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Only voters can save America’s democracy

Letters to the Editor

Americans are understandably proud of our nation as a free society and successful experiment in democracy. We have stumbled before, yet endured — guided by constitutional guardrails and leaders who respected them. In the eyes of the world, we were Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill.” Until now. Donald Trump has reminded us just how fragile our democracy is. Preserving our freedoms requires integrity in government. Trump rudely woke us to the reality that freedom can never be taken for granted. By neutering Congress and staffing his administration with underqualified ...

Sewer work snafu must be corrected

Editorials

Even if the current concerns regarding Blair Township’s proposed Reservoir Road sanitary sewer project are navigated successfully, the anxiety in play about the project at this time never should have happened. Rather than elements of the project continuing to fall into place on a workable timetable, this multimillion-dollar endeavor instead has evolved into a conglomeration of avoidable errors and, apparently, shoddy management that is a disgrace to the township — as well as to Blair County as a whole. There are plenty of layers of expertise in this county to prevent situations ...

SAVE America Act ensures integrity

Letters to the Editor

American elections belong to American citizens. The right to vote is a sacred privilege of citizenship, and our laws must ensure that only citizens choose our leaders. The SAVE America Act would strengthen confidence in Pennsylvania’s elections by closing loopholes in existing law. It would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification to cast a ballot. These are simple, common-sense protections that honest voters can support, regardless of party. This bill should not be allowed to die in the Senate. There is more than one way to move it ...

Congress should protect our troops

Letters to the Editor

“Thank you for your service” is often heard from politicians who lack respect for U.S. troops and American honor. Now, as a new Mideast war places our soldiers, sailors and airmen in harm’s way, the Republican Congress shirks the Constitutional duty to declare war or halt what may be an illegal military action by our Executive branch to support Israel. Our ally Israel previously demonstrated willingness to commit war crimes against a helpless civilian population in Gaza, destroying civilian infrastructure, killing tens of thousands of children and subjecting civilians to siege ...

Slain trooper was protecting community

Editorials

The death of a Pennsylvania state trooper during a traffic stop on March 8 underscores how the lives of law enforcement officers are at risk even while performing some of their most basic duties. Cpl. Tim O’Connor was killed while approaching a car he had stopped after authorities were alerted about what was described as an “erratic driver.” O’Connor was shot to death while he was walking toward the car; it is believed that the driver fired from inside the vehicle. After firing the shot, the shooter, identified as Jesse Nathan Elks, 32, exited the car, walked a short distance ...

There is no problem of noncitizens voting

Letters to the Editor

The SAVE Act recently passed the House of Representatives and is currently under consideration in the Senate. It is intended to solve the problem of illegal noncitizen voting, which Republicans claim is rampant. This is bogus. There is no evidence of non-citizen voting in any significant numbers, and that isn’t because no one has looked for it. You may know of the influential Heritage Foundation. These are the same folks who brought you Project 2025. They maintain a searchable voter fraud database that is easily found with an internet search. For the period 2002 to 2025, the ...