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Opinion

The president has learned the reality of war

Commentary

Even having been in one, Vietnam, I cannot say that I am an expert on war. The only thing I know for sure is that it should, if possible, be avoided at all costs. War represents a breakdown in diplomacy and civil discourse—the rule of law is forgotten and the rule of war, destruction, takes the fore. Thus, it was, with a sense of relief, that I was pleased to see the announcement that Iran and the United States had come to some kind of understanding to cease hostilities. I think it likely, though we will probably never know, that President Trump got talked into the massive attack ...

Data centers creating dilemma in state

The OBSERVER’s View

There are a lot of questions regarding the siting of data centers in New York state. It didn’t seem like the questions were local ones until last week when the former NRG power plant in Dunkirk was sold to Genover, a company that repurposes old power plants. One of the uses the company has found in the past for mothballed sites like Dunkirk’s is data centers. We don’t know if a data center is Genover’s end use for the former power plant in Dunkirk, but it is, at the very least, a possibility. That means Chautauqua County now has a very real interest in a one-year moratorium ...

Iran has long been thorn in U.S. side

Commentary

Observing the events that unfolded in March, where our military might have flexed its muscles in the middle east, we see the potential of a changing earth. This metamorphosis does not come from the scientific revelation or discovery of an incredible new resource that will improve our lives. It ...

Portal makes college a whole new game

Commentary

This month, I’m going to digress and give attention to the “portal” that is now prevalent in college athletics. First, I have to give a history lesson on the NCAA (National Association of College Athletics) and the rules of enforcement. When I was a player in the sixties, and at that time in division I and II, freshman basketball, football and other sports were not allowed to play on the varsity until they were sophomores. Thus, there was Wilt Chamberlain, 7-foot-2 on the freshman squad, beating the pants off the Kansas Jayhawk Varsity in scrimmage after scrimmage. If a player, ...

Were Jesus and His Disciples Communists?

Commentary

More and more these days Christian politicians and their followers use the Bible to justify their stances on societal issues. Many of our leaders use scripture to justify their support of the state of Israel and the related military actions as just warfare. They also use the Bible to condemn abortion, homosexuality and transgenderism. It seems to me that there is just as much evidence in the Bible, maybe even more evidence, suggesting that Jesus and his disciples were communists. Every day I read from a Daily Catholic Devotions magazine called Living Faith. A recent Daily Devotion ...

Stepping on toes at the big dance

Commentary

There’s a party goin’ on and you’re invited! But first, you must choose a color in order to be admitted into the gymnasium, which is divided into two sections. Left is for blue, and right is for red. That’s it. No purple, black, white, yellow, green, etc. Although you are free to dress in whatever color or style best suits your taste, you are required to wear a blue or red headset, which will dictate the genre of music you hear and the kind of images that appear on the screens above the basketball hoop. The people wearing blue headphones appear lively, animated. They are ...