Michael Szostak

Euphemism masks the reality of military action

GUILFORD-A term often used regarding a military action is "collateral damage." This term masks the cold, hard truth of killing the innocent and destroying an environment.

Honest reporting would entail the use of words that openly describe the reality of what occurred, which might help more of us to be outraged and motivated to fight against it.

Use of unbridled power, at all costs, may produce short-term military gains, but the price we pay as a people, by sacrificing our humanity, is devastating and unrecoverable.


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Eastes: deep integrity, strong leadership

GUILFORD-Those of us who live in Guilford and Vernon are quite fortunate to have many citizens willing to volunteer their time and talent to benefit all who live here. Sara Coffey, our state representative, is certainly a tough act to follow, but two people have stepped forward to replace...

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Eastes: deep integrity, strong leadership

GUILFORD-Those of us who live in Guilford and Vernon are quite fortunate to have many citizens willing to volunteer their time and talent to benefit all who live here. Sara Coffey, our state representative, is certainly a tough act to follow, but two people have stepped forward to replace...

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We must not be complicit in murder, regardless of the circumstances

I appreciate the local writings of Dan DeWalt, Tim Stevenson, and others who try to bring fact, common sense, reason, and human decency into addressing the disasters we are facing throughout our crumbling world. It's becoming increasingly difficult to bring people together to address the problems we face because we lack common ground, hindered by increasingly locked-in religious, cultural, political, and ego-protecting beliefs. Most of us fall back on some or all those beliefs when we feel cornered and don't...

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There is no going back once the trigger is pulled

Many gun advocates say, “Guns don't kill; it's people who kill people.” They say that the problem with an epidemic of mass shootings in this country is a mental health issue, and that is not a reason to restrict gun ownership. If we are being honest with ourselves, as a human being with some flaws that most of us have, at times we make bad decisions. In retrospect, we regret what we did and sometimes beat ourselves up for what...

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Coffey: Accomplishments have exceeded expectations

In 2018, I decided to actively support Sara Coffey in her run for office. I did not know Sara well, but I initially liked her as a person and found common ground in her stated values, her priorities, and her willingness to seriously consider differing views. Admittedly, my support for her was primarily riding on hope rather than demonstrated accomplishments. Now, four years later, my commitment to helping her stay in office is firmly entrenched. I don't have the space...

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BUHS in leadership hands that can create possibilities for change

Most of us have been taught that leadership means top-down-rule, with one person, often a man, at the top of a pyramid-type organizational structure. When that structure does not exist, it is understandable that some people become uncomfortable and insecure. Another structure for leadership of an organization is a collaborative model, without the hierarchical form of decision-making. Currently, we are fortunate to have at Brattleboro Union High School three very capable women leaders who are committed to collaboration with teachers,

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For many people in our nation, we’ve never had a democracy

What happened recently at our nation's Capitol is being commonly described as an assault on our democracy. But that characterization sounds as if it's something new and it fails to recognize the assaults that have been occurring in our country since its founding. Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), other historically marginalized people, and those of lower income have been and are continuously assaulted. Sometimes these assaults have been physical, but other times they've been in the form of systemic...

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