Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

“Social Media” Vicious Attacking Rooster Block-Block-Blocking Me!

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

Well, it’s that time again, people are voting on mail in ballots and the Vermont primary election is August 13, 2024 and instagram, twitter, tiktok and facebook are like a bunch of vicious attacking pecking roosters block, block, block, block, block, block, block, blocking me.

I have been banned from so much social media that in my sleep at night visions of notices, “you have violated community guidelines” run through my head. I am innocent. I am falsely accused.

Global South Sees U.S. Congress Hail Israeli Killer of 39,000 of Their People Mostly Women and Kids

by jay janson | Op/Ed

The Health Ministry in Gaza reports that as of the end of July, 2024, more than 39,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been slaughtered in Gaza by the Israeli military using hegemon U.S.A.’s mighty weapons of mass destruction.[1]

A good deal of people in the awakening Global South have learned that those tens of thousands precious Palestinian lives of mostly women and children were ordered taken by the criminally insane Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This week billions of majority Humanity watched on TV or heard of the obnoxious killer Netanyahu being welcomed by the assembled entire U.S. government that provides Israel with the bombs, missiles, guns, planes, tanks, ships, munitions, and diplomatic and military protection that has made the murder of those 39,000 fellow Global South men, women and children possible.[2]

Hope Restored

by RDavis | Politics

It seemed like the Democrats were facing a gamble that might not be worth taking. Could Joe Biden really beat Trump after so many of his party allies called for him to step down? The problems that he displayed were clearly not going away and they provided too much fuel for a vindictive opponent to burn a candidate at the stake.

Biden did something that Trump would never do. He looked at the situation objectively and listened to a lot of people and he put his own needs aside and made a decision that was best for the country. The real embodiment of what it means to be a mensch and a true patriot.

Now we have Kamala Harris as the heir apparent. I was never really excited about the possibility of a Harris run for president but when Biden made his announcement I felt a sudden sense of relief. I felt a level of hopefulness that I have not experienced from politics in a long time. This reaction surprised me.

Ian Goodnow for District 9 State Rep

by RDavis | Politics

Ian Goodnow should become the next state representative from Brattleboro District 9 because he is the right person at the right place at the right time. The 32 year old Brattleboro lawyer has already proven that he has extremely effective leadership skills serving on the Brattleboro selectboard for four years, two of those as chair. Anyone who has been elected and then re-elected to office has earned the trust of his constituents and that is one of the many reasons why I am voting for him.

Ian represents a generation that does not have enough presence in the statehouse. If we are to remain a vibrant state that is responsive to the needs of the long future ahead for this state then we must elect people who are part of the emerging social and economic fabric of communities.

David Gartenstein Is The Best Choice

by fidel | Politics

In the contest for the Democratic nomination for the Windham 9 (old 3) district, we have two candidates with records of community service and good policy values. In part because he is older, David Gartenstein has a much longer history of working for the people of Brattleboro; moreover, he has broader experience, including 20 years as an assistant State’s Attorney and service on Brattleboro school boards.

What really distinguishes Gartenstein is the depth at which he has thought about the issues that matter to Brattleboro. He speaks with more than superficial knowledge on these things and has concrete plans for trying to improve the town’s circumstances. (For evidence, watch the candidate forum on BCTV.)

“Thinking Outside The Box”

by RobertOeser | Op/Ed

We often talk about the merits of “thinking outside the box,” yet the reality is, we live within the confines of culture, experience, tradition and . . . the law.

But there are some unique individuals who can think creatively while both recognizing those boundaries and working to change them in meaningful ways. I believe that David Gartenstein is one of those individuals.

This is particularly evident in the area where criminal justice and mental health issues intersect.

Long in the Tooth

by AnneODyne | Politics

On a personal level, a disturbing part of Biden’s calculus, and this stalemate, is recalling how my mother became increasingly stubborn and delusional as she progressed into her dementia through her eighties.  She would often make outlandish proclamations, boasts of grandeur, and throw tantrums, which I came to understand were common effects of her condition.

Joe Biden’s stance, digging in and rebuffing the skeptics has that intransigence, but also brings other unsettling questions. His claim to be ‘the only one who can…’(manage NATO, grow the Economy…) is not only Trump-like, but dismissive of the talent now relegated to the bullpen in his own party.

Brattleboro Early-Absentee Ballots Available for August 2024 State Primary

by Not Signed In | Politics

Early and absentee ballots for the State Primary Election, to be held August 13 are now available by request. Absentee ballots for this election must be requested.

Anyone wishing to vote early and in-person may now do so at the Brattleboro Town Clerk’s Office. This option is available through August 12 at 5 p.m.

Anyone wishing to vote absentee may apply for an absentee ballot until 5 p.m. on Monday, August 12, although we recommend doing so as soon as possible to account for mail delivery time. All voted ballots must be received by the Clerk before the polls close on Election Day, August 13 by 7 p.m., to be counted.

IDF Killed 64 Children While Freeing 4 Hostages  An Exchange Instead Would Have Brought Happiness 

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Ever since October 7, 2023, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, PBS, along with BBC, DW, NHK other Western entertainment/news conglomerates and wire services like AP, UPI, Reuters and Israeli media have sought to keep their viewers, readers and listeners attention on the hostages and away from any explanation, reason or justification of Palestinians seeking to exchange the hostages for some of the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. 

There Is No Candidate for U.S. Senator on the Progressive Party Ballot – How About Writing Me In?

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

Hi! I see on the Progressive Party primary election ballot, for which some people may already be receiving mail-in ballots, there is no candidate listed for United States Senator.

So, I made a video on youtube to explain why I think I am the best person for you to write-in. I appreciate it, just jot down my name on a slip of paper and remember to write me in, O.K.?

Don’t Celebrate July 4th Birth of a U.S.A. Founded by Owners of African Slaves – Wait! Be Patient!

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Every year, Americans are supposed to celebrate July 4th as the founding of a U.S.A. both free and enslaved. The fourth of July is a federal holiday. 

On July 4, 1776, the population of the United States, then the Thirteen Colonies, was estimated to be about 2.5 million people. This population included both free individuals and enslaved people.

Out of this population, approximately 500,000 individuals were enslaved African Americans. The remaining population, roughly 2 million people, consisted of free individuals, which included various groups such as European settlers, Indigenous peoples, and a smaller number of free African Americans.

Vote Christopher I for King

by cgrotke | Rumors

After careful consultation with my cats and a mention to my family, I hereby throw my crown in the ring to become your next King.

I will be a youthful 60 years old when I ascend the thrown, so no worries there. My joints ache a bit and I need reading glasses but I can form complete sentences on my own that have some basis in truth.

One of the first things I plan to do, loyal subjects, is to make the White House a bit more fitting for a king. It needs a moat, for example, and perhaps an audio-animatronic dragon that spits fire and allows Taylor Swift to perform inside of it.

Between Rounds

by AnneODyne | Politics

In the first televised presidential debate between JFK and Nixon- I’m not old enough to remember- the tide swung in favor of the more telegenic Kennedy, when Nixon’s candidacy went down awash in beads of face sweat and furtive glances.

In certain matters Americans are forgiving. Will Smith is back. Even Nixon was able to rise again. But in other matters we are an obstinate people. And irrational to boot. I don’t understand it, but have often observed the phenomena. Why are the optics of Jan 6th malleable? Why are Nazi’s back? The world can be mad and maddening, that fact goes back to antiquity.

Returning to the present moment. Biden’s debate performance is fixed in the collective mind, nothing can or will erase his frozen expression and underwater responses to softball opportunities. Leaving for now the conundrum of Biden’s opponent being a recidivist and deranged narcissist, the question becomes: are Americans willing to vote for a dead man over a return to Trumpian autocracy.

Cross Out Plan A, Cross Out Plan B, Now See Plan C: Write-in Candidate Cris Ericson on the Progressive Ballot for U.S. Senator

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

Plan A was when the Libertarians nominated me back in April to be their U.S. Senate candidate, but then they threatened to sue me for expressing my freedom of speech. They accused me of “spam” when I posted Facebook news about other Libertarian candidates for U.S. Senator in other states. How is that “spam”? I was learning about the Libertarian views and wanted to share what I was reading. Any of them could have told me on Facebook they didn’t enjoy the posts I shared, but they did not. Any of them could have blocked me, but they did not.

At some point I got around to reading all of their Rules, which I had not previously found on their website, because they are not posted in a way you could find them. Reading their Rules shocked me, so I contacted a Libertarian candidate in another state who said there was no way they could have those Rules in his state Libertarian party. I questioned their Rules on line and was then attacked by the Libertarians who threatened to sue me. For what? After they kicked me out, and rescinded my nomination, I watched the Libertarian national party convention online and saw that lots of members question the rules. Hmph!

The Fear of Revenge

by RDavis | Politics

The fear of revenge is already having repercussions throughout the world. The credible threat by the American would-be lunatic dictator is being taken seriously and that means that free speech and freedom of expression are under siege. Make no mistake about it. Even though the election is not until November, the fear of a Trump win is making some people act as if he has already won and they don’t want to be on his enemies list.

A case in point has been made clear by New York Times columnist Michelle Golberg in the June 16 Times in her piece titled “The Trump Movie You May Never See”. The movie “The Apprentice” has been recently released. It focuses on the relationship between a young Donald Trump and Roy Cohn. Cohn was a notorious New York “fixer” and a hero worshipped by Trump. Some describe Cohn as Trump’s primary mentor. You only need to look at a picture of Cohn to get a creepy feeling of how evil he was.

We Watched Them Murder Many Thousands of Captive Children in Their Concentration Camp! Woe Unto Us 

by jay janson | Op/Ed

It’s now June of 2024. Nearly 40,000 human beings, mostly women and children are dead, maybe 90,000 injured, many with limbs amputated, and another 10,000 lie buried beneath the ruble of the approximately 80% of the destroyed homes and other buildings of what were the cities of Gaza,

Let’s go back eight months to the beginning of this extraordinary and heartless slaughter happening openly for all the world to see via videos and photographs.

The Most Important Vote Ever

by RDavis | Op/Ed

The November presidential election will be the most consequential election in the history of the American republic. We’ve heard that before, but this time it’s for real. If a convicted felon, who also happens to be a deranged egomaniac intent upon turning this country into a dictatorship, wins this election the United States will head into uncharted territory.

Those who support the orange maniac don’t see any problem with this new direction. It is clear to me and many others that those who follow Trump are the worst kind of cult followers. It still confounds me how the U.S. congress Republican majority still supports him. They have made it clear that all they care about is votes and they have decided that following him is their best bet for grabbing more power.