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The U.S. president’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28 was appalling. After three years of courageously leading the Ukrainian people through a brutal war against Putin’s neo-imperial Russia, Zelensky endured an outrageous lecture on the importance of peace from a president who openly favors the Kremlin. The “leader of the free world” raised his voice at Zelensky and chastised him for “hating” Putin after the Russian despot invaded Ukraine in a war that has killed over 100,000 Ukrainians.

Again, in the Monitor, we are reading about a vigilante group who wants to harass a transgender child at a school sports event. They are calling it “freedom of speech” but this demonstration belongs on the State House steps, not on a school playground. Do these people have no compassion for a minority group who just want to be part of what every child deserves in their school experience. To those in power: Be strong in your resistance to bigotry and bullying.

The ‘DOGE king’ stating that if a government worker doesn’t answer his emails that means they’re not working? To me that means just the opposite. I worked for the state of New Hampshire for 25 years, primarily working at a computer. If my bosses had come by my desk and seen me browsing emails I would have been seen as not doing the work I was supposed to be doing.

First, I want to congratulate all of the citizenry who voted Donald Trump into office for a second term (or third and fourth?).

On Saturday, March 15 at 9 a.m., Hopkinton voters head to the annual School District Meeting. The School Board has proposed and the Budget Committee has unanimously recommended an increase to the operating budget of 2.29%. That increase is entirely driven by a significant uptick in special education costs, which are rising across New Hampshire. In fact, with increased special education costs removed, the operating budget would actually shrink! I expect that, once again this year, an amendment will be proposed to level-fund the School District. This is the so-called “flat budget.” Voters should remember that special education costs are mandated by federal and state law and largely out of the District’s control. If the “flat budget” is adopted, the reductions will not come out of special education — nor should they. Instead, we’ll see cuts to classroom positions and/or core programs like athletics and the arts. As you make your decision on the proposed operating budget, keep in mind that a “flat budget” in March means a different school system in August. Please vote yes on the School Board’s proposal, as recommended by the Budget Committee.

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I couldn’t have said it any better. Commenting on Trump’s tirade during the public meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, former representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) posted: “Generations of American patriots, from our revolution onward, have fought for the principles Zelenskyy is risking his life to defend. But today, Donald Trump and JD Vance attacked Zelenskyy and pressured him to surrender the freedom of his people to the KGB war criminal who invaded Ukraine. History will remember this day — when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.” Is this what you voted for? And if so, why?

Recently, a photo on the front page of the Monitor showed angry adults gathered at a children’s sporting event. Apparently, the threat they feel is from transgender children. Children. Let that sink in. These children should be supported, not feared. They don’t fit society’s proclaimed mold, but they have the right to be who they are. These children are being used and targeted by the Republican propaganda machine just as the Nazis used Jewish people to distract from the bread-and-butter issues that impact everyone. Think about it. Listen to the lyrics, “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”

House Bill 251 would allow for squirrels and raccoons to be pets. I always have the best interest of animals in mind, so therefore I am opposed to this bill. Wild animals are indeed wild and are unpredictable. Some states do allow squirrels and raccoons as pets, and any search can find several incidents of serious biting, scratching and attacking owners, including children. Wild animals will naturally have wild instincts. Then there is the question of how much space these animals need and how they will tear your house up when you leave them alone. Raccoons hate to be caged. Their instincts are to roam for miles. If a raccoon or squirrel acts out, then they will likely have to pay the price and be euthanized. In reality, all wild animals want is to be left alone. Wildlife rehabilitators take in orphaned or hurt wildlife. They are skilled, trained, certified and licensed. If the animals are determined to be non-releasable, then they have used those animals as ambassador animals. Wildlife rehabilitators know exactly how to handle the animal and understand signs of distress. My suggestion: Let’s take care of the domestic animals we already have languishing in shelters before we add more animals to the mix. That dog or cat will be grateful and give you all the love you need.

A group of Bow parents are asking Judge Steven McAuliffe to allow them to protest transgender athletes at Bow school athletic events. They plan to wear pink wristbands, distribute them in school parking lots and hold protest signs targeting transgender student athletes.

Not for the first time reading a foreign policy news piece in the Monitor from the Washington Post, I was reminded of the Cold War era joke about the Soviet journalist visiting the US to study propaganda. When learning the purpose of his visit, an American asked, “What propaganda?” and the Soviet replied, “Exactly!”

Over and over we hear about the contentious use of public bathrooms. Here’s a suggestion, one that always makes me smile. For several years the bathroom doors at Bagelworks Concord have great signs on them which read “Whatever, just wash your hands.”

On Monday, Feb. 24, 63 countries voted ‘yes’ on the United Nations resolution condemning Russian aggression and demanding the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces on the war’s third anniversary. China abstained. Russia, North Korea, Belarus, Hungary, Israel and the United States voted ‘no.’ Is there a new Axis of Evil?

Representatives Vose and Hill provide an eloquent argument to deny our children an adequate education in their Feb. 27 My Turn titled “Legislature has the power to loosen the purse strings.” They argue that the state Supreme Court has overstepped its authority to mandate more state funding for education since the “voter reigns supreme” by “using the ballot box to tell candidates for governor, the executive council and the legislature what they want and don’t want.” I can therefore assume that they will strongly advocate for the abolition of gerrymandering in our state, since that will more accurately reflect the will of the voter.

My name is Laura A. Gerard, and I am running for the Gilmanton School Board because I care deeply about the future of our schools and the success of our students. As a parent of two school-aged children, I understand firsthand the importance of strong, effective educational policies that prepare our children for their futures. Our wonderful school is not only an asset to our community but also the primary reason my family chose to move to Gilmanton.

How can the only member of the Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee with the knowledge and background to make sound decisions on the bills before it be summarily removed for “not supporting the party?” Is this what we elect representatives to do: support a political party even if it’s deleterious to the public it’s supposed to serve? Speaker Sherman’s action shows a level of ignorance and disregard for the public good that goes beyond rational understanding. Why are Speaker Sherman and members of the Republican delegation blatantly crushing informed, educated and honest discourse on pieces of legislation for partisan ideology to the detriment of the health and well-being of every New Hampshire resident? Every constituent should ask their representative this question.