My Turn: Trump’s brutal promise no joke

By DANIEL A. BROWN

One thing we Jews have learned from our fraught history is that when someone threatens to kill you, they mean it. History itself teaches that when a psychopathic strongman threatens to establish a vengeful dictatorship, they mean it as well. Donald...

Guest columnist Pema Latshang : School leaders need to further invest in their teachers

By PEMA LATSHANG

Over the past three years, it’s become clear just how essential teachers are to the everyday lives of the western Massachusetts community. In remote and hybrid settings they were there for us throughout the pandemic, with many stepping up to do this...

Tim Farrell: Use parking revenues downtown

The debate over paid vs. free parking has been around since the installation of the first parking meter in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935. With the recent decision by the mayor to not install a parking kiosk in the “library lot,” I expect more...

Rev. Phill Grant: Empathy is a choice we make 

I appreciate Jack Hornor’s letter, “Trump backers aren’t somehow ‘less than’” [Recorder, Feb. 1]. He says that supporters of Trump aren’t less intelligent or less informed, rather “they simply see the United States in different ways than most...

Ellen Miller-Mack: Decarceration in Massachusetts

MCI-Concord, a medium security men’s prison, is closing in June. This is great news. There will be substantial savings, including nearly $16 million in operating costs. Repairs to this prison would have cost $190 million. MCI-Cedar Junction closed...

My Turn: The illusion of kinder, gentler executions

By BILL NEWMAN

This past week Alabama continued our country’s experiment with different ways to kill people. It executed Kenneth Smith.A brief history. In the American colonies, death sentences, imported from Great Britain, were by hanging. Hanging could be...

My Turn: Doing the work of the Governor’s Council

By TARA JACOBS

It has been a great honor, privilege and pleasure to serve my district on the Governor’s Council, and I look forward to continuing to do this work for a long time to come. My campaign for reelection is underway, and I hope to earn my seat once again...

The World Keeps Turning: Black history and the nuances of MLK

By ALLEN WOODS

Writing on our national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. and looking ahead to Black History Month in February, the disparity between our country’s professed love for King today and the facts surrounding his life and death are stark. During much of...

Connecting the Dots: Happy birthday Abe. Wish you were here!

By JOHN BOS

I have this long-term relationship with Abraham Lincoln. The reason is that he and I share the same birthday: Feb. 12. My father told me that Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents America has ever had. Still true to this day. So, the saga of...

From Local to Global: Trees our wisest ancestors

By H. PATRICIA HYNES

As I began this piece on trees in forests, woods and parks, a friend asked, why in February? Why didn’t I wait until the deciduous trees were a palette of new spring green crowning the stark brown trunks and branches of winter? The next day, Jan. 7,...

My Turn: High-stakes testing regime the opposite of educating kids

By DOUG SELWYN

We are now a month away from MCAS season, and I urge readers to learn more about the Thrive Act, which would end the MCAS as a graduation requirement, would end district receivership, and would establish a commission to develop an assessment system...

Tom Peabody: Says Biden can close border if he wants to 

Amazing how the liberal-dominated news can coordinate with the Democrats and actually place blame for the border disaster on the Republicans. Fact: President Biden has all the laws and executive powers he needs to close the border today. Period. Case...

Liz Kelner: Resolution calling for cease-fire a local issue 

I am in total support that a resolution supporting an immediate cease-fire in Gaza be brought before the City Council of Greenfield as soon as possible.The billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars being used to destroy a primarily civilian population in...

Guest columnist Gene Stamell: Is my friend Peter a narcissist?

By GENE STAMELL

For the great majority of my life, I haven’t given the term “narcissism” much thought. The condition simply didn’t cross my radar. Certainly, I have known a number of people who possessed large, overinflated egos, but it wasn’t until I started...

Ukraine’s hopes for victory over Russia are slipping away

By ISHAAN THAROOR

It’s hard to ignore the sense of desperation in Ukraine’s corridors of power. Nearing two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, authorities in Kyiv maintain their long-standing entreaty to partners in the West: Deliver us more arms,...

Jack Hornor: Trump backers aren’t somehow ‘less than’

I am not a supporter of Donald Trump, and I have many negative feelings about his presidency. But I have no negative feelings about anyone who voted for him or who supports him now.Almost 63 million people voted for Trump. These people are husbands,...

My Turn: No, you bleep: Refs have had enough

By DAN PETERS

Imagine being at your workplace trying to perform your job duties and you hear your boss yell the following comments directed at you:“That’s terrible!”“Open up your eyes.”“You blew that one!”“Where are your glasses?!?!”Can you imagine trying to work...

My Turn: Goodbye to an oasis: Reminder that we need to stand up for trees

By MORNING STAR CHENVEN

My husband and I love to go bike riding. It’s always been our favorite way to be outdoors and active. Now that we’re in our 70s, we’re riding e-bikes. We’ve been adventuring all over New England exploring bike trails.Closest to home is the Canalside...

Gordon Humphrey: He can dish it out, but can’t take it

It’s odd that the leader of the lemmings ( they’ll let you know that they are not sheep) can make fun of people’s weight and physical disabilities, make up childish names for his rivals, bash numerous races and religions, belittle a widow’s grief or...

Marguerite Willis: Letter’s point was educational failures

Maura Morrison is correct in her Jan. 18 letter to the editor on Franklin County’s demographics challenging my Dec. 29 column [“Repackaged old, failed education ideas still fail”]. I should have said “one of the poorest” when referring to Franklin...