Vote Courageously
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank President Trump – not for leadership, but for clarity. It is my opinion that he has revealed the bubbling cauldron of petty grievances, bullying, and bragging that fuels his politics every day. He has shown me how divided we have become as a nation, a division that, in his view, serves him well. He stands at the center of our turmoil, where up becomes down, wrong becomes right, and the Rule of Law fades before our eyes.
In my opinion, the MAGA movement follows a man who is a bully and a braggart, a habitual liar, a racist, a sexual molester, and a traitor to his own country. The idea of pardoning those convicted of the violence and destruction of January 6 – an attack he called for – is an abomination. These traits are not just unbecoming; they are profoundly un‑American.
I remember when political differences were settled through compromise, intellect, honesty, and integrity. Those qualities are absent in today’s White House. And yes, MAGA supporters have some legitimate grievances – grievances real leaders could address. But Trump’s illegal retribution is for himself, they are not your grievances. The country’s problems come second to promises made to billionaires.
Reasonable Republicans can move on from all these snake‑oil salesmen whose integrity and honesty will always be suspect. They leave the rest of us poor in mind, spirit, and civic faith. Something is deeply wrong here, and we all know it.
Character still matters. Be honest. Vote courageously. Be American.
Pete Begley
Do Unto Others
Dear Editor,
Come From Away, the Zach Theater’s current production, is as much a sermon as a play.
In Genesis 18, three strangers visit Abraham.
On Sept. 11, 2001, close to 7,000 passengers from 38 planes descend on Gander, Newfoundland, nearly doubling its population of about 10,000.
Just as Abraham “hurried from his tent to meet the strangers,” the citizens of Gander scrambled to provide shelter, food and clothing to their unexpected visitors. Just as the Good Samaritan “took pity” on the man attacked by robbers and “bandaged his wounds,” so the Newfoundlanders assuaged the travelers’ emotional pain by inviting them into their homes to shower, to sleep. Just as in the parable of the loaves and fishes, one good deed multiplied exponentially.
When the FAA closed the entire U.S. airspace after terrorists turned planes into bombs, it made sense to divert commercial flights to Gander’s airport, which had been a military hub during World War II. The play suggests that “do[ing] to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31) can be just as effective as bombs – perhaps more so – in combating fascism’s inherent hierarchy that demonizes those who come from away.
Barbara Chiarello
This article appears in August 28 • 2026.