Facebook Love
Response to “Love Trumps Hate: Transgender women find romance in an insane world,” Feb. 9-15, 2017.
Melissa Robinson Ferris: I’ve known Bri since our sons were in grade school together 10 years ago! It’s wonderful to see her looking so well and sounding so happy
Caroline Wills: What a great love story for Valentine’s day! Brianna and Amy thank you for sharing your story! The world needs more love stories!
Leslie Gray: Congratulations ladies! Such heart warming news in an age of ugly.
Don’t forget Narcotics Anonymous
Regarding “Heroin Coverage Doesn’t Go Far Enough,” a letter from a reader responding to the cover story, “How to Get Off Heroin,” Jan. 5-18, 2017: First of all, I noticed no mention of availability of countless Narcotics Anonymous meetings and the 12-step program that is always used as a life long follow up to maintain sobriety. Once the suspended cravings and/or “dope sickness” is in the rear view mirror as well as the knowledge of how to continue to practice a life of sobriety, NA meetings are always advised by these recovery facilities as a discharge plan to battle this lifelong disease of addiction. Reading the letter about medication, therapy assists and expensive longterm inpatient facilities and how those facilities assist addiction, I do not agree with it. The letter writer states “The real work of recovery is then left for someone else to carry out” — once the inpatient resources are complete. The continuation of recovery is up to the addicts and only the addicts themselves. The bottom line is Narcotics Anonymous programs can be a life saving alternative to numerous institutional repeats to addiction facilities. I was taken aback by the fact that neither article or letter included this information. Being married to a 27-year recovering addict that still attends weekly NA meetings, I think a great disservice was done by not including Narcotics Anonymous programs into either the article or letter.
—Gail Cyr,
Newington, CT
Power to the People
It is so cool to see Americans take charge of the destiny of this great nation. Errors of which are made by the incoming administration are put on notice by the masses and are met with resistance in the streets. What comes to mind is a ’60s song written by John Lennon, “Power to the People.” The song had more to do with labor unions and workers’ rights, but would serve us well even today as a signatory protest song. There is nothing wrong with the slogan, “Make American Great Again,” and there would not be anything wrong with wearing a hat that reads, “Power to the people.”
— Bill Paul,
Chicopee
Pot Meet Kettle
There are certain elected representatives who claim that the government should not provide health insurance for the people. Excuse me folks (and you know who you are), since you, as members of “the elect(ed)” have government- (read “taxpayer”) funded health care, isn’t that just a wee bit hypocritical? And all you all voted yourselves a decent minimum wage. Why have you not done the same for the people? There are the fooled, there are the foolish, and there are fools. And there are those of us who are paying attention …
— Michael D. Joyce,
Wendell
