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Editor:

Initially I was shocked when I saw the front page headline in the Sunday March 30 Buffalo News that … “Langworthy, Tenney don’t back plan to make Canada 51st State”! Of course they don’t, who in their right mind would? Then it dawned on me, who in their right mind indeed?

Mr. Langworthy was quoted as saying that “I take the Canadians at their word that they will not be joining the United States and are going to remain a strong patriotic and independent nation.”

Sir, the question was never about the intent of the Canadians; why turn this into their issue? They did not instigate this conversation; it appears that by passing the buck back to our Canadian friends you were attempting to transfer the culpability for this nonsense from its chief and only originator; The President of the United States.

And according to The News Ms. Tenney “essentially dodged the question”! This political strategy is best known as “escaping chaos with my credibility intact” by following The President’s oft used modus operandi. When asked about something he is not comfortable with or has no idea what to say, he throws it back into the political oblivion which is always highlighted by his constant reference to “they”; I often wonder, who are “they”?

Ms. Tenney took this escape strategy to an advanced political level by following the advice of the self-proclaimed “Greatest” – Muhammad Ali. You “dance and dodge” in order to avoid any contact which might endanger your success. Yes, at this point it appears that she has nothing to offer about The President’s suggested “annexation” of Canada; neither for, or against – just dodging and dancing up a storm of circumvention.

And now, can you imagine a more ridiculously absurd plot line which is similar to his other “annexation” quest as The President’s newfound interest in militarily seizing Iceland. Doesn’t he know that Iceland has been an Independent Parliamentary Republic since 1944 and Greenland is an Autonomous Territory with Self-rule since 2009, and is a member of the Kingdom of Denmark? The key question here is simply as always; doesn’t he know, anything?

Mr. President, Denmark says “nej tak!”

Doug Miller

Albion

Editor:

As some people know gun violence is a big thing in the world now. One of the main problems is gun violence in schools. Many people have different thoughts if security guards should be armed or unarmed.

In Orleans County there are 14 public school buildings and some people wonder if there are armed security. I can tell you in Holley high school and elementary school there are indeed armed guards. Kendall Central School also has an armed resource officer. The 14 schools in Orleans County have armed guards.

There is a lot of research that supports armed guards and how they influence kids to make the right decisions and even though they might not see the weapon they just see the person and just know to do the right thing.

Many have expressed their feelings and opinions about armed security guards in schools but many don’t know the positives around that. In May 2018 at a high school that is located in a different state, an armed gunman came onto campus. The armed security guards took charge and wasn’t far away from the armed gunman. The guard chased the gunman off campus then shot to disable him. No one besides the gunman was hurt. The gunman did not die but he spent a couple days in the hospital and was sent to prison.

From 2013-2014, 43% of public schools have one or more security staff in the building. Most armed guards keep 2 firearms on them. One on their side and one on their leg as a backup.

What’s the point of hiring an unarmed security guard if all they can do is put their self in the line of danger and possibly get shot?

The U.S. Congress also adds an additional 14 million dollars for that budget to help train armed security guards in schools.

In New York State alone they have 200-400 armed security guards in schools not accounting the schools in New York City. Some may ask what’s the point of having armed security guards in schools and they really do help by patrolling the hallways and making sure there is nothing going on while also taking a look outside to make sure nothing looks suspicious.

After the Parkland school shooting in Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, more and more schools have hired or let security guards be armed. I appreciate the time it took for you to read my article about armed security guards in schools and if you have any questions please reach out to my email at mackenziefiorito@student.holleycsd.org.

Mackenzie Fiorito

Holley

Editor:

The endangered Short-eared owl population has declined from 2011-2021 by almost 50%!

Ironically, the Environmental Impact Statement issued to WNY STAMP dates back to 2012 to build in the endangered owl habitat. Seems like a possible connection between these events, don’t it?

NYS and the GCEDC is using taxpayer dollars to provide kickbacks to attract the most noisy, energy and water guzzling data centers and locate them in our wetlands next to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge! This violates several laws including NYS CLCPA, Endangered Species Act, Environmental Justice Siting Law and the Canandaigua Treaty.

GCEDC is fast tracking the STAMP project with no consideration of the changes that the data centers have had from 2012 to now. What about changes in Federal Freshwater Wetlands regulations?

I am calling on the state of NY to reassess the impacts on financial, environmental, water, energy use and wildlife before building a data center in THAT location in Genesee County.

Destroy our wetlands for the profit of private entities is a big loss to our precious last remaining continuous green wildlife wild-way corridor to the edge of Lake Ontario.

Stop STAMP.

Save the owls.

Save our water and power.

Evelyn Wackett

Buffalo

Editor:

Was Patrick Henry a radical revolutionary? When he exclaimed, “Give me liberty or give me death!” was he spouting an extremist sentiment?

Our government has proclaimed that Mahmoud Khalil—a legal resident of the United States—should be deported for his pro-Palestinian rhetoric that makes some Jewish students at Columbia University feel unsafe.

After all he has led anti-Israel protests that call attention to Benjamin Netanyahu’s decidedly anti-Palestinian policies. His detractors apparently feel that, in Khalil’s case, the first amendment does not apply. There are just some subjects about which freedom of speech should be set aside or restricted.

Hey, this guy is no doubt a Muslim. The founding fathers couldn’t have wanted non-Christians to enjoy the freedoms covered by the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, could they?

As citizens of this republic, we must be vigilant. The dissolution of a representative democracy begins with the usurpation of the freedoms unpopular minorities enjoy. After all, there aren’t that many pro-Palestinian people around the United States. How is it a big deal that a few people lose their rights?

That is how the road to tyranny starts. Where does it end?

By the time we start giving this stuff our attention it may well be “game over”.

Sincerely yours,

Gary Kent

Albion

Editor:

Of the seven companies in the world that are worth more than $1 trillion, six are American tech firms. They are fantastically wealthy and profitable, and they all require data processing centers that use enormous amounts of electricity.

Consider the proposed data center known as Project Double Reed at the STAMP site in Genesee County.  It is a nominal 250 megawatt installation that will be built and operated by a firm that will then lease the center to a suitable tenant, presumably a multi-billion or trillion dollar tech company.

Assuming an average usage of 65% of nominal capacity, the center will use around 1,424,000 MW-h of electrical energy in a year. By contrast, the total electrical usage for Genesee County in 2024 was 416,000 MW-h. So the proposed data center will use about 3.5 times as much electricity as the entire rest of the county.  In fact, the data center will use roughly as much electricity as the combined total annual usage for Genesee, Orleans, Wyoming, and Livingston counties!

Governor Hochul, working with the NYS Power Authority, has proposed that STAMP be offered cheap “hydropower” electric rates.  The Power Authority has indicated that the grid can handle the Double Reed load without the need for additional generating capacity. That’s good, since building additional capacity would result in a sharp spike in customer rates.

But something is missing here. If we give multi-billion dollar corporations a big price break on a significant chunk of electricity (in addition to giving them multi-hundred million dollar tax subsidies), wouldn’t that mean that the rest of the ratepayers would face increased rates?  It sure seems possible.

Much has been written about this by reputable sources at Harvard and MIT, detailing how utility ratepayers are paying for Big Tech’s power. The conclusion is that the current data center funding strategies are devolving into a race to the bottom, with government entities giving more and more costly incentives for smaller and smaller public benefits, and with the data centers reaping big rewards.

It is, in essence, a transfer of wealth from ordinary citizens to extraordinarily rich corporations. Currently Double Reed and the GCEDC (which stands to collect tens of millions of dollars in fees) are the big winners. The rest of us are losers.

Please consider making your voice known to your elected representatives on this important issue.

David Giacherio

Kent

Editor:

This Thursday, the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) is voting on a purchase agreement with US Stream Data Centers.

This is after GCEDC voted to approve Project Double Reed, a data center, to occupy the STAMP site on Route 77 despite significant public outcry. Before their vote to approve Project Double Reed, GCEDC received more than 800 public comments opposing the data center, with over 600 of those comments received in just a two-day period. GCEDC still has the opportunity to say no to moving the region’s largest data center into Genesee County.

GCEDC claims that it selected Project Double Reed because it would have the smallest environmental impact of the data centers it was considering. That does not mean its environmental impact will be small.

It will be $472 million public dollars allocated to a project with no public benefit that will cause light and noise pollution, traffic on Route 77, increase fire risks from the 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel stored on site, increase brown and black outs from the massive amounts of energy data centers require, and generally decrease the quality of life of those living in the surrounding communities.

Stream Data Centers is also trying to attract a Fortune 50 company worth $100 billion – why should a company like that get the 250 mw of low-cost hydropower it’s been offered?

GCEDC currently argues that the data center will bring money and jobs to Genesee County. Plug Power moved into the STAMP site in 2021 but is still under construction, and was supposed to bring in 68 jobs, none of which exist yet. I don’t believe a data center will deliver on any of what GCEDC is promising – it will not have a small environmental impact, and it will not bring anything good to the community.

GCEDC can still listen to the local residents who it serves by voting no to a purchase agreement with Stream Data Centers.

Shelby Green

Town of Shelby

Editor:

Although schools need supervision and management, the tiers of administration over the years have become bloated entities. The consequence: resources to the classroom have been affected greatly and bureaucracy has taken hold of American education.

How did this happen? Following a pretty common protocol of gradual integration, under the guise of bettering the educational performance, new departments, committees and policies were added, and ultimately more time and money were plowed into administration instead of teaching.

As this spiraled, a non-stop cycle of compliance and reporting took hold. Many school budgets reduced their financial  obligations to their teachers and students. Instead an almost faddish mindset monopolized better judgment and school budgets began prioritizing the latest pedagogical trends at a significant cost.

Many school districts were spending thousands on bringing external consultants in who were supposedly the experts and could tell everyone who was already doing what should be done to now do it differently. I remember one such man who entered my classroom with his hands folded behind his back. I was teaching a lesson on expository writing at the time. He never greeted the children or me, walked around for a couple of minutes and then exited finally. Yep, the guru – the guru who obviously needed a lesson in people skills.

Even selecting a new superintendent can become an expensive venture when school districts opt to pay external companies big bucks to handle the process, instead of relying on their own internal resources. Just one more drain on the finances.

It seemed every year, some administrator found another new inclination to pursue, uprooting all the proven methodology of the hard working teachers and causing further chaos by implementing a new idea. Instead of piloting the concept with one classroom, everyone was obligated to jump on board and be part of the program.

I taught 40 years and over the last 10 years of my career, there were well over 10 such policies that entered the arena and each time the paper work, time and cost affected efficiently in the classroom. Among them were: Common Core, No Child Left Behind, Learning Styles, Whole Child Focus-just to name a few.

And to add to that bundle, in the last 5 years, schools have indoctrinated extreme controversial ideologies (such as Critical Race Theory) into the classroom, ignoring parental rights completely. In fact some schools have plunged forward and exposed primary aged children to gender diversity without prior notification to the home front. What does this say about parent school communication?  Parents have every right to educate their children with social issues when they think they can comprehend these topics. Not the school! It’s not surprising that home-schooling is on the rise.

“Statewide, 54% of students tested proficient in math last year, up 2 percentage points from the previous year. A total of 46% were proficient in ELA, down 2 percentage points.” Pitiful results.

Over the years an unfair imbalance has occurred because the budget has been directed toward allegiance to regulations. This means fewer teachers and aides in the classroom. When I first started my teaching career, there were many teacher aides available to come in throughout the day to give the little bit of extra attention to someone in need. Then it dwindled down to maybe 3 times a week and then finally once a week.

When the money is usurped for administrative tasks, who suffers? The kids! Up to date textbooks, technology and enrichment programs are greatly compromised.

How do we clean up this mess? We need to concentrate on where the money will have the greatest impact – students and teachers.

Mary Mager

Fairport, formerly of Albion

Editor:

I write today to address an impending threat to Orleans County agriculture. Sadly, New York State loses more and more family farms each year and we have experienced recently the loss of beloved farming operations in Orleans County.

The Empire State chip by chip, acre by acre is losing its ability to feed itself and remain a region of agricultural prosperity.

Farmers are the biggest gamblers. Investing in machinery, seed, fertilizer, barns, packing housing and labor while betting it all against the wrath of Mother Nature in the hope of selling their crops to buyers who set the price with little sympathy for the cost to produce your food.

We complain about taxes in New York driving people out of business and out of state. Recently, on social media farmers were accused of not paying their fair share. Not true.

The Department of Ag and Markets sets annually the taxable value of farm land used in the production of food. Yes, the taxable value per acre is lower than full market value. This is in part due to an orchard, a corn, cabbage, wheat or bean field or cow pasture requiring little to no government services. It is to encourage the affordability, sustainability, and most importantly the ability to feed our people by keeping fertile land in agriculture. When we become dependent on foreign countries to feed ourselves, we become hostage to inflation and oppression, like Somalia, Bangladesh or Sudan.

I wish to address a sensitive taxation issue and would like to volunteer in advance any help I can to remedy it.

The Murray Joint Fire District has in the last two years raised its tax levy by 83%. Its rate of $3.53/1000 is significantly higher than our neighboring communities. The Fire District levy is 18% higher than the Town’s Levy. At first glance it’s easy to blame, easy to fault. But the harsh reality is the equipment is expensive to purchase, operate and maintain. And we need it. Keep in mind we are not paying for labor and benefits as we are fortunate to still have dedicated volunteers.

Because the fire district tax levy has grown so significantly, it places the agricultural viability of farmland at risk. Historically, fire districts across the county assessed farmland at full market value. Ag land was cheap. Equipment was affordable, government was small, volunteerism a civic duty. Not so today. Times have changed and so too must our thinking.

The sharp increase in fire district land tax and its method of calculation is unreasonably costly to farmers. How can an open farm field be assessed at 5 times higher the value for fire tax than for town or county taxes? Think about that? Schools tax you on the full market value of your homes then the State gives you a STAR exemption to offset that financial burden and keep you in your home. The same rationale should be applied to ag land by assessing it at the NYS Ag rate instead of full market value and help keep land in agriculture.

One field in Murray is assessed at $55,000 for Town and County but $283,000 for Fire. The disparity in valuation for fire increases the tax from $194.00 to over $1,000 per year. Keep in mind we all now pay a separate tax for ambulance service.

Some of you will be saying; here we go again, the farmer is looking to avoid paying taxes. On the contrary, farmers own homes, barns, packing houses, shops, markets, labor housing, corn dryers and more and we pay our fair share on those structures and will continue to do so in support of our fire district. We are not talking about parcels containing structures, we are talking about open ground producing your food and the long-term viability of agriculture soils.

The authority to recognize NYS Ag values for Fire district taxation rests with local Fire Commissioners. It requires a simple resolution by the Commissioners to do so as provide in NYS Ag & Markets Law 305 (6) “the governing body of a fire, fire protection, or ambulance district for which special ad valorem levies or special assessments are made may adopt a resolution allowing the use of agricultural assessments in the levy of such charges.”

While this issue is currently a Murray issue, think not.

The Town of Murray adopted the first Ag and Farmland Protection Plan in the County. Educational awareness of the importance of agriculture by the community and civic leaders cannot be understated. Do not take for granted the sustainability of agriculture and the impending financial and volunteerism crisis facing fire districts. For other municipalities in Orleans County the same issue will soon be on your doorstep when your districts need to update their equipment to save your homes, businesses, and lives.

To be clear. I am not placing any blame here, but merely highlighting the unreasonable tax allocation to farmland and the threat it imposes to sustainable agriculture. I respectively request fire commissioners recognize NYS Ag values on open land. It is about the preservation of farmland. The viability of agriculture and ability to feed our population is of national importance.

Lastly, I am raising this issue now to afford the district commissioners in Murray and across the County the time and opportunity to address this important matter ahead of their 2026 budget season.

Thank you to our firemen and thank you to our farmers. Together we can.

Joseph Sidonio

Murray

Editor:

I, Robin Wehling, a taxpaying Village of Medina resident, want to share my story and 100 percent support of the paid Medina Fire Department and the equipment and upgrades that are necessary to maintain the safety of our village and residents.

I strongly support the Village of Medina’s request for FY26 Congressionally Directed Spending in the amount of $1.4 million to expand the existing fire station to accommodate a critical addition to their fire & emergency services.

The current fire station was built in 1930s for the Department of Public Works and not meant for the weight of fire apparatus. The weight of the trucks has caused the floors to crack, sink and separate.

The building has structural damage and needs work done to repoint the block walls and floor repairs.  The new ladder truck will not be able to be housed in the current fire station because of the height. Smaller ladder trucks are not manufactured.

The current ladder truck is 29 years old with many plumbing, mechanical and electrical issues.  The cost of these repairs exceed the value of the truck. In addition some repairs like replacement windshield are no longer available.

Multiple times during fire operations the ladder truck has had failures, where the truck wouldn’t operate properly or even at all due to the age of the truck. This is a safety concern for residents and firefighters.

The new ladder truck will provide greater reach and versatility for the Village of Medina. During operations the collapse zone is 1.5 times the height of the building, which is needed for the safety of the firefighter team. The new ladder truck will be more effective for large-story buildings, especially in historical downtown with 3-story buildings.

The new ladder truck with the extra reach will give the ability to drown out the fire. The expected delivery of the new ladder truck is December 2025. Unfortunately the new truck will not fit in the existing building.

The Medina Fire Department is essential  in the safety of the surrounding jurisdictions of towns of Shelby, Ridgeway, Yates, Albion, Gaines, Barre, Royalton and Hartland, and the villages of Lyndonville, Albion and Middleport.  The response time is critical in these emergency situations.

With a volunteer fire department as in the surrounding districts, the response time for medical or fire situation will greatly affect the outcome. In addition a volunteer fire department has EMT for medical response, while Medina Fire department has trained paramedics that can administer medical intervention, as in my case.

My experience is that minutes are critical in an emergency. My story is on August 30, 2017,  I had a sudden numbness in my left arm. I knew I was having a heart attack. When you are having a heart attack, time is so critical to your survival.

At the first sign of a heart issue you have 90 minutes before it is fatal. It may take several minutes before you realize you need medical attention. In my case it was about 10 minutes before we called for an ambulance. The Medina Fire Department responded within a few minutes. So approximately 15 minutes passed.

The paramedics started heart protocol administering nitroglycerin and aspirin, completing an EKG and transmitting to Buffalo General. Now a 50-minute ambulance ride to Buffalo General. So now I have less than 30 minutes to be assessed and get medical intervention.

Because of the paid Medina Fire Department and trained paramedics, they saved my life. I had a stent put in the main artery and my doctor told me I was a miracle. My heart attack is called the “widowmaker” with less than 1 percent survival.

I know the timing and expertise of the Medina paramedics saved my life, along with God’s intervention. With my 90-minute heart issue a volunteer response would have a resulted in a fatality. With the fire department’s quick and immediate response, I know my life was saved.

I strongly support the need to protect the community and residents of the Village of Medina and surrounding communities. Orleans County is a rural area where response time to a large medical facility is approximately 50 to 60-minute drive. The Medina Fire Department can provide a quick and efficient emergency response, including an immediate response for a fire.

With a 30-year loan to provide a bare bones, 1-bay addition to accommodate the ladder truck, Medina Fire Department will be able to continue to provide vital fire protection and ambulance services.

The current fire station will provide storage for the lifesaving boat and ambulances currently in service. Another location not near the current fire station would only delay response time and with a different type of building Medina would not be able to obtain a 30-year loan.

Please consider this request for $1.4 million for the Village of Medina’s FY26 Congressionally Directed Spending Request, in order to provide a modernized and adequately sized fire station so the medina Fire Department can continue to serve and protect our residents.

Thank you.

Robin Wehling

Medina

Editor:

My name is Marlene Hill, and I am a Board of Directors member of the Arc GLOW. However, more importantly, I am the mother of an individual the Arc has served for 42 years.

Starting at 9 months old, our son has participating in many programs at Arc GLOW. Without the help of the Arc’s amazing staff, I do not know how we could have ended up with a person that is happy and well-rounded. We’ve had opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise.

Arc GLOW has been serving the community for over 60 years, and now covers the entire GLOW region; roughly 2,400 square miles, geographically the largest Arc chapter in New York state. It serves around 2,000 individuals and employs over 1,100 people in order to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) meet their full potential and find full potential and find fulfillment in learning, personal relationships, employment, volunteerism, recreation, the arts, and more. Arc GLOW’s goal is to eliminate barriers and help individuals engage in the world.

With March being Developmental Disability Awareness Month (DDAM), we are seeking to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life, as well as awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities still sometimes face in connecting to the communities in which they live.

Arc GLOW needs your help advocating for the people we support. Decades of inadequate funding has caused severe staff shortages and left nonprofit providers agencies, like Arc GLOW, struggling to maintain facilities and provide the high-quality of care New Yorkers with disabilities deserve.

Without action, this lack of funding will continue to compromise the quality and sustainability of services for New Yorkers with disabilities. We are advocating for fair wages for direct support professionals, and capital funding to align with state climate goals, and you can help by visiting The Arc New York Advocacy Center (https://p2a.co/N6MgSBE)

I encourage you to visit ArcGLOW.org and view the advocacy page to learn how you can join their advocacy efforts. Another way you can show your support is by becoming a member of Arc GLOW, which only costs $1 per year.

Becoming a member shows New York state you are an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and want positive changes for them. Start with Arc GLOW to talk about how we can help find support services for people with disabilities, more information can be obtained by emailing them at info@ArcGLOW.org.

Sincerely,

Marlene Hill

Medina

Editor:

In early February of this year, Trump sent  300 of what he called illegal immigrants to the US base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba (GITMO).  As of March 15, he quietly returned all of them to the US at a cost of 16 million dollars.

He returned them because he feared pending court cases against the GITMO deportation would go against him.

Another example of Trump acting on impulse,  rather  than intelligent consideration.

Jack Capurso

Albion High School, Class of 1960

Ashburn, Va.

Editor:

“Owning the libs” was more important – still may be – than looking at other news sources.

The only sure things are that total US Government payroll is only 4% of a “payroll efficient” budget and the claimed savings numbers do not add up. In 2018, 5,000 jobs were created in steel and 75,000 were lost in other sectors. Telling the CBO to insert a zero (0) as the cost of tax cuts is fraudulent accounting.

In high school you learn the first principle of prosperous capitalism is knowing enough to efficiently plan and project.

We all see that things have gone at breakneck speed and there have been so many reversals and contradictions that no one can predict where we are headed or may end up. Patchwork, hit and miss, is bad for business.

At the international level no one talks about the fact our large trade deficit is in large part offset by equally large corporate inflows of foreign investment. (Our budget deficits are not directly trade related; they are simply a question of who is going to pay and if it’s by income, sales, or property tax.)

No one talks about where we will pull people from to get back to 50% globally devoted to producing goods producing from our current 12%. The motor for job creation and economic revitalization is far more involved than getting into simple tit for tat spats.

At the national level no one is talking about the fact our corporate board rooms are locking up. Unless you are in the top 10% in line for tax cuts, their not knowing how to prepare can hurt everyone equally.

Companies do not know where they are going to buy raw materials and parts, which country will build their own plants or stop buying from us, if and in which country our companies should build.

Our companies do not know if we will continue to do business with the world’s rich counties or turn to poor autocracies and their puny markets. They need to see the detailed plan with rules of the road (the oil) to function or the motor seizes up.

With these huge uncertainties, US economic contraction and labor layoffs are what libs and red hats, no matter their situation, should fear.

Prices, consumer sentiment numbers, and the stock market, all say the economic check engine light is on.

As for the other issues believe what you want but the information is out there. But it’s hard to ignore the pocket book.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion

Editor:

It is an established fact that Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator. He has murdered his political rivals and those who try to hold him accountable.

It is an established fact that Russia invaded Ukraine in violation of every international treaty and international rule of law. Those facts won’t change because President Trump (convicted of 34 felonies), lies or because a right-wing entertainment network repeats those lies.

The fact that the President of the United States cites Russian propaganda should concern everyone; it certainly concerns me. While Ukraine fights off an aggressor to defend their independence, the Republican-controlled government is cutting off military aid and intelligence while conceding to Russia promises of diplomacy and relaxation of sanctions.

Turning our back on our allies makes us weaker in two important ways. First, those allies now must question the commitment of the United States and our word. Are we committed to democratic principles since we are helping an autocratic government violate international laws? Can our allies trust us?

Second, will those allies come to our defense as they have in the past? It is also important to ask, will Russia stop with Ukraine or continue to make war on the Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, followed by Georgia, Moldova and Poland?

I am not a war hawk.  As a combat Vietnam veteran, I know the ravages of war; I have seen how war destroys a nation’s economy and its soul. I have seen how lies and political ambition and power lead to national disasters. Today’s Republican Party’s mollycoddling to dictators and appeasement to an aggressor nation will not bring peace.

William Fine

Brockport