I was very proud of how our kids at Brattleboro Union High School conducted themselves at the recent walkout to protest gun violence. I also appreciate adults from our community who joined in.
Unfortunately, someone among the non-student group chose to display the U.S. flag upside down. I can understand the feeling that the leaders of our country are failing our youth by their inaction regarding sensible gun control. But this inaction is not a reflection of our entire country. The flag represents all of us.
Displaying the flag upside down angers and hurts many people, especially our veterans and those who have lost loved ones in armed conflict. Creating this anger only sidetracks us from dealing with the issue at hand.
I'm so glad to see our kids taking a thoughtful leadership role in demanding sensible actions to be taken to address the violence that is primarily directed at them. So, as adults, let's support our kids by not creating more hostility.
I work in a high school, and much of my day involves helping kids deal with the problems created by rumors that quickly get transformed into what are portrayed as “fact,” often becoming hurtful and certainly not constructive. We adults now have developed our own version of daily drama.
Although I am a white guy, I share Curtiss Reed Jr.'s outrage about what happened to Shela Linton and what has been happening to other people of color. I support Curtiss's call for action, including action by those he has labeled as “allies.” But to me, “allies” is a...
Tom Franks' recent open letter explained why we resigned from the Brattleboro Food Co-op Board of Directors, so I won't repeat what he said. But I do want to thank those shareholders who voted for me, apologize to you for not serving out my full term, and further explain my actions. I've learned during my life, often the hard way, that compromise is sometimes essential in order to focus on what's really important. But there are times when compromise just...