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Letters to the Editor

PAIN Act alternatives can prevent addiction

DEAR EDITOR: In my years as a nurse working in a drug detox unit, I’ve witnessed both the crushing grip of addiction and the grueling journey of recovery. I’ve held patients’ hands through the agony of withdrawal, watched families struggle to support loved ones through treatment and seen the toll it takes on everyone involved. What makes this more troubling is how often these stories begin not with illegal drugs, but with a legitimate prescription for pain management. As someone who has seen the brutal reality of addiction up close, I know our best solution is ...

Only God can save the United States now

DEAR EDITOR: Before Nov. 5, I stated that hell would freeze over before Trump would be elected again. Well, welcome to hell, ruled over by the unholy trio of Musk, DJT and Putin. For the 250th celebration of our country — there will be nothing and no one left worth celebrating. Fires, floods, poverty and diseases will have already destroyed the nation that “We the People” have worked so hard to create. Please, God, save us from this future! DONNA NASSER Sharon, Pa.

Where’s congressional representation?

DEAR EDITOR: As concerned constituents of Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, we visited U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli’s Canfield office on Feb. 21 to voice our concerns and seek answers from our elected representative or his staff. For weeks, many of us have attempted to reach his office by phone, only to be met with unreturned calls and no clear way to engage with our congressman. Hoping for better luck in person, we arrived at his Canfield office — only to be met at the door by a staffer who informed us that the office does not handle legislative matters and has no congressional ...

Refuting Salena Zito’s recent opinion column

DEAR EDITOR: While Salena Zito’s March 1 op-ed (“Where Was ‘60 Minutes’ Crew When Youngstown Jobs Were Cut?”) contains a number of objective historical truths, she surrounds these with rhetorical distortions that undercut her credibility. For example: She declaratively states, “National newspapers buried the story on page A-12,” but doesn’t mention a single national newspaper that did this, and so it’s impossible to verify that broad claim. She then goes on to chastise The New York Times for not reporting the story “in real time,” which is amusing, since ...

Legalized marijuana is a bad idea for Ohio

DEAR EDITOR: I find it interesting, and a bit amusing, the recent lamenting of several local elected officials regarding Gov. DeWine’s move to stop a portion of the marijuana tax money from returning to local governments. These officials, including Austintown Trustee Robert Santos, Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown and elected officials from Struthers, Niles and Warren, were all in favor of marijuana dispensaries opening in their communities when they believed they were going to receive a piece of the financial pie, or shall we say the marijuana brownie! However, now that there is a ...

Sound off! Readers share their thoughts

All these Trump haters writing in! Give him a chance. Remember what the alternative was. — Boardman Whether you voted for Trump and Vance or not, I feel shame. Do you? — New Springfield On Biden’s first day in office he signed multiple executive orders. One cost 11,000 jobs and $2 billion in wages by shutting down the Keystone Pipeline. I don’t recall CNN or MSNBC interviewing or sympathizing with those workers. Those jobs were for energy independence. If a Democrat had created DOGE to find out which government job is essential and which are waste and fraud, would you be ...