Letters to the editor
In a recent commentary, concerns were raised about a troubling trend among some Democratic leaders who are reportedly urging members of the military, particularly the National Guard, to disobey orders from their superiors regarding the deployment of troops in major cities. This strategy, seen as a desperate attempt to undermine President Trump’s policies, has sparked fears that it could lead to chaos within the ranks. The article argues that this could create a dangerous precedent, where service members, especially younger recruits, might feel empowered to question the legality of their orders. Such a situation could potentially result in serious consequences for those who choose to disobey, including court-martial and dishonorable discharge, all because elected officials failed to engage in constructive dialogue through established legislative processes.
The commentary also touches on broader issues of accountability and the responsibilities of Congress, particularly in relation to Social Security. A hypothetical scenario is presented where retired members of Congress face a significant cut in their pensions, paralleling the looming crisis in Social Security funding. The writer suggests that if Congress members were personally affected by such cuts, they would be more motivated to take action. This reflects a growing frustration among constituents who feel that their needs are being sidelined while lawmakers continue to procrastinate on vital issues. The piece emphasizes the importance of voters holding their elected representatives accountable, especially as Social Security faces an uncertain future.
In the context of international affairs, the article also addresses the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. It critiques the Associated Press for implying that Israel’s military actions are a violation of the ceasefire, arguing instead that Hamas has consistently breached the terms of the agreement, particularly by failing to return hostages taken during the October 7 attacks. The piece asserts that only through Israel’s enforcement of these terms can there be hope for a lasting peace and the disarmament of Hamas. This perspective highlights the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the delicate balance required to achieve a sustainable resolution, stressing that without accountability for violations, previous ceasefire failures are likely to recur, perpetuating the cycle of violence and suffering in the region.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KahPH6oc12I
Refusing orders
This issue is without a doubt the lowest attack the Democrats have launched yet against President Trump’s policies. Because their party can’t engage and negotiate with President Trump through normal legislative channels regarding use of the National Guard in major cities, they have now stooped to appealing directly to members of our military to disobey orders of their superior officers.
So, how does this play out? One way is that rank and file members of the National Guard could perceive the video as permission to decide on their own what is, or isn’t, a lawful order from their commanders.
This scenario could very well result in gullible young men, or women, being court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from service for refusing to obey an order, because some cowardly senator or representative couldn’t find the wherewithal to do the job they were elected to do.
Lee Lessard
Dracut
Social Security
It would be interesting if retired members of Congress were told their pensions would be cut by 24% the same day Social Security was to be cut. Many of those folks are collecting large pensions that they qualify for at age 62 with only 5 years of service while most Social Security recipients work for years to receive a much lower payout.
I am sure they would be screaming and demand action so this won’t happen, yet Congress continues to kick the can down the road on the Social Security funding crisis. It is time for seniors to wake up and vote out the people in Congress that continue to sit on their hands as Social Security funding heads for the cliff.
Paul Quaglia
Billerica
Ceasefire
Re: the Associated Press article “Israel launches strikes in ceasefire’s latest test” (Boston Herald, Nov. 23): Israel’s strikes were indeed another test of the ceasefire with Hamas, but not quite in the way misleadingly implied by the AP.
Hamas has been constantly violating the terms of the ceasefire, with its failure, more than six weeks after the start of the ceasefire, to return all the hostages it kidnapped Oct. 7, 2023 despite the agreement that it would do so within 72 hours, being one of its smallest, albeit more dramatic, violations.
The only party making Hamas pay any price for its constant violations is Israel, whose enforcement of the terms provides the only hope that that ceasefire will endure and lead to the disarmament of Hamas and destruction of its terror infrastructure. Unless those provisions are enforced, this ceasefire will simply repeat the failures of all previous ceasefires, leading once again to the rearming and strengthening of Hamas and yet another destructive war with its attendant devastation in Gaza.
It’s ironic that Israel, whose citizens were the target of Hamas’
barbaric Oct. 7 slaughter, provides the best hope for the
self-induced misery of the people of Gaza being replaced by normal, peaceful and productive lives.
Alan Stein
Founder, PRIMER-Massachusetts (Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting) as well as PRIMER-Israel and president emeritus of PRIMER-Connecticut
Newton, MA and Netanya, Israel
