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Opinion

Are we doomed to repeat history?

Letters to the Editor

In A Christmas Carol, the third spectre shows Ebeneezer Scrooge his miserable future, the consequence of his misanthropy and greed. Scrooge posited the critical query; “Are these the shadows of the things which Will be, or are they the shadows of the things that May be, only?” David French’s NY Times dire opinion piece on May 31, 2026, harkens to this existential question. Today, American populist demagogues persuade the vulnerable that democracy, decency and constructive compromise are weakness; tyranny, cynicism and brutality are strength. Ignorance of historical consequences ...

Loneliness: People really do need people

Opinion

Ashley, North Dakota, is a small farming town where the local diet leans hard on sausage, deep-fried chicken and strudel. It has something of a medical center, but the nearest trauma hospital able to handle the most serious injuries is almost four hours away in Fargo. Yet the elders in McIntosh County, with Ashley as its county seat, frequently live into their 90s, and sometimes beyond. It had the highest proportion of people 85 and older in the country. Doesn’t make sense until you see why it does. Stress levels are low. The farmers pursue a lifetime of physical exercise. When ...

The invisible forces that keep doors open

Opinion

We’re not southern enough to be yes, ma’am or no, sir, but I try to nudge manners into my kids’ daily interactions with strangers. Today, I nudged him when I saw two women cross the parking lot and asked him to open the restaurant door. One of the women was older and one much younger, maybe a grandmother and granddaughter. The younger one smiled at him and said thank you as she walked through. The older one didn’t acknowledge him at all. At the table, my mom called it entitlement, but that didn’t feel right. It’s more that some people grow accustomed to moving through the ...

Insurance holders should read fine print

Editorials

Thousands of insurance policies are bought each day in America, and the people who have purchased those policies usually feel some semblance of peace of mind, believing they will be protected if they are victimized by an event such as an accident, fire or weather disaster, including a hurricane or flood. After completing the purchase, most of the new policyholders most likely tuck away the policy in a safe place, determined that they’ll read it “when they have the opportunity to sit down with it” — an opportunity window that, for many, never becomes available amid the hustle ...

Speech at PSU Altoona cherished

Opinion

Earlier this month was the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the largest liberating amphibious invasion in history and the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe. Many speeches have been delivered to mark that anniversary, but most have been largely forgotten … with one notable exception. That exception occurred on the 40th anniversary of D-Day, when former President Ronald Reagan delivered his “Boys of Pointe du Hoc” speech. The speech setting was the U.S. Ranger Monument at Pointe du Hoc, France, overlooking the landing beaches of Normandy, Joining Reagan at the event were ...

Country has great things to celebrate

Letters to the Editor

I can’t imagine I’m alone in thinking how ironic our nation’s 250-year anniversary is happening now during this time of division in our country. It can also be argued that it is depressing. If we Google trying times in U.S. history, we will find that our great nation has had inner division problems before, probably just as important to the people of those times as they are to us now. When I get confused on how to feel about important issues, I like to read articles about the world written by learned people. They say we shouldn’t define one’s life by a stroke of bad luck and I ...