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Letters to the Editor

Socialism

EDITOR: Dana VanEffen’s letter tries hard to separate socialism from Nazism, but her argument falls apart under even basic scrutiny. Yes, the term “Nazi” comes from National Socialist German Workers’ Party. And no, that wasn’t just empty branding. Hitler himself said, “I am a socialist.” The Nazis weren’t capitalists, they believed in strong government control over the economy, wealth redistribution (to their chosen groups), and crushing private enterprise that didn’t serve the state. That’s not capitalism. That’s socialism. mixed with nationalism and racial ...

Invest in our schools

EDITOR: “Why should we update the high school? It’s practically brand new.” “I can’t justify the cost of a new facility for sports—we should focus on curriculum.” Have you heard similar concerns about Bond Proposal II? I get it—these are valid points, and we’re talking about our hard-earned tax dollars. But please allow me to clarify: The proposed facility isn’t just a “gym”—it’s a multi-use space for all extracurricular activities. Take the Gladstone Bravebots, for example. This internationally ranked robotics team introduces students to STEM and has ...

Response

EDITOR: I’m writing in response to the April 17th letter to the editor titled “The power of a word”. The gentleman from Nahma objected to the use of the term Nazism that some have used in reference to the current administration. I do not presume this was written in defense of our name-calling Insulter-In-Chief, but rather to inform us of the original meaning of Nazism. Perhaps the writer, in future letters, could educate us on the definition and meaning of autocracy, and of fascism and of governmental separation of powers. Joe Larson Escanaba

Open letter to Congressman

EDITOR: Congressman Bergman, On April 5, 2025 I sent you a message expressing concern that the Veterans Administration was facing a cut of 80,000 employees. I asked how those cuts would effect the VA hospital in Iron Mountain, the VA 4medical clinic in Gladstone and Vet Center in Escanaba. You did not respond therefore I will try to communicate with you through the Daily Press. In an internal memo obtained by military.com the VA chief of staff wanted to fire 83,000 employees to reduce the staffing levels to 2019 levels. The PACT Act went into effect in 2022. It provides care for ...

Loaded words

EDITOR: Michael Glass’’s opinion “The Power of a Word” correctly notes that words can shift or lose meaning when misapplied, but it grossly misrepresents Nazism as socialism, deliberately calling Bernie Sanders a “socialist” instead of a “democratic socialist” to exploit the scare word “socialism.” This linguistic manipulation, coupled with historical inaccuracies, collapses under scrutiny. His central claim — that Nazism was socialism and the term “Nazi” should apply to socialists like Sanders, not capitalists — is false. The term “Nazi” is a ...

Ukraine

EDITOR: Frankly, I haven’t read Mr. Aho’s letter entitled “Respect for Zelensky” but based on a published response to the same I’m pretty sure Mr. Aho and I would be on the same page. In the latest Gallup poll on Ukraine, 46% of those surveyed believe that the U.S. is not doing enough to support Ukraine, while only 30% think we are doing too much. The same poll found support for helping Ukraine reclaim territory at 53%. The survey also appears to show that the majority of Americans are more clear-eyed about the character of the leaders of Ukraine and Russia than the Trump ...