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Deck is stacked

As I write this letter, on April 29, 2026, the Supreme Court has once again shown itself to be another political branch of our government, not the apolitical guardian of the Constitution the Founding Fathers intended. They have decided, along biased party lines, that gerrymandering to ensure every voter an equal voice is unconstitutional, but gerrymandering to give one party an advantage is perfectly fine…and can be done whenever - not on the traditional 10-year timetable that is tied to the census. Gerrymandering is “the political tactic of manipulating the boundaries of electoral ...

Disrespect

Williamsport mayor Slaughter has arrogantly disrespected every single veteran from the American Revolution to the present by canceling the 4th of July celebration on this, our 250th birthday. His weak excuse of insufficient police manpower doesn’t hold water. The festival has always been more than adequately protected by our city police with additional support from the county sheriff’s department, the county detectives and the state police. Since the mayor hasn’t had the courtesy to explain the situation, I’m surmising that since he’s a Democrat, he’s infected with ...

Selective outrage

If a Democratic president had done even a fraction of what Donald Trump has done, Republicans would be screaming for impeachment hearings. Imagine the reaction from Republicans if Barack Obama or Joe Biden had run for office with 34 felony convictions and a trail of bankruptcies. Or if either tried to overturn a presidential election and incited a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol. What if a Democratic president talked about suspending constitutional rights, deployed federal forces into states over governors’ objections, or bypassed Congress’s constitutional authority over war powers ...

Refuse to surrender

So our great nation will celebrate our 250th birthday this year but we have decided to tuck tail and abandon our celebrations to mobs and gangs. Our nation has seen our bravest bleed for the nation and the entire world but to stand up against gangs of punks running through our town is apparently too much to handle. So to all those who have sacrificed, I apologize. This year, no one in the community may enjoy and celebrate. Forget setting the night to music. Forget the incredible American flag waving along our river. Forget the rousing fireworks. Forget the non profits who raise ...

Gun violence

The following is a reply I sent to Senator McCormick regarding gun violence. It seems appropriate given the loss of life that occurred in Shreveport this past Sunday. Senator McCormick, I thank you for responding to my email regarding gun violence. This past Spring, the residents of Millville in Northumberland County experienced an unspeakable tragedy. A seventeen-year-old male shot and killed another seventeen-year-old male living in the same house. I don’t believe there is much disagreement among most Americans that we are past the time to address this issue. In your ...

No kings

We now have an official king — the mayor of Williamsport Pennsylvania. No independence celebration after 250 years. I want it on May primary ballot for a vote — the king does not rule here! FRANCIS KELLEY Williamsport Submitted by Virtual Newsroom