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Opinion

Catholic Charities has large role in area

Commentary

For more than a century, Catholic Charities of Buffalo has stood beside our neighbors in their most difficult moments — offering not just assistance, but dignity, stability, and hope. Every day, Catholic Charities is often the first place people across Western New York turn to when they are facing hunger, mental health struggles, family crises, addiction, isolation, or the uncertainty of tomorrow. Today, that need is growing at an alarming rate. More families are struggling to afford groceries and utilities. More seniors are living alone and vulnerable. For many households, ...

People’s column

Peoples column

Proposed law will fuse U.S., Israeli military Editor, OBSERVER: Every year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) presents its wish list of monies for the coming year. Lobbyists for the “defense industry” submit a massive document — over a thousand pages — that very few read in its entirety. In general, Congress subsequently enacts the laws granting upwards of $1.5 trillion for the “military industrial complex.” The NDAA for 2027, released May 13, contains a proposal — section 224 in the House bill — that will virtually merge the U.S. military with ...

Involve veterans in Memorial Park plans

Commentary

Proposed changes at Memorial Park are once again in the news. Without a doubt anything that affects the park has been a hot topic throughout my life. Veterans jealously guard the nature of its use and rightly so. After World War I, World War II and Korea virtually all men had served in the armed forces and the park stood as a place to honor their service, and remember those who never returned. These days very few have served, and the sacrifices that military service involves is invisible to all but those in their 60s and beyond. Regardless of its official or legal status, ...

Viewing the strange suicide of the West

Commentary

The West seems strangely intent on committing suicide, even though it was Western Civilization that liberated mankind from its history of slavery, servitude, and poverty. The unparalleled freedom and prosperity we have enjoyed in this country are the direct result of uniquely Western — and particularly American — values, yet the Woke Left wants to return us to government-imposed serfdom under their control. Western Tradition is a set of cultural norms developed over 500 years with roots in classic Greek philosophy and Judeo-Christian beliefs. It is based on the application of ...

Tumult keeps harming Fredonia reputation

The OBSERVER’s View

After a sudden resignation by one trustee and another on medical leave, there has been a lack of activity regarding the Fredonia Village Board. Last week, the meeting was canceled — likely due to lack of a quorum. While the schedule is supposed to resume Monday with a workshop gathering, there is no question the internal and external turmoil of the village is impacting how things are getting done. Contentious meetings, that included a notorious scuffle, led to Jon Espersen saying enough was enough. Unrelated to that, Trustee Ben Brauchler appears to be on the mend. But the dynamic ...

U.S. history of division, freedom always tested

Editor's corner

Boos mixed in with some faint cheers reached a crescendo on Monday night during Game Three of the National Basketball Association Finals in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Crowd reactions were for President Donald Trump who was in attendance and briefly pictured on the ...