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We have a democracy, if we can keep it

Editorials

"A republic, if you can keep it,” Benjamin Franklin famously responded when asked by a Philadelphia socialite what it was that he and the other Founders had wrought. Her question, and his answer, in the 1787 conversation framed the choice for the emerging new country as being between republic and monarchy. Today, in some quarters, the choice is presented differently: We’re a republic, not a democracy, goes a politically fashionable trope that happens to be both factually inaccurate and philosophically ominous. America’s 250th birthday is as good a time as any to remind ...

More Than a Vacation: Lessons from Hudson Valley (Continuation of Part One)

Editorials

Next came Springwood, the lifelong home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Before this visit, I knew surprisingly little about either his home or his presidency. What I discovered was both informative and inspiring. I found myself taking more photographs of Roosevelt's quotations than of the furnishings. One quote especially caught my attention: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." As I walked through his presidential library and museum, another exhibit struck ...

A familiar number, a far more dangerous moment

Editorials

The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond has climbed back to where it stood in 2007, north of 5%, and it pushed a little higher again this week after the Federal Reserve left its own rates alone. On its face, that sounds almost reassuring, a return to some pre-crisis normal. It is nothing of the sort. The same number today carries a very different, and far heavier, meaning than it did 19 years ago. In 2007, the federal debt held by the public was roughly nine trillion dollars. Today it is about four times that. A yield is simply the price of borrowing, and paying the 2007 price on four ...

Evidence, not outrage, wins convictions

Editorials

Now that the dust has settled on the alleged child predator video that spread across social media last week, one thing has become clear: the criminal justice system ultimately did what many feared it would not. A Lewistown man is now behind bars facing multiple felony charges, and his preliminary hearing has been continued until Aug. 7 as the case moves through the courts. That is the outcome everyone should want. If the allegations are proven in court, a dangerous individual will be held accountable. The arrest is welcome news for a community that was understandably shaken by the ...

Lessons from a vacation in the Hudson Valley

Local Columns

(Editor’s note: This column is part one of a two-part series.) To celebrate Mother’s Day, my children began the tradition of all pitching in to fund an adventure that my daughter, Joy, and I take together. I cannot put into words how much this gift means to me. To spend quality time with an adult child is nothing short of priceless. Last year we traveled to the Hudson Valley to explore Nyack and Sleepy Hollow. This past weekend we returned to the region to visit Springwood, the home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Val-Kill Cottage, Eleanor Roosevelt’s retreat; the ...

Readers' opinions

Letters to the Editor

Thank you to first responders in recent fire To the Editor: We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the first responders who responded to our recent fire at 139 W. Market St. Thank you to Heritage Fire Co., City Hook & Ladder, Burnham Fire Co., Reedsville Fire Co., Milroy Hose Co., Junction Fire Co., Granville Fire Co., West Granville Fire Co., Chief Logan Fire Co., Friendship Fire Co. of Port Royal, Mifflintown Hose Co., Beale Township Fire Co., Mount Union Fire Co., Huntingdon Regional Fire & Rescue, FAME EMS, and Milroy Hose Co. EMS. An estimated 100 firefighters ...