Ann Darling: Dangers of nuclear power still in our midst

I am grateful to Sam Lovejoy for his 1974 weather-tower-toppling civil disobedience that brought the risks of nuclear power into public awareness in western Massachusetts, and I appreciate the front-page placement of your article about it [“Play it...

Jim Bates: The EV party is over

The climate activists in our valley have been partying like it’s 1999, RIP Prince. Our illustrious new governor recently announced $50 million to built EV charging infrastructure across the state. What’s wrong with this picture?State revenues fell for...

My Turn: Water, the lifeblood of the world. 

By CAROLE GARIEPY

I had two experiences that made me actually see what a vital substance water is. I saw how being hydrated makes a difference to both life and land, a lifesaving difference.A few years ago, Gerry came in from outside confused, not able to function...

My Turn: When will the president be elected ‘by the people’?

By THE REV. LLOYD PARRILL

The preamble of U.S. Constitution begins beautifully: “We the People of the United States … do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”We the people. It should be so simple. The term “democracy” literally means “the...

Mary Kay Mattiace: A Franklin County wonder

Hooray for the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (NELCWIT)!Hooray, hooray for the Ja’Duke Center for Performing Arts!!Doing a fundraiser for such a critical and worthy cause is magnanimous — all proceeds went to NELCWIT. Doing a...

Judy Atkins: Support Medicare for All 

In the article, “Nursing students meet with Legislators,” (Recorder, Feb. 13) one of the students from the GCC Nursing School class asked the legislators what nurses can do to drum up support for Single Payer Health Care — also know as Medicare for...

Linda J. Donaldson: Mike Pence, Liz Cheney are ‘truth-loving patriots’

“It is up to us, in our time, to choose wisely between the hard but necessary task of preserving peace and freedom and the temptation to ignore our duty and blindly hope for the best while the enemies of freedom grow stronger day by day.”“Let it never...

Shel Ball: Hydro plant’s deadly impacts on fish and the river

Water is life. FirstLight’s Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage (NMPS) is life-killing.In his recent column, Karl Meyer encouraged us to read Dr. Alex Haro’s comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding the Flows and Fish...

My Turn: Will men organize to end gun violence?

By ROB OKUN

How many ears must one man haveBefore he can hear people cry?How many deaths will it take till he knows thattoo many people have died?— Bob Dylan, “Blowin’ in the Wind”It’s been six years since the Valentine’s Day massacre of 14 students and three...

My Turn: A power in hands that work

By JOHN SHEIRER

Last summer, I asked my boss about taking some time off to address a medical issue. “As the human body ages,” I said, “strange things happen.” We laughed.“You must have lots of sick time saved up after working more than 30 years,” he said. I showed...

My Turn: GCC effort turning elders into ‘Cyber Seniors’

By JUDY RAPER

It would be an understatement to say that our world is becoming increasingly digital and the pandemic has only accelerated this shift. The reality is one uses digital skills to pay bills, access health records, watch television, connect socially,...

David Blais: Thank you Franklin County residents

I recently attended a show at the Ja’Duke Center for the Performing Arts called “Resilience Rising.” The show was a benefit to raise money for New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, an organization that helps women in crisis. The show...

Allen Woods: Diversity of opinion requires willingness to write

For years, and more often recently, I have read complaints about the Recorder’s columnists and their politics. Most have suggested that there are too few conservative viewpoints represented and that most regular writers come from one particular...

David Goldstein: Death penalty makes liberals sad

According to columnist Bill Newman, “Someday we will abolish state-sanctioned killing of our fellow human beings. Someday.” [“The illusion of kinder, gentler executions,” Recorder, Feb. 5.]I hope he’s wrong. The death penalty makes liberals very sad....

Jennifer Richardson: Nuts and not so nutty

MAGA — the right-wing conspiracy nuts who are unhappy with the status quo in Washington, D.C. Well, not really.I mean, if you think “right-wing” means wanting lower taxes for ordinary Americans who are sick of sending half their income to government...

Bob Armstrong: Stop unnecessary new gas projects

The influential lobby group Mothers Out Front and our local Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution Climate Task Force are promoting legislative action required to permanently halt expansion of huge new gas pipelines in Massachusetts. This...

Deb Habib: My Turn or our turn?

I appreciate the Recorder for maintaining an opinion page. It is often the first section my husband and I turn to at the end of the day. However, it feels that the same writers show up too frequently in My Turn pieces (as well as weekend columns). It...

My Turn: Scripted early reading approach no substitute for real teaching

By MARIA JOSÉ BOTELHO, DEB PATTERSON and CAMILLE CAMMACK

In December, Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley made a proposal that the Legislature mandate that schools use “high-quality” reading curriculum across Massachusetts to “fix the literacy crisis.” Gov. Maura Healey’s recent release of her Literacy...

Major Elijah Kahn: The Salvation Army of Massachusetts looks forward to a new year

It is with the most heartfelt gratitude that The Salvation Army of Massachusetts thanks all those who contributed to the 2023 Red Kettle Campaign. Throughout the holidays your donations, regardless of size, contributed to aiding so many families...

Judy Pozar: Why I’m voting for Nikki Haley, not Biden, in the primary

I am planning to vote for Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, because I’ll do whatever I can to prevent the current front-runner (former president Trump) from becoming the nominee. Massachusetts has 40 delegates to award in the Republican primary....