Opinion

For opinion pieces on any topic.

Safety Is Elusive

by RDavis | Op/Ed

When I came to this area 45 years ago Brattleboro felt like a quiet but vibrant and peaceful town where all kinds of odd personalities were on display. Local people seemed to be very tolerant and we all took pride in our little corner of the world.

No town is free of crime or people displaying bad behavior. Human nature can be ugly at times and we hope that ugliness is minimal and that is does not have a big impact on other people. But the world has changed a lot since those more peaceful days of the 1970’s and 80’s.

I can mark a big change in Brattleboro around 1995 when I was serving on the Morningside Shelter board. We started to see syringes behind the shelter on a daily basis and although the shelter was supposed to be substance free we only had the ability to test for alcohol use. We knew heroin had come to our community and we knew the world was changing.

Cris Ericson is Approved as a Virtual Correspondent for the DNC

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

I am very excited that I have been approved as a Virtual Correspondent for the DNC. I need to get hold of CCTV.org in Burlington, Vermont and BCTV https://www.brattleborotv.org/ and see what assistance I can possibly get from them
as well as someone to work alongside me, since it may be a lot of hours for 4 days.

Another person who likes to interview people would be a huge help, to sit side by side in my kitchen and do this, and it would be a huge help to have a technical expert to volunteer to help out.

Ice Cream with Democratic Candidate Amanda Ellis-Thurber On Sunday, August 11

by JillStahlTyler | Politics

Windham District 7 Democratic candidate Amanda Ellis-Thurber will host an old fashioned ice cream social on Sunday, August 11th between 5 and 7 PM at Lilac Ridge Farm, 264 Ames Hill Road.

On the menu are organic maple creemees, a special ice cream toppings bar—and answers to any of your remaining questions about Ellis-Thurber’s positions.

“I’ve so enjoyed all the conversations I’ve had with my neighbors in District 7 during this campaign for the state house. My aim is to listen to all the residents of our large and rural slice of Brattleboro, so that I can represent this neighborhood well in Montpelier,” Ellis-Thurber said.

Example of Social Media Banning My Posts

by CrisEricson2016 | Politics

In response to the reader’s comment, have attached here one of many examples of Facebook banning a post of mine. What they do is circle it in red ink and then delete it, as if they have a person who has nothing to do all day but follow me around on the internet. Every post they ban is perfectly innocent and nice. It is pure harassment by Facebook.

“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.