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Say no to bigotry

Trump is already blaming the January 29 airplane crash over the Potomac River on people of color. Asked why he believed policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) had anything to do with the crash, Trump said: “Because I have common sense. OK. And, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.” (In other words, most people are idiots. But the insult didn’t answer the question.) Secretary of Defense Hegseth added his own bigoted view. “The era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department.” According to the 2023 report on military demographics, 32% of active military ...

Social Security at risk

Pennsylvania is a state with an aging population much of which depends on Social Security for some or all of its income. I hope all of you understand that Elon Musk has been given permission by the White House to meddle in the affairs of the Treasury Department including access to your personal information. That would include names, addresses, S.S. number and the amount you receive, which of course you paid for with the taxes that came out of each paycheck. The so-called “worlds richest man” thinks you are getting too much and is looking for ways to cut back that amount and save the ...

An inspiring teacher

Thank you for publishing the article by Mary Sieminski on Marion Bower: “An inspiring teacher for aspiring citizens.” One immigrant family she taught was mine. The article brought up so many fond childhood memories of the first few years after my family arrived from Germany to the United States after WWII as displaced Polish persons. My parents, Luba and Frank Ochej, and I were settling in Williamsport in 1952 with a new culture, no job or English language skills. My parents met Mrs. Bower while she was teaching English classes for immigrants at night school. By that time, my ...

Biden takes a walk

On his way out the door, Biden decided to amend the Constitution all by himself by adding the long-expired ERA to it. And Biden did so while “reminding” America those fascist threats to the Constitution are running rampant in America. That’s why dog owners taking dogs for a walk must keep them on leashes, especially surly dogs that snap and snarl. But Biden’s walkers let him off his leash for one last bit of frisky fresh air. Whereupon Biden bit the Constitution and tried to shred it. Of course he failed. And now both Biden and his handlers are out of town. And Biden will ...

Law and order

After the 1st week of the Trump presidency, I am somewhat confused. My parents always taught me to be courteous and respectful to law enforcement. Yes, sir...No, sir. But I have since learned there is the Trump response which I am now prepared for. These are the items needed to respond to law enforcement. First is a bright red MAGA hat, so if police arrive at your house, put on your hat. The next items are equally important. A can of bear spray, an American flag on a 6 foot pole with a sharpened spear at the end of the flag pole and a Trump 2020 flag nailed to a baseball bat. This is ...

The cost of tariffs

There’s a lot of consternation over Trump’s proposed tariffs. We are being told that the cost will be paid by U.S. consumers and not the country from which the goods come. Ironically, the people making the most noise about these taxes on foreign companies are the same people who have for years advocated for higher taxes on American companies. Aren’t those taxes also passed on to the consumer? The truth of the matter is more complicated than that. The answer to the question of whether the cost of these tariffs will be paid by U.S. consumers is a definite, maybe. The cost of ...