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Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Cortland police officers John Mosora and Chuck Lohry for their heroism that saved the life of a man involved in a serious automobile accident in the city Dec. 27. When the two officers arrived at the scene near state Route 5 and Bradley Brownlee Road, a car engulfed in flames had flipped over with the driver trapped inside. Mosara immediately broke the sunroof to gain entry and dragged the driver to safety as Lohry used a fire extinguisher to snuff out the flames. We join police Chief David Morris in rightly commending the duo’s professional and heroic actions: “We’re ...

Work to advance MLK’s ‘Dream’ toward reality

A sad and ironic reality once again permeates America on this federal holiday weekend dedicated to the life and teachings of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For far too many in the Mahoning Valley and in the nation, the third Monday of January rises as just another day to sleep in, another day off work or another day to catch up on neglected personal tasks. Nonetheless, special events in Youngstown, Warren and elsewhere appropriately are taking place this weekend to memorialize the man and preserve his dream. (See a complete listing of them in this newspaper or at ...

It depends on where you stand

“For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.” — C.S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew Let’s start with the shooting of Renee Good, a Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent while attempting to drive away from the scene of an ICE operation. Moments after the first videos were available the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz blamed ICE and called the shooting unnecessary. The leftist activist group that Good was reportedly part of is dedicated to tracking and ...

Trump’s rage machine runs on distraction

Surely, I have plenty of company in wanting to jump off the Donald Trump distraction express. Rage is its fuel. A weekend isn’t short enough to contain the demands on attention. Just this last two-day break encountered: The cinematic ICE raids in Minneapolis. Threats against Exxon for its skepticism over Trump’s plans for Venezuela. A stated willingness to bomb Iran. His vow to take over Greenland “one way or another.” A patently sham investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Angst over the social unrest in Minneapolis took center stage with the fatal shooting of ...

President Donald Trump’s war footing

At the same time agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol are swarming into Minnesota and other states and cities, President Donald Trump is planning bombing raids on other countries. Domestically and internationally, he is putting America on a war footing. ICE is reportedly investing $100 million on what it calls “wartime recruitment” of 10,000 new agents, in addition to the 20,000 already employed. Its recruitment is targeting gun and military enthusiasts, people who listen to right-wing radio, who have gone to Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

A lawless presidency

The United States invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro, the domestically recognized Venezuelan president, violated the U.S. Constitution and international law. The Constitution makes clear that only Congress can authorize a foreign invasion. In the pre-World War II era, Congress declared war on countries that attacked the U.S. or were allied with those that did, and those declarations expired upon the surrender by legal authorities in the targeted countries. In the post-9/11 era, Congress has chosen to authorize the use of military force, without providing for a ...