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We should know wars are hard to end

It is easy to start a war, but very difficult to end one. That has always been the case and still is. If you are in doubt, just ask Vladamir Putin how things are going in the war he started in Ukraine four years ago. Think about the Iraq War. We invaded Iraq in 2003. Saddam Hussein was finally captured and eventually executed. But here we are in 2026, having lost 4,500 American lives and having spent a trillion dollars or more, with troops still in Iraq, a country with a weak government trying to rebuild itself. The war I was involved in, Vietnam, started in 1964—but, at least, it ...

Go slow on battery storage city site

An article in the OBSERVER and another in The Buffalo News has brought information about a battery storage facility meant for an area off Brigham Road across the street from the entire west side of Dunkirk. Less than a mile away sits the Dunkirk Junior-High School, and the School 5. I’m all for progress for the city. We all know we need development. But I am NOT in favor of desperate measures. Those of you unsure what such a facility is should Google it to get a clearer picture of what it entails. Let’s remind ourselves of other rushes to building — or tearing down. Without ...

Heaven is even better than you can imagine

Father Dan Walsh and Father Bob Owczarczak are the two best priests I have ever known. They are both huge Bills fans. So I will put it this way. Father Dan is like the Jim Kelly of priests. A wise, old, retired superstar. Father Bob is like Josh Allen. The new, young, dynamic superstar. Father Dan has helped me so many times during my life that I can’t thank him enough. Father Bob came on the scene locally during my last few years as the principal of Northern Chautauqua Catholic School. I have a hard time calling him Father since I am old enough to be his father. Father Bob has ...

Turbine recycling not always in plans

Hopefully this commentary will be eye-opening regarding the disposal of wind turbine blades in New York state and a red flag warning regarding the many variables, unknowns and uncertainties regarding wind project decommissioning costs. It reveals how wind-hosting townships may be at grave risk of major underfunding. After the 10-year Production Tax Credit federal subsidy expires and with the increasing, mandated costs of proper waste management (especially for blades), it is more likely for owners to abandon the project. It is concerning that decommissioning cost estimates in New ...

Big money factoring into U.S. decisions

It’s OK to change your mind. When you’re faced with overwhelming evidence that you’ve been lied to, it’s OK to admit that you were misled, especially by a world-class con artist. There is no shame in that for you, only for the liar, who unfortunately is incapable of shame. Before you let the cognitive dissonance that must be existing in your brain, affect your mental health, relieve the pressure by putting the blame squarely on the deceiver; the one who made the promises that it has become evident were not meant to be kept. Denial and excuses only cover up so much, then reality ...

Voting Rights Act before high court

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is before the U.S. Supreme Court again, this time in Louisiana v. Callais. After extensive back and forth among the state Legislature, the governor’s office, and the federal judiciary, Louisiana—with its six congressional districts—drew a second congressional district in which a majority of the residents are black. Drawing such a district would be one thing if the district—to put it in colloquial terms—were a normal-looking district. But this district isn’t a normal-looking district. Instead, it looks like a Rorschach test. To put it ...