Letters to the Editor - April 2, 2026

Proud to be an American

On “No Kings Day” 1000 peaceful protestors showed up on the Salisbury Green. And The Boss — Bruce Springsteen sang to thousands in The Twin Cities. A “Boss Day” or an “All Queens Day” is in order.

In Falls Village at the Center on Main, the Children’s Theater presented a rousing production of Mary Poppins. Scores of costumes, exquisite direction and choreography by Darcy Boynton with Amber Cameron, founders of Blue Studio Dance, and what seemed like thousands of youngsters, made this oldster yet again know why he is in the theater. Herding cats, dare I say it, looks like child’s play compared to what they all achieved.

The Boss and the Children’s Theater make me proud to be an American.

Lonnie Carter

Falls Village

Stand up against this unlawful war with Iran

In recent polls a majority of Americans have expressed opposition to the Iran war, but President Trump is not listening. Not only has he ignored majority sentiment against the war, he has also contradicted his own campaign promises to end forever wars. Worst of all he’s fallen in line with a 2009 document issued by the Brookings Institute that talks about waging war on Iran to preserve U.S. hegemony, “WHICH PATH TO PERSIA? Options for a New American Strategy”.

This think tank study relies upon the false narrative that Iran is a sponsor of terrorism to justify a war of annihilation against Iran.Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been a willing partner in demonizing Iran for its own narrow purposes and pushing for Iran’s destruction. This long-term strategy convinced Trump to scuttle productive diplomatic negotiations and launch an unprovoked war of aggression in violation of International and domestic law.

On the horrific first day of the war, an attack killed over 175 elementary school girls, and assassinated Iran’s political and religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.The U.S. also killed his wife, daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren in the attack. The fact that the attack came as the parties were in the midst of diplomatic negotiations only makes the act more shameful.

The killing of elementary school children in Minab and the assassination of Khamenei had the opposite of the intended effect. Instead of leading to regime change, it strengthened the Iranian government and also inflamed the entire Shiia population in the region. It also removed a leader that was opposed to Iran having an atomic bomb; Khamenei had issued a fatwa, a religious edict, against the building of the bomb.

Since the war started, we have learned of massive U.S. and Israeli bombing strikes on apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, oil refineries and desalination plants, targeting and directing the fighting to the civilian population, similar to the conduct of Israel in Gaza. Iran has retaliated in kind and has shown a willingness to defend itself from the existential threat of destruction.

Thousands of innocent Iranians, an unknown number of U.S. soldiers and Israelis have been killed. And billions of dollars of destruction has occurred. Following the Vietnam playbook, Trump is now on the verge of sending in ground troops. This would make an already bad situation worse. Americans are sick of forever wars.

The war is unlawful, in direct violation of the U.N. Charter, the 1949 Geneva Conventions and our own Constitution. Commencement of an unprovoked war of aggression and the targeting of civilians are both war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A foreign policy centered on military force, the targeting and killing of unarmed civilians, regime change and interference in the internal affairs of other countries to preserve U.S. interests is not only unlawful, it is also profoundly undemocratic and threatens world peace. It’s up to us, every day Americans, to declare our opposition to this military adventure and advocate for peace through diplomacy and international cooperation.

Leonard Polletta

Lakeville