non-citizens is the most alarming if only because the line that this administration draws between citizens and non-citizens is razor thin and has already been crossed more than once.

From Global to Local: Natural world’s gift economy has lessons for all

By H. PATRICIA HYNES

No one wrote more powerfully about humans’ poisoning the Earth and its consequences than biologist Rachel Carson — with a focus on one contaminant, the pesticide DDT. She traced its toxicity through the food chain of nature and the loss of beneficial insects and birds, and then warned of the ultimate destruction of the natural world. Other environmental writers of the time were perplexed by the tidal wave of impact “Silent Spring” had compared to their books: it was both the accuracy of her science and the powerful beauty of her science writing. The award-winning “Silent Spring” was translated into all the languages of the industrial world, influenced key environmental legislation and spurred the creation of the US EPA. It was a gift that kept on giving. That was 1962.

My Turn: Protect voting for all eligible citizens

BY RANDI KLEIN

Americans’ voting rights are under assault from pending legislation and a presidential executive order. Led by the League of Women Voters (LWV) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Americans are fighting back against attempts to make it harder for millions of eligible voters to have their voices heard.

My Turn: Choosing money over life brings trouble

By MARIAN KELNER

I am interested in the illusion of worth that money gives to individuals since money in and of itself is dead. It is comprised of metal or pieces of paper mixed with cloth. It is only the human agreement as to how much the paper or metal is worth that allows us to purchase objects with it. On the other hand, people, animals, plants, the earth are alive. We and they have inherent value. When people choose money over life, we are all in trouble.

Kathy Sylvester: Tim Hilchey known for dependable leadership

I am writing to express my full support for the re-election of Tim Hilchey to the DeerfieldSelectboard. As a former chair of the Community Preservation Committee and the Conservation Commission and a member of the Selectboard for the last three years, Tim has shown steady leadership, a deep commitment to our community and a genuine willingness to listen and act on the concerns of residents.

Susan Wright: Dan Campbell is best candidate for Northfield Selectboard

I am writing to express my strong support for Dan Campbell as the most qualified candidate to fill the vacant seat on the Northfield Selectboard. Dan has lived in Northfield for 35 years. He is conscientious and dedicated as evidenced by his long service to the town. As a member of the Finance Committee for over 20 years he possesses a deep understanding of our town and school budgets, our financial strengths and vulnerabilities and a keen awareness of the pressures and concerns of Northfield taxpayers. As town clerk for 10 years and assistant town clerk for two years, he knows the townspeople and has served as part of the excellent Town Hall employee team that our town administrator has built over the past several years.

Virginia and Howard Hastings: Vote Brassor for Northfield Selectboard

Barbara Brassor is a win-win for Northfield. Growing up here, she attended Northfield schools, and spent decades serving in our community as town clerk, treasurer, tax collector and gave assistance with elections. Barbara is a loving grandmother, caring about the future of Northfield for our kids and grandkids. She is retired and ready to commit to the Selectboard with “common sense solutions.”

Steve and Joan Stoia: Support Barbara Brassor for Select Board

On May 6, Northfield voters will fill a vacancy on the Select Board. Two candidates are running: Dan Campbell, who currently serves as assistant town clerk, chair of the Finance Committee, and is a former town clerk — and Barbara Brassor, a lifelong Northfield resident with a deep history of public service. Barbara has served as town clerk, treasurer, tax collector, and election official in Northfield, as well as town clerk in Bernardston for six years. We’re supporting Barbara Brassor, and here’s why.

Sarah Kerns: Brassor’s experience sets her apart

Northfield’s town election is on Tuesday and there is a race for Selectboard. I want to share some information about one of the candidates.

Barry Pfannebecker: Hilchey works for all of Deerfield

Tim Hilchey has proved he works for all of Deerfield, not just a few of us. His credentials, accomplishments and commitment have been demonstrated over and over again.

As I See It: For Democrats to survive, they must attack the oligarchs now

By JON HUER

News media reports are that Trump “bragged” about helping his billionaire donors take advantage (to the tune of $300 billion) in a suspected insider trading with his on-again, off-again tariff decisions. And America’s working poor have never seen such blatant and brazen in-your-face money grabbing by the rich oligarchs.

Christine Heard: Love the semicolon

Thank you, Gene Stamell, for a wonderful My Turn column about my favorite punctuation, the semicolon! For many years I have edited my children’s writing and now that of my grandchildren, even friends and colleagues, all along educating them about the use of the semicolon to clarify and dress up a sentence, bringing crispness and elan to prose writing. You provided a great deal of information new to me about the semicolon’s history and current usage. I appreciate your amusing column which I do not find “rather trivial“; I love the semicolon!