Commentary
Commentary: Slandering teachers to undermine public education
In recent years, extremists in charge of New Hampshire’s Republican Party, with Gov. Chris Sununu’s blessing, have drastically cut state funding for public education, adopted the most expansive school voucher program in the country, taken steps to double the number of charter schools in the state, and found a variety of ways to steer public […]
Commentary: We cannot go back
The House Judiciary Committee listened to public testimony on five abortion bills and a constitutional amendment last week. One bill (HB 1181) would allow any male to claim to be the biologic father of an unborn child and petition the court for an injunction prohibiting the woman from having an abortion. The claim would be […]
Editor’s Notebook: The story about the stories – a conversation with Annmarie Timmins
Last week, the New Hampshire Bulletin published a story by senior reporter Annmarie Timmins about the state’s 24-week abortion ban and the absence of an exception in the event of a “fatal fetal diagnosis.” Timmins talked with three women who were forced to make the “impossible decision” to terminate a pregnancy they very much wanted […]
Commentary: COVID-19, nursing ethics, and the core tenets of public health nursing
During this legislative session lawmakers introduced numerous vaccine bills, with only a few granting more authority to mitigate COVID-19’s transmission. The remaining bills, under the guise of bodily autonomy and personal freedom, oppose mandates and are also anti-science. The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses emphasizes primary prevention to achieve “the greatest good […]
Commentary: Opposing local broadband projects is anti-competitive
Here in Grafton County, we can all agree on two things: We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and our internet service could be better. A lot of hard work, political capital, and local and federal funding has been committed to improving the latter, resulting in the launch of broadband […]
Commentary: Citizens drew fair redistricting maps, so why can’t the Legislature do the same?
Redistricting should result in voting districts where elected officials represent the everyday concerns of their voters. Your representative should be your advocate, focused on your school district, your health and safety, your water systems, and your local economy. Your representative should advocate for the interests of your town, city, and county. The redistricting proposals of […]
3-Minute Civics: Libraries – places and spaces for democracy
Taking something for granted is a mistake we all make. A relationship. Our health. Until the pandemic, toilet paper. Another thing some forget to appreciate is the role of public libraries in the health of our democracy. Civic health includes not only political engagement but participation in all kinds of activities that improve a community’s […]
Editor’s Notebook: Shouldn’t we be happier?
Is morning still morning when it’s indistinguishable from night? More than an hour before sunrise the alarm sounds, a shrieking digital racket void of celestial rhythm. Bedding is pushed away cruelly, as if by other hands, and the February cold coils around exposed extremities. In the kitchen, coffee warms hands and throat but the comfort […]
Commentary: Not everyone is male or female – the growing controversy over sex designation
Check out your birth certificate and surely you’ll see a designation for sex. When you were born, a doctor or clinician assigned you the “male” or “female” label based on a look at your genitalia. In the U.S., this has been standard practice for more than a century. But sex designation is not as simple […]
Commentary: How we legalize matters
New Hampshire residents overwhelmingly support legalizing cannabis, but some elected officials don’t share the public’s enthusiasm. As a result, the “Live Free or Die” state remains an island of prohibition surrounded by jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for adults. Legislators currently have a choice between several competing legalization proposals. For example, House Bill 629 is […]
Commentary: Interpreting the state constitution
Constitutional text can sometimes mean more – or less – than the words alone might suggest. Courts remain the ultimate arbiters of the meaning of the constitution, and judges often interpret the text not according to its literal meaning but with regard to the other constitutional values. For instance, while the First Amendment to the […]
Commentary: Bringing diversity to the Supreme Court
It appears obvious that certain segments of society do not believe in rectifying centuries of racial exclusion. The hue and cry among white men like Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, condemning the announcement by President Joe Biden that he intends to fill the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Stephen […]