Who Bernie Blames
[Re “Fighting Words: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders Has Become a Leading Critic of Israel’s War in Gaza,” May 29]: We may not accuse U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of being antisemitic, but we can question why his strongest condemnation is reserved for Israel. He seems to believe the Jewish state targets civilians and seeks to eliminate Palestinians. Yet it is Hamas whose actions on October 7 were truly genocidal: killing, raping and calling for the extermination of all Jews.
The real problem isn’t Israel’s response but Hamas placing its own people in harm’s way, exploiting humanitarian aid and using civilians as shields. International bodies and media too often echo Hamas’ narrative without holding them accountable. Imagine if the same pressure were applied to Hamas to surrender and return hostages.
John Spencer, an urban warfare expert, noted that Israel has set a new standard in preventing civilian harm, taking more precautions than any military in history. Yet the outrage is directed at Israel, not the actual aggressors. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is horrific, but it will only worsen if Israel cannot achieve its goals: destroying Hamas’ capabilities, securing hostages and de-radicalizing the population.
Martin Fellner
Hardwick
Courting Disaster
Great article on the courts [“Trials & Tribulations,” May 29]. Visit family courts next. You will see how our courts treat children and spouses who are “noncompliant.”
The Vermont courts are a joke, especially “family court.” Any respectable citizen who walks in there soon realizes that these judges are total losers, the court is beyond broken and you can walk all over these judges. No training, no experience, no education. They don’t even read the motions, yet they write conflicting orders that are unenforceable, contradictory and make you come back to court!
The courts are a direct reflection of all the people making money off the system. They all get paid, yet the public has to deal with the court nonsense.
All could be fired with the results they produce. It’s disgusting, and when you point it out to the judge, they know!
Great article! Do more!
Tom Kontos
Cambridge
In the Right Direction
We at Local Motion want to applaud Martha Elmes and her Lyndon neighbors for their work to bring local and visiting cyclists to their town [“Path to Prosperity? Lyndon Hopes a New Bike Route Will Help the Town Tap Into the Popularity of Kingdom Trails,” May 22]. We see this as a critical intersection of recreation and transportation infrastructure that is needed to make our city and town centers safe and accessible. Far too many of our towns feel like places to pass through, rather than places to stop to spend time and money.
Last year, Local Motion implemented a temporary crosswalk, crossing Route 5, Lyndon’s central street, and we could watch traffic slowing and pedestrians crossing the road with more confidence.
As Local Motion celebrates our 25th year, we are eager to work with communities across Vermont who want to make their towns, businesses and schools safer so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy what our Vermont towns have to offer.
Christina Erickson
Burlington
Erickson is the executive director of Local Motion.
Volunteer View
In his letter to the editor, James Harvey notes Jay Wahl’s “shocking behavior toward longtime volunteers, Flynn Arts instructors, major donors and staff” [Feedback: “‘Jay Wahl Has to Go,'” May 15]. I was one such longtime volunteer. As a Flynn Spirit for 20-plus years, to return after the pandemic, I would have had to apply, after devoting many hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to the Flynn.
The word on the street was that Wahl wanted to get rid of us older volunteers. This was clearly ageist, discriminatory, insulting and obnoxious. It was quite the departure from his immediate predecessor John Killacky’s welcome that “everyone belongs here,” or words to that effect. I can’t imagine that the Flynn’s founding executive director, Andrea Rogers, is happy about Wahl, either.
I agree that, if the Flynn is to regain its former good reputation, Wahl has to go.
Ellen Gurwitz
Shelburne
The Cost of Learning
[Re “Independent Schools Rebuff School Districts’ Request for a Tuition Break,” May 6, online]: Something that would maybe have been interesting to note in the article would have been the Average Announced Tuition that districts and schools set. That information would have let us know if the amount charged by those academies was fair. On a quick look, those numbers are a bit higher than the public districts set, but Washington Central came in at $26,694, Springfield at $26,400, Orange Southwest at $25,257 and several others at $22,000 to $23,000. So, not exactly a bargain, but not unreasonable.
Aren’t those independent schools nonprofit 501c3 entities, which would make their tax returns public?
Amanda Gifford
Fairfax
Toxic Towns
Reading your May 22 supplement on unique and often unfamiliar places in Québec, I’m reminded of one in the Eastern Townships that I’ve been curious about and eager to visit for a few years. That is, the town of Val-des-Sources, translated as Valley of the Springs.
It has had that name since 2020, when the town voted to change it to something less toxic than Asbestos. Residents may have been a bit slow in understanding that outsiders didn’t quite share their pride in having the world’s largest open-pit asbestos mine located next to downtown and that only a handful of curious tourists were being drawn to see it.
The Jeffrey Mine closed in 2011, but Canada didn’t ban asbestos from its manufacturing until 2018. (The U.S. ban began in 1973.)
Incidentally, also in 2020, residents of a small hamlet about 20 miles southwest of Plattsburgh, N.Y., voted not to change its name: Swastika. Instead of making a visit there, I think I’ll just concentrate on finding a good time to visit Val-des-Sources, climb its observation tower and hope the wind is blowing in the opposite direction.
Greg Epler Wood
Burlington
Voices Carry
For the second year in a row, Sarah Cheney, an English teacher at Proctor Jr./Sr. High School, instructed students in her “Writing for the Workforce” class to submit letters to the editor. Deputy publisher Cathy Resmer helped the students refine their submissions. Here are a few that are timely and relevant.
Don’t Ban Books
In response to the article “Several Bills Target Book Bans in School and Public Libraries” [January 26, online], I agree that we should not ban books from public schools and libraries. Books help students with learning new things, growing their vocabulary and strengthening their minds.
Some of the books that are getting banned: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater, Drama by Raina Telgemeier, See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. While I’ve been in high school, half of these books have been used in my classes. I learned a lot from these books.
If certain books are banned from schools and public libraries, how will students and kids learn about anything? If books like those get banned, how will society learn about these things if teachers cannot teach them anymore?
Julianna Flanders
Proctor
Flavor Freedom
I agree with Gov. Phil Scott [“Gov. Phil Scott Vetoes Flavored Tobacco Ban,” April 3, online] that tobacco companies should not be forced to ban flavored tobacco and vape products. I believe that companies deserve to make as much profit as possible. According to the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco and smoking companies make over $34 billion per year. State and local governments collected $19 billion in revenue from tobacco taxes in 2021. This revenue helped fund programs that support children and adults across the country, including the Children’s Health Insurance Program, according to the Vermont Department of Taxes.
If flavored tobacco were banned today, then all tobacco products could be banned in the future, according to Gov. Scott. He says “we honor the rights and freedoms of adults to make decisions about their individual lives.” It’s important that adults make decisions freely on their own.
The sale of tobacco products creates money for the state to spend on programs for children and adults. It’s important that we don’t ban flavored tobacco products, because it most likely won’t stop there. We as individuals should be able to choose whether or not we buy these products.
Ash Lee
Proctor
Kids Treated ‘Like Piggy Banks’
[Re “Scott Scolds Legislators for ‘Attacks’ on His Nominee for Education Secretary,” March 28, online]: Education is an incredibly important part of a state, if not one of the most important. As a high school senior, I have firsthand experience. When we send our kids to school, we expect them to learn. We expect our kids to leave the building more intelligent and with more knowledge than when they first entered. For the same reason, we need somebody qualified to help regulate education and its standards. Education is never something we should settle for.
Zoie Saunders is not fit for the position of education secretary. She has no experience with public education and has worked for years with for-profit organizations. Worst of all, the organization she was working for has recently been under fire for political donations to candidates and for using uncertified teachers in its schools. Appointing someone with this background means there’s a chance that schools under her management, if she were to be accepted, would be run the same way.
It is evident that the students’ best interests weren’t in mind with this nominee and that she was chosen for other reasons. Putting her in this position is the same as accepting that your kids in public schools may be seen more as a profit source than as students. I truly hope that a different nominee is chosen; I don’t want to have kids treated like piggy banks by those in power.
Nathan Cameron
Proctor
Saunders’ nomination was rejected by the Vermont Senate in a 19-9 vote; Gov. Scott appointed Saunders interim secretary.
Baby Bonds
In the article “Baby Boon: Lawmakers Weigh a Program That Would Invest Money for Low-Income Youths” [March 27], the author mentions the idea of a “baby bond.” This is a system for low-income households in which newborns get $3,200 put into a separate bank account to grow up to $11,500 after 18 years. I am a ninth-grade student at Proctor Jr./Sr. High School. As a teen living in a low- to middle-income household, I think this system should be reversed. Rather than investing the money from $3,200 to $11,500, I think around the time you’re 16, you should start getting monthly payments — for example, $200 a month until that $11,500 is gone. This would help teens pay for gas and food rather than just blowing it all on something unnecessary.
If we don’t reverse this system, teens will waste their baby bond money when they could do more with it. Reversing the baby bond system is the best way to keep teens thriving and not just surviving.
Mason Brothers
Proctor
Go, Gearheads!
The article “Gearheads to Get Their Due in Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame” [Last 7, March 27] shows a great opportunity for the Vermont motorsports world!
Growing up, I’ve always liked watching certain races and demolition derbies. With this hall of fame, those that were my favorites have a chance to be recognized. It gives the racing scene a new thing to strive for in a career — hobby or not.
But that’s not the only positive thing that will come from this: Higher stakes make for better racing. With everyone wanting a spot in the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame, racing could be bumped up to more competitive events, letting fans from around Vermont cheer and hope for their favorite racer to get into the Vermont Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Nineteen people are founding this program, with high hopes of bringing education to people around Vermont, teaching them about the beauty of motorsports. However, donations are needed if this idea is to become a reality that Vermont gearheads want all around the state. Help Vermont’s motorsport scene by supporting this cause!
Isaac Parker
Proctor
Related Stories
Trials & Tribulations: A Week Inside Vermont’s Busiest Courthouse Reveals a Judicial System Plagued by Delays
This Summer, We’re Heading to Québec
This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2024.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!