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Invite ABC speakers to Chautauqua’s main stage

CHAUTAUQUA — Those who have read, listened to, or watched the news this year know that some are shocked at the ascendancy of socialism among Democrats. They’re right to be shocked in the sense of left aghast. Yet no one should be shocked in the sense of surprise. Step by step, socialism has been gaining a foothold among Democrats since the ascendancy of Woodrow Wilson to the presidency in 1912. Has socialism’s progress among Democrats always been linear? That is, has it always gained ground at a constant rate? No, socialism among Democrats has ebbed and flowed, yet the net ...

Questions remain regarding Flock cameras

Until the recent story in the OBSERVER about Flock cameras appearing in New York State and Chautauqua County, I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to the subject probably because I took it for granted that “Big Brother” in some form or other felt a need to watch some of us. Now I don’t ...

Rounding Third

I need a tissue just thinking about it. Sniff, sniff. It wasn’t until I realized that Labor Day is THIS WEEKEND that it hit me. Summer is almost over. How did that happen? Wasn’t it the first of August just last week? With the sun setting earlier, suddenly the evenings have become ...

We’re allowed to hate Trump’s choices

A recent writer (Aug.10) asks what President Trump does that Democrats hate. Hate is a strong word, and we’re enjoined to hate the sin but love the sinner. I can’t pretend to love Donald J. Trump, but I don’t hate him or his minions. Many people confused “The Apprentice” with actual life, and the confusion haunts us today. “The Apprentice” was entertainment, made for TV. The show was a gig for a skilled showman like Trump, a godsend as his hotels and casinos floundered. The show was a financial lifeline for Trump, who’d been failing in business for years. (Check out ...

250th anniversary of the United States a big deal

As it should be, a lot has been made this year of the 250th anniversary (birthday) of our country. It is a time to reflect back on what it has taken to bring us to where we are today. One of my siblings reminded me that, in fact, we have been alive for about 1/3rd of that time -- just think about it. If you divide 250 by three ... you get my age! Either I am very old or the country is very young -- and both are true. It made me reflect back upon conversations with my father. He told us that in discussions he had with his grandfather, that his grandfather described working all winter ...