Unfair to Keene State
In response to Jeffery Good’s article about the riots at Keene State College (“Recreational Rioting,” Oct. 22), I would like to say that I have a son who is a senior at Keene State, and he, as well as many other students at the school were horrified at the riots that occurred. What Mr. Good fails to mention is that many of those participating in those riots were not Keene State students; in fact many students from other colleges (University of New Hampshire, Plymouth State, UMass) went back to their respective campuses and tweeted brags about how they went to Keene for the weekend and trashed the town and the college.
This is not a Keene State College problem as much as it is a problem among a certain segment of college students everywhere. It is unfair to the students of Keene to defile their reputation because of the actions of many outsiders.
Candidates Out of Touch
Initially, I was pleased that Charlie Baker was running for governor again. As a Libertarian, I was happy with his fiscally conservative and socially liberal views. On Aug. 29, I sent his campaign a request for printed information I could share, along with some bumper stickers. I received a reply: “Your local field representative will be in touch soon about when you can come in to pick up the sign.” I never asked for a yard sign. No one contacted me. After repeated emails, I was told someone would contact me. It never happened. Is this how his office will be run?
A friend recently contacted the Martha Coakley campaign outlining several reasons why he would not vote for her. He received a reply back thanking him for his support and interest in the campaign.
And Scott Lively? He is a Bible-thumping wing-nut. No further explanation necessary there.
This election, I had no choice other than voting for myself as a write-in candidate.
End Westover Flights
Every day, fighter jets based at nearby Westover Air Base fly low and scream over us, and those giant lumbering transport planes make a lot of noise, too. I believe they must stop, and not just because of the noise.
Far more importantly, we simply can’t keep making war halfway around the world—with all the fuel it takes to run the ships, planes, troops, and vehicles—and expect to reduce our carbon emissions and prevent catastrophic climate change.
Those planes overhead aren’t protecting us, keeping us secure. They threaten our safety and well-being far more than ISIS and al Qaeda, because they are destroying the atmosphere on which we and all life depend.
We can no longer afford to maintain a huge military presence here and worldwide. We need the money for urgent domestic needs such as education, housing, and health care.
And we need to end the huge fuel consumption of our military, along with deep reductions of civilian and industrial use of fossil fuels, if we really want to ensure a livable environment for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren.
