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Letters to the editor

The Florida fiasco

Claudia Wilson Bellefonte Let's not be like Florida. Apart from hurricanes, Florida has fallen on hard economic times. Its agriculture is suffering significantly. According to The Florida Policy Institute, the state’s immigration law has cost $12.6 billion this year alone. Why has this happened? Very simply, when unauthorized immigrants left Florida because they were afraid of rigid new enforcement of immigration laws, there was no one left to pick the crops. Farmers are now wondering whether they can keep their farms if the situation continues. Towns that were economically ...

Defending Christian virtues and values

Ken Hull Boalsburg As the son of a man who rarely went to church and didn’t label himself “Christian,” I witnessed in my father’s words and actions a life that truly exemplified Christian virtues and values. I became a Christian at the age of 13, and over the last 50 years have tried to live out the virtues and values of my faith. It hasn’t been easy, and I’ve fallen short many times. But through time spent with my dad, studying the Bible, and the examples of true believers, I feel I have a pretty good sense of what characteristics Christians should exemplify in ...

Protect reproductive health: Vote!

Sheri Berenbaum State College I remember when abortion was illegal in this country. To ensure we never go back, I want everyone to know what that was like. Before 1973, even consensual, monogamous, heterosexual sex was risky for women. An unintended pregnancy was frightening and dangerous. With few choices, women were forced to pick the least bad one: — “Back-alley” abortions, for those with the money and connections to get one, left many women seriously injured, infertile or dead. — Rushed motherhood disrupted education and blocked careers due to scarce childcare and ...

Flimflam and snake oil

Sam Stea Cogan Station It seems our former president is bent on turning the presidency itself into a personal casino, creating a public traded media company (NASDAQ DJT) that tracks the odds of him winning the election. On top of that, there is TRUMPCOIN, a new cryptocurrency. Add this to Trump Bibles, sneakers, watches and all the other overly priced MAGA paraphernalia, and you got yourself, potentially, one of the greatest free market bonanzas in recorded history, akin to the Triumph of Julius Caesar. With all that he stands to gain, let us consider what we stand to lose: The ...

Free press

Ed Satalia State College The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” It also prohibits “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” It’s safe to say that a significant part of the core supporters that Trump caters to are Christian Nationalists. How does the aim of a Christian-only United States square with the Bill of Rights? What does the Christian Nationalist aims mean to believers in other religions or in no religion? Can Trump be trusted ...

Think twice

Hodge Barton State College Do you worry about inflation? Well, then, pray that Trump does not get elected. Several economists have warned that a tariff is basically a tax, raising the cost of imports. Trump plans to raise tariffs across the board, which will raise the prices of everything since so much of what we buy comes from abroad. The idea is to encourage U.S. firms to manufacture in the U. S. Granted, there is a case to be made for that, but in the end, you, the consumer, will pay for these tariffs. Will it be worth it? Just add 10% to the cost of everything you buy and ...