11/16/2023 Weirs Times by The Weirs Publishing Company

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

VOLUME 32, NO. 46

THE WEIRS, LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE, N.H., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2023

COMPLIMENTARY

Civil War Soldiers Quilts Program In Ashland

N.H. State Rep. and Weirs Times Columnist Mike Moffett (L) and Rep. Scott Wallace following a briefing at Taiwan’s Institute of Defense and Security. by Mike Moffett Contributing Writer

“Free nations of the world cannot allow Taiwan, a beacon of democracy, to be subdued by an authoritarian China.” – U.S. Congressman Nick Lampson

A Trek To Taiwan

Many people draw inspiration from how the Republic of China (Taiwan) has grown and flourished in the shadow of a giant antagonist (Red China) seeking to devour it. So, when an exciting opportunity to visit the ROC came

my way, I accepted faster than one could say “Chiang Kai-Shek.” There were compelling reasons to accept the invitation—to include the fact that Taiwan is a major flashpoint where a World War could ignite

anytime. But beyond the major geopolitical issues involving Taiwan, there are also incredibly compelling economic issues that profoundly impact us all— more than most people realize. See TAIWAN on 24

Pamela Weeks, quilt expert and author, will present “Civil War Soldiers Quilts” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 16, in the Booster Clubhouse in Ashland. Weeks, a curator at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Mass., is the author of articles on quilt history and of the book “Civil War Quilts, “now in its second edition. Quilts made for the use of soldiers in that war are now very scarce, with only twenty known to survive. This talk will highlight the stories of fourteen of those soldiers’ quilts. The free public program is mostly funded by New Hampshire Humanities and is hosted by the Friends of the Ashland Town Library, who will also serve refreshments. The Booster Clubhouse is located at 99 Main Street (Routes 3 and 25) in Ashland village, next to the town playground and ball fields.

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Republican Incompetence

To The Editor: Demolitioncrats are dumb as doorknobs when the issue is international or domestic policy, assuming (there is that word again) their goal is what is in the best interest of the country. However, when the issue is winning (or is it stealing?) elections, they are demonically clever and slyer than a fox. Perhaps the Demolitioncrat “ jackass” mascot should be a “red fox”. Therefore, Biden’s decision to skip the N.H. primary was perplexing, confounding, and surprising, especially when one recalls Steve McAuliffe is a Biden buddy. When 2+2 does not equal 4, something wicked this way comes. What could it be? Suddenly the light bulb went off and here is what I see. Chris “Porky” Christie and Chris Sununu, two guys who have intense hatred for Donald Trump, endlessly conspire to undermine him at every opportunity. N.H. Secretatary of State Dave Scanlan and Republican Chairperson Chris Ager, incompetently or intentionally, have agreed to allow all Demolitioncrats and Independents to obtain a Republican ballot in the upcoming primary. Next, we have the Colorado Kid, former Senate candidate and summer resident, Corky Messner, galloping back into N.H. Recall his horrendous senate campaign

that helped put Shaheen back in the U.S. Senate. Messner recently crashed and burned into Lake Winnipesaukee when his recent attempt to keep President Trump off the 2024 N.H. primary ballot failed. Unfortunately, this desperate ploy provided cover for all the above Trump hater’s quixotic and despicable quest to allow Demolitioncrats to directly manipulate the Republican presidential primary. Once again, we see the State Republican Party being run by Nincompoops or worse. Welcome to the N.H. presidential primary from “ Adventures in Wonderland”. Let’s pray that endless Republican incompetence does not elect Kamala “ Alice” Harris or “Malicious” Obama as POTUS. Charles Bradley Laconia, NH

Can’t Trust The Healthcare System

To The Editor: On August 22, the DHHS announced its allocation of an additional $1.4 billion toward the development of new Covid treatments and vaccines. If good health is their purpose, that’s like pouring gasoline on a fire. President Biden lit the match to ignite his brand of healthcare with these words ” I signed off this morning on a proposal to present to Congress requests for additional funding for a new

vaccine.” With all due respect to the office of the presidency, in the face of the following statistics of CDC’s own surveillance system, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) own records indicate that as of September of this year 1,593,415 adverse events were reported along with 36,231 deaths. We are confronted with a strange irony here. Look at it realistically. The disease of government that can’t balance its own budget, accumulating deficits running over $33 trillion , continues to force its agenda on the people as the best cure for COVID. Consider BlackRock analyst Edward Dowd’s revelation presented by Senator Ron Johnson (RWis) to Senate hearings:“From February 2021 to March 2022 , millennials (ages 25-44) experienced the equivalent of the Vietnam War, with more than 60,000 excess deaths . The Vietnam War took 12 years to kill the same number of healthy young people you’ve just seen die in 12 months.” Furthermore, a red flag for young athletes should be a warning to youth of facts that indicate the potential danger of the experimental vaccine: “Starting in June 2021, not a single month has passed with fewer than 29 reported deaths of athletes worldwide. The tally surged to 90 reported cases in December 2021 alone.” What caused NBA star LeBron James, son. Brawny James to See MAILBOAT on 14

Our Story

This newspaper was first published in 1883 by Mathew H. Calvert as Calvert’s Weirs Times and Tourists’ Gazette and continued until Mr. Calvert’s death in 1902. The new Weirs Times was reestablished in 1992 and strives to maintain the patriotic spirit of its predecessor as well as his devotion to the interests of Lake Winnipesaukee. Our newspaper’s masthead and the map of Lake Winnipesaukee in the center spread are elements in today’s paper which are taken from Calvert’s historic publication. Locally owned for 30 years, this publication is devoted to printing the stories of the people

and places that make New Hampshire the best place in the world to live. No, none of the daily grind news will be found in these pages, just the good stuff. Published year round on Thursdays, we distribute 24,000 copies of the Weirs Times every week to the Lakes Region/Concord/ Seacoast area and the mountains and have an estimated 60,000 people reading this newspaper. To find out how your business or service can benefit from advertising with us please call 603-366-8463.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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The Youngest Officer Goes To War been spoiling for a fight were now attending the surgeon’s call in the morning. The weeding out process had begun; two or three of our officersand I wish to make note that it was but two or three - resigned their commissions, and left the dangers of the soldier’s life and returned to their homes.” The evening before See SMITH on 27

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr. Contributing Writer

He was born in Warren, New Hampshire, but was living in Nashua when war broke out between the North and the South in 1861. His name is Elbridge Copp and he is claimed to have been the youngest commissioned officer to serve in the Civil War. His father was persuaded to let his son enlist in the Third New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, Company F, with the understanding that he would be used as a clerk and not be involved in the actual fighting. Elbridge Copp entered the Union Army as a private , but was commissioned on January 1, 1863 as a Lieutenant at the age of 18, becoming the youngest commissioned officer in the Civil War, or, as it was then labeled, the War of the Rebellion. After the war, Copp, who had become an Adjutant, at the request of his daughters wrote of his experiences as a sol-

Ask about Rebates & Incentives ! Elbridge Copp. dier, which eventually he published as a book in cooperation with the Nashua Telegraph. The 3rd New Hampshire Regiment fought mainly in North and South Carolina and Virginia. I would guess that every veteran who experienced combat in the service of their country remembers what it was like to head into their first battle. Mr. Copp wrote about what it felt like in his first battle, the battle of Secessionville. As the regiment prepared to attack the enemy they came within the sound of heavy gun fire. “The listlessness of

routine camp duty had given way to an alertness that was new to us all,” Copp wrote. “There was a marked difference in the atmosphere of the whole camp - every man upon a nervous tension. They were expecting that at any hour they would be called upon to attack the enemy camp.” “The intense excitement,” the young warrior continued, “as well as the horrors of war, that we were now facing, brought to every man sensations he had never before experienced. With this change it was noticed that some of the men who had

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

“Beauty and the Beast” At Kingswood In Wolfeboro

When it hits the stage this month at the Kingswood Arts Center, audiences of “Beauty and the Beast will see 45 incredible Middle and High School actors, singers and dancers on stage. What they won’t see - and might not know about - are the 150+ other creative minds and hands that made the production possible. It’s an assembly of talent that’s not to be missed. Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” opens on Friday, November 17 at 7 pm with additional performances on Saturday, November 18 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday, November 19 at 2 pm in the Kingswood Arts Center, in Wolfeboro, NH. Tickets are on sale in advance at kingswoodtheater.com and at the door. Following both matinee performances, audience members will have a chance for a conversation and a photo with Belle, Gaston, the Beast, and all the rest. There is no charge for the meet and greet, though donations to the theater program will be accepted. “It’s an exciting time for our program,” Giessler said. “With this many people playing a role in the production, we are smashing all participation records for Kingswood Theater. The results are going to speak - and sing and dance - for themselves.”

“The Connecticut: New England’s Great River” (Date Change) On Tuesday, November 21st at 7pm, the New Hampton Historical Society presents the program “The Connecticut: New England’s Great River” at the Gordon-Nash Library. The largest river in New England rises in a small beaver pond near the Canadian border and flows over 400 miles through four states, falling 2,670 feet to the sea through America’s only watershed-based national fish and wildlife refuge. The presenter, Adair Mulligan, leads an armchair tour of this great river in New Hampshire and Vermont, exploring its history and natural beauty through the seasons and among the communities that have sprung up along its banks. Next, the discussion will shift to how the river has influenced the lives of those who live there, and how they, in turn, have affected the river. Much more than a travelogue, this presentation explores the many issues involved in managing the health of this major river, and how citizens from all walks of life have created a vision for its future. Adair Mulligan has a runaway curiosity about the natural and cultural history of northern New England. Author of The Gunstock Parish: A History of Gilford, New Hampshire, she has also contributed to Proud to Live Here in the Connecticut River Valley, Where the Great River Rises: An Atlas of the Connecticut River; and Beyond the Notches: Stories of Places in New Hampshire’s North Country. Executive Director of the Hanover Conservancy, she served for 20 years as Conservation Director of the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, Mulligan holds an MA Degree from Smith College. The Gordon-Nash Library is located at 69 Main Street, New Hampton NHHS thanks New Hampshire Humanities for providing the 2023-2024 Presenters and Programs. All programs are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Moultonborough Book Launch and Open House

Please join local authors Cristina Ashjian and Jane Rice for the launch of their Arcadia book Images of America: Moultonborough on Wednesday, November 29th from 3-6 PM at the Moultonborough Public Library. This open house and book signing event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Library. In Moultonborough, Cristina Ashjian is chair of the Moultonborough Heritage Commission, and Jane Rice was assistant director of the Moultonborough Public Library for 38 years. For this book, the authors have selected images from the collection of the Moultonborough Historical Society, from the postcard collection of resident Dick Wakefield, and from numerous family albums. Featuring over 200 photographs of historic Moultonboro, many drawn from family albums and never before published, the book’s images range from the late 1800s to the early 1960s. This new book’s focus is on historic buildings, farms, and camps, with period scenes of recreation and transportation, and image captions identify places and their local significance. The authors will be happy to sign your copy of this new community book celebrating Moultonborough history, which also makes a great holiday gift. A slideshow of images featured in the book, as well as additional photographs that could not fit in, will be on display on the big screen during the Library open house.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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A Divided Nation It might just be the most divisive time in our Nation’s history. Never before have people been so diametrically opposed about by Brendan Smith s o m a n y i s Weirs Times Editor sues and there doesn’t seem much hope of the two sides ever agreeing. We have seen it all in this country over the years. The great paper or plastic debate which still rages on, yet civilly. The cable versus satellite war where we have all learned to just get along. The designated hitter rule, where one side finally prevailed as the other side peacefully acquiesced. It seems that no matter how separated we have been on any issue, we have always, as Americans, found a way to compromise and to get along. But that was the past, and it is obvious in today’s society that that is no longer the case. Sides are formed, line are drawn and no one ever gives an inch. Take for example – of which there are many – about an event that has been bubbling for the past few years and has finally come to head...are early Black Friday sales really necessary? Those old school thinkers who believe that the Black Friday sales should be only on the day after Thanksgiving use tradition as their compass. For generations...well, at least one anyway... enjoying a giant family meal together and then, after dessert, hurrying off to the local department store to wait online for hours with strangers in the hopes of saving a few bucks on a 65-inch HD TV which you really don’t need since your present 55-inch HD TV works just fine, has been the tradition

and should not be messed with. Those in favor of Early Black Friday sales, stress the need for real change as body counts have continued to mount at local hospitals, especially for those new to Black Friday sales; those who never put in the weeks of training beforehand, going to the department store and mapping out a game plan ahead of time, only to be caught in the rumble on the big day, coming away with nothing but costly medical bills. The traditionalists claim that it is a rite of passage where only the strong should survive and the weak will have to suffer with that 55-inch HD TV until they learn the way. Those who want change claim that there really is no need for the chaos and unbrotherly love of Black Friday and to stretch it out will make it possible for all to reap the rewards of really great discounts. To the traditionalists dismay, the early Black Friday sales are not going away anytime soon, but they are not going to take it lying down. Protests have already sprung up in front of participating department stores across the country waving signs proclaiming: “Black Friday Sales Matter” while waiting outside for shoppers who have taken advantage of the early sales and hurling insults at them as they leave. “It’s not my Black Friday!!” they scream while those who have taken advantage of the early sales stick out their tongues and wave their brand new, bargain basement price electronics in their face and proclaim: “All Sales Matter.” It’s an ugly scene for sure. In a recent news story, one of the traditionalists was asked why they just don’t try out the new Early Black Friday sales, give them a chance, maybe they will come away with something they like. “Never!!” “Why?”

“Umm…well…uh…I’m not sure.” This time of year, there are even an inordinate amount of long, drawn out thesis length letters to the editor in the local dailies either praising or condemning Early Black Friday sales. Of course, these do nothing to change anyone’s mind but just continue to inflame the issue. Family and friends are at each other’s throats on Facebook over Early Black Friday sales. Thanksgiving dinner will be incredibly tense in some households this year. Especially the ones where half will be quickly finishing up dessert to rush to get online at the store and the other half will be gloating that they already have gotten what they need. “Good, now I can have your second piece of Apple Pie.” Like I said, it is getting very ugly. (And I’m not even going to get into the online Early Black Friday sales...that is a whole other animal.) I was never a fan of Black Friday, but I tolerated it as I sat back and watched to see what would happen. I’m ambivalent about the Early Black Friday sales as well. I’m more of the bent that I will do my shopping about a week before Christmas and not think twice about the whole Black Friday debacle. I know there are many like me, the invisible Christmas shoppers who have been mostly forgotten by the Black Friday people. We sit back and watch the chaos and relax. We may not like the selection and prices left when it comes our turn to shop, but we are usually satisfied with what we come away with. Maybe we will have our own special shopping day in the future, but in the meantime we are more than happy to sit back and watch the rest of you act foolish.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Why The Left Hates Israel And America This week, my organization, Center for Urban Renewal and Education, held an event in Michigan’s 12th congressional district, the district of Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Forty Christian pastors -- white, Black, Hispanic -- attended to speak out in support of Israel. We brought these Christian spokespersons by Star Parker into the backyard of one of the most aggresSyndicated Columnist sive voices in the U.S. Congress speaking out against Israel and supporting the terrorism and aggression against the Jewish state. But a crucial element in our message is that the policy turf being staked out in this debate has implications far beyond providing moral and material support to Israel. We’re talking about values that are as central and crucial to the future of our own country as they are for Israel Regarding Tlaib, per Census Reporter, her district is 43% Black; the poverty rate is 21% (150% the national average); and 61% of adults are unmarried -- a rate 25% higher than the national average. Tlaib’s voting record is hardcore left. She gets a 100% rating from NARAL and Planned Parenthood, reflecting her support of abortion. She gets a 100% rating from teachers unions, reflecting support of failing government schools and opposition to parental choice in education. And she gets a 0% rating from organizations supporting lower taxes and spending, such as Americans for Prosperity, Campaign for Working Families, and National Federation of Independent Business. Tlaib consistently supports, along with her colleagues of “the squad” -- Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts -- the left-wing agenda expanding the welfare state, tilting at climate change windmills and supporting values like abortion that contribute to the breakdown of the traditional family. In other words, Tlaib aggressively supports the very policies that keep her district poor. These are also the values that are bankrupting our country, as government spending now sucks up 25% of our GDP and we drown in debt. In 2020, when the country was torn apart with riots after the death of George Floyd, my organization did a campaign posting billboards in low-income neighborhoods promoting the “success sequence.” The “success sequence,” based on policy research in Washington, points to the personal beSee PARKER on 28

The Islamophobia Lie This past month has seen the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. It has also seen the worst global spike in antisemitism since the Holocaust. According to Reuters, “In counby Ben Shapiro tries where figures are Syndicated Columnist available from police or civil society groups, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany and South Africa, the pattern is clear: the number of antisemitic incidents has gone up since Oct. 7 by several hundred percent compared with the same period last year.” But there’s something peculiar about all the media reports about the extravagant spike in antisemitism: They all carry notes about a supposedly concomitant rise in “Islamophobia.” This is odd, to say the least. What the hell does Islamophobia have to do with antisemitism? The answer is: precisely nothing. Precisely nothing, that is, unless you wish to suggest that response to antisemitism is linked with Islamophobia -- that if you wish to oppose radical Muslim antisemitism, that is an aspect of Islamophobia. Which, of course, is precisely what antisemites are suggesting these days. Take, for example, Corey Saylor of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. CAIR is the most frequently cited group on “rising Islamophobia.” CAIR is a group that, by the way, was an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial of Hamas front charity, the Holy Land Foundation. Saylor refuses to condemn boycotts on Jewish businesses; he told The Washington Post that “it is 100 percent on the table to criticize supporters of Israeli apartheid.” CAIR itself accuses Israel of “textbook ethnic cleansing” and “war crime” for defending itself, trots out antisemite

extraordinaire Linda Sarsour, and promotes the Hamas lie that Israel bombed a hospital (it was Palestinian Islamic Jihad). On Oct. 7, the date of the Hamas massacre, CAIR National tweeted, “We join @USCMO and the American Muslim community in reaffirming our support for the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and calling for an end to the Israeli occupation, which kills hundreds of Palestinian civilians every year, subjects millions of Palestinians to racist oppression, and sparks the deadly violence that we see again and again, including today.” On Oct. 7, before any Israeli response, they also called for an end to American aid to Israel and the Abraham Accords. The group has not offered a single word condemning Hamas. CAIR is, by any stretch of the imagination, a fomenter of antisemitism. But that’s the point of focusing on supposed Islamophobia: The goal is to treat response to antisemitism as a form of Islamophobia. So Saylor claims that it is Islamophobia to publicize the names of students who sign petitions siding with Hamas, while claiming it is not antisemitism to boycott Jewish businesses. Fascinating. The legacy media feel the same way. That’s precisely why, since Oct. 7, the media have rushed to link antisemitism and Islamophobia, as though the two phenomena are part of a “cycle of hatred.” That’s a disgusting and wrong take that excuses antisemitism through false charges of Islamophobia. But it’s extraordinarily common on the Left these days. One variation on the theme comes from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has emerged as one of the nation’s leading antisemites. She now accuses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee of being an “extremist group” attempting to undermine American democracy and targeting “members of color.” The Biden administration is falling into the trap See SHAPIRO on 28

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Canceling Cancel Culture

by John Stossel

Syndicated Columnist

“I was not genuine in my own beliefs,” says 23-yearold Rikki Schlott in my new video. “I self-censored.” Why? What did this college student believe that was so unacceptable that she felt she had to

hide it? The fact that she’s a right-leaning libertarian. “I was afraid to have Thomas Sowell and Jordan Peterson books on my bookshelf.” If her classmates at NYU saw that,

she says, she might have been “verbally attacked on social media, maligned as whatever ‘ist’ or ‘ism’ people might attack me with.” So Schlott kept her mouth shut, eventually dropping out of NYU. I ask her, “If you were doing it again, you’d speak out?” “I did speak out! Here I am!” She responds. By “here,” she means my TV studio, where I interviewed her about a new book she co-wrote titled, “The Canceling of the American Mind.” It details how cancel culture grew into a serious problem on campuses. Examples: A teacher in Virginia lost his job for

calling a transgender student “she.” At Hamline University, an art history lecturer lost her job simply for showing a painting of Muhammad. A University of Virginia med student was banished from campus for merely questioning the importance of “microaggressions.” Then such idiocy spread beyond campuses. A Levi Strauss executive felt she had to resign because employees objected to her tweets criticizing Covid school closures and mask mandates for children. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s top editor was forced to resign after approving an article titled “Buildings Matter

Too,” after Black Lives Matter rioters burned down buildings. Some at the paper called his headline “extremely inappropriate” and “tone-deaf.” And so on. Now some want to punish people who defend Hamas. Others want to silence Israel’s defenders. Schlott argues that America needs more free speech, even if it’s hateful. “Being a true free speech champion does require that you defend speech that even you disagree with.” Schlott’s co-author on “The Canceling of the American Mind” works for FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE argues See STOSSEL on 29

Iran’s Expanding Oil Sales Fuel Policy Ambitions As violence explodes throughout the Middle East, from Gaza to Yemen, and Syria to Iraq, the political fingerprints of the Isby John J. Metzler lamic Republic Syndicated Columnist of Iran become increasingly obvious on this regional tableaux of terror. Long deemed a State Sponsor of Terrorism, Iran’s Islamic rulers have funded nearly a dozen regimes and proxy movements which directly challenge regional stability and key American interests. For background, the setting evokes the old days, where Iran’s expanding oil sales and high petroleum market prices are boosting

state revenues and thus fueling Tehran’s policy ambitions. Look at the map. Iran’s sponsored Hamas terrorists have attacked Israel in the most horrific way; a far more dangerous proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens to spread the current conflict. On 7 October barbarous Hamas attacks into Israel killed at least 1,200 civilians including 31 Americans. Equally they seized over 220 hostages and brought them into the labyrinth of Gaza. Tehran also assists Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In the meantime, Iranian backed Houthi operatives in Yemen attack shipping and pose a threat to Saudi Arabia. The Assad regime in Syria has reasserted its control with the direct aid of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and

locally supported militia along with Russian airpower. Nearly totally overlooked has been Iranian sponsored rocket attacks on American forces in Iraq, across remote areas of Syria; 48 attacks have injured many U.S. troops. Since it’s inception in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has become a revolutionary springboard and paymaster to a gaggle of terrorist organizations; the regime has equally come dangerously close to developing Nuclear weapons. Though Iran’s regime is heavily sanctioned internationally which has curtailed Tehran’s theocratic rulers’ ambitions, the economic tides may be changing. Iran is once again exporting more than a million barrels of oil a day to

China, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The Peoples’s Republic of China is Iran’s primary petroleum market with 1.7 million barrels a day (bpd) shipped in August, 1.2 (bpd) in September and 1.1 (bpd) in October. Transport is carried out via a shadowy network of merchant tanker ships. But weren’t Iranian oil sales sanctioned? Yes. Former President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018 when he withdrew from the Obama Administration’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump’s move crippled Iran’s petroleum industry, with its oil exports falling from 2.8 million barrels per day in 2018 to 100,000 bpd in 2020, according to Reuters. See METZLER on 26

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Letters From God This series of Letters From God is an attempt to put the thoughts of God as revealed in the Scriptures.

sult of his presence in the world. How is this possible? It is possible because his very presence as God, exposed the sin of mankind and would clash with the hard hearts of many who would never relinquish the right to self-determination and lead to polar opposite reactions. For those who humbly admitted their sin and selfcenteredness, they would be restored to me and enjoy peace with me and others. But at the same time, those whose pride and self-deification led to rejecting me and my Son, would never know peace with me or with others. In fact, their anger and even hateful reaction would lead to great divisions and even attempts to kill those who humbly bowed to acknowledge me as God. Reactions like this are from hell. The Devil and his demons have continued to reject me as their creator and God. In their hatred, they have sought to divide and conquer all of those I have created. First by deceiving them into thinking I don’t love you and that I am the bad guy to run from, instead of seeing the Devil as the destroyer that he is (Genesis 3:1-5). For those who fall to this deception, they acquire the same hatred and antipathy as the Devil and will look for ways to reject me and those who have trusted me. Another reason for this reaction is that those who escape the tyranny of the Devil and sin-

ful life he encourages, become a source of conviction to those who remain in their pride. They are confronted through them with their own sinful behavior. If they don’t admit their sinfulness and turn to me, they must attempt to crush those who by their lifestyle bring conviction of their sin. It intensifies their hard heartedness and causes division and even persecution, often leading to death. That is why I had the author of Psalm 14 expose this problem when he wrote, “the fool has said in his heart there is no God because his deeds are desperately wicked.” (Psalm 14:1). Unwilling to deal with sin they turn on me and those who turn to me. It is in this way that my son, Jesus, brings both peace but also division and even a sword. Where are you with all of this? Are you willing to swallow your pride and foolish desire to make yourself a “god?” Are you willing to hear me, and my son declare that your behavior is sinful and wrong and will bring death now and for eternity? Are you willing to admit your weakness to save yourself and ask my Son, Jesus, to apply his sacrificial death on your behalf to your sins, so that you can be forgiven and restored to a relationship with Him, the “Prince of Peace?” If you have the humility and courage to choose this path, you will begin to know a

Letters From God

QUESTION: Why Did Jesus Say He Came To Bring Division Instead Of Peace?

Your question is very observant? You must be aware that when Jesus, my son the Messiah, was predicted in Isaiah 9:6, one of the names that he would be known by was “Prince of Peace.” At the time of his birth into the world as God and as a man, I had my angels proclaim peace to the world through him in view of his future work of reconciling fallen and sinful mankind back to me and eternal life (Luke 2:14). My son, Jesus, would often greet his disciples and many others with the words “peace be to you.” (John 20:19). The apostles thereafter greeted one another in person and in letters with the wish for “peace” for those they addressed (Romans 1:7). In light of all of these promises of peace it must sound contradictory that Jesus himself would say, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” (Luke 12:51). The answer to your question, my son Jesus did affirm that while he came to bring peace it would also bring great division and even the sword, as people would even kill one another as a re-

peace that will pass understanding. You will have peace with me and instead of being cast away from my presence and the eternal life I know and wish to share, you will enjoy my rich treasure forever. You will also have peace within. You will be guilt free and released from shame and fear that brings conflict to you mind, heart and soul. You will let go of anger and bitterness toward others and find new relationships filled with peach, joy and love. You will no longer fear death which enslaves you in life because of its inevitability, hopelessness and foreboding darkness (Hebrews 2:14-15) and you will be set free with the knowledge that “to die is gain,” (Philippians 1:21). Your time is short. You are closer to standing before me in judgment than when you were born. Don’t let the Devil and your foolish pride rob you of the peace that only I can give through my son’s work on the cross to pay for your sins. I love you and wish you “peace.” God These letters are written by Rev. Dr. Sam Hollo of Alton, NH.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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Not Always As It Appears

by Chris Bosak Contributing Writer

A flock of birds is not always as it appears to be. No, I am not talking about the silly “birds aren’t real” conspiracy theory. I am talking about rare, or at least less common, birds often mixing in with a flock of common birds. A common example of this is when a snow goose is found within a huge flock of Canada geese. At first glance, it may look like a run-ofthe-mill flock of ultracommon Canada geese, but closer inspection sometimes yields a less common bird, such as a snow goose, among them. Snow geese, of course, are very common in their own right, but not necessarily in New England. Therefore, when one of these bright white geese shows up among a flock of Canada geese, it makes for a good birdwatching experience. Another example of this is when a rare gull is spotted among a large flock of ring-billed gulls or herring gulls. Sometimes it takes an expert to spot that rare gull, but it happens from time to time. I was reminded of this the other day when I was visiting my son in Baltimore. A small pond in a park right in the city featured a huge number of mallards. The mallards were everywhere on the pond. Some were

A ring-necked duck rests in a pond this fall. in a big group near a small island and some were scattered among the shoreline. There were hundreds of them. I could have taken a quick look and said to myself “OK, just a bunch of mallards” and moved on to the next part of the park. But something told me to inspect the flock by the island a little more closely. Three of the birds looked a little different than the rest of them, but they were sleeping with their heads turned backwards and tucked into the feathers on their back, so I couldn’t get a proper ID right away. Eventually one of the birds started drifting away from the flock and woke up momentarily to swim back to the safety of the large grouping of birds. With the head now exposed, it was clear that it was a ringnecked duck. Over the course of the next several minutes,

the other birds in question also showed their heads, if only for a moment, to show that they were ring-necked ducks as well. From where I was sitting on a stone wall, the flock of ducks by the island were a fair distance away, but the ring-necked ducks were on the closer outer edge of the flock, making it possible to get a few photos. Ring-necked ducks are one of the more common waterfowl we see in New England during migration, so it wasn’t an earth-shattering sighting, but it was nice to see something other than mallards. It was also, as I mentioned earlier, a good reminder to check large flocks of birds to see if anything out of the ordinary is mixed in there. Waterfowl flocks are always worth checking out as you never know what may be lurking

among the predominant birds. I can recall several times when closer inspection paid off with more memorable sightings. Check that flock of American wigeon as there may be a European wigeon among them. Inspect those ringnecked ducks or scaup as there may be the odd redhead in there. Mallard flocks may have a wood duck or gadwall seeking companionship, refuge and safety. This applies to smaller birds as well. A mixed flock of blackbirds in New England will likely include grackles, starlings, cowbirds and redwinged blackbirds. Who knows, though? Maybe a stray yellow-headed blackbird will be among the common birds. A flock of birds is not always just a flock of birds. Sometimes there are surprises hidden among the masses.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Remembering Dick Pinney 1938 – 2023

by Tim Moore Contributing Writer

I grew up hunting and fishing around the seacoast New Hampshire area with my dad. It was mostly all we did. I’m not one to bend the rules regarding hunting and fishing. There’s too much at stake and besides, it’s just the right thing to do. So, my experiences with NH Fish and Game Conservation Officers (I’ll call them Cos) have been mostly positive. My dad spent a lot of time in the woods and on the water. All that time added up to more experiences with local conservation officers than most. He often spoke of “run-ins” he had with a particular CO named Dick Pinney. I knew of Dick, because my grandmother loved to read his weekly column, Dick Pinney’s Guidelines, in the Union Leader. As a guide and budding writer, my work would lead me to not only meet Dick but become good friends. Dick was a local legend. He wrote his weekly column in the Union Leader, the Kittery Trading Post Weekly Fishing Report (although only a handful of people knew he was the author), along with monthly and periodic articles for several regional publications. I planned countless fishing trips around

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Richard “Dick” Pinney was a legend who likely forgot more about fishing the Piscataqua River than many will ever know. the info I gathered from the KTP fishing report. He was relatively well known throughout New England and very well known around the seacoast NH area. He was the brother-in-law of the late Gail (Arendt) MacKenzie. Gail and her late husband Jimmy opened Suds N’ Soda in Greenland, NH in 1982. Suds became a landmark for almost every sportsman in the Seacoast area, myself included. My dad knew Jimmy MacKenzie well and I remember standing and listening to him and Jimmy swap stories for hours, all the while I was champing at the bit to get back out hunting or fish-

ing. Whenever I would express my frustration, my dad would say, “There’s way more than just hunting and fishing gear in that store, Timmy.” He couldn’t have been more right. I became a licensed guide in 2006 and used every available free resource at my disposal to build my guide service. I quickly learned that I could write reasonably well (or so I thought at the time) and began submitting articles to any local and regional publication I could think of. As my writing improved, so did my list of published works. In 2012, I took a job working upstairs at Suds N Soda Sports. It

not only provided me a little extra income, as I was still trying to build up my guide service, but I was also a fulltime student of Wildlife Biology at UNH. It was also a great networking tool for my guide service. I met countless clients there and it gave my readers access to me so they could come ask questions not answered in one of my articles. It’s also where I met Dick. I used to open the store every Monday. Dick would call every week at 9am like clockwork to get a report for the KTP Fishing Report. We would always get chatty, and he always See MOORE on 26

Order your autographed copy today for $13.99 plus $3 for shipping. (Please include any inscription you would like the author to personalize your copy with.) Make out checks or money orders for $16.99 to Brendan Smith and mail to: The Flatlander Chronicles, c/o The Weirs Times, PO Box 5458, Weirs, NH 03247. Order online at www.BrendanTSmith.com (Pickup autographed copies at the Weirs Times)

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Ted, Taiwan, And Sports

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Remember Ted Kennedy? The Massachusetts senator was a progressive icon—a liberal lion who endured the tragic killings of his three older brothers, all in their respective primes. Ted ran for President once, in 1980, when he challenged our sitting 39th President, Jimmy Carter, a fellow Democrat. This, of course, required him to run in the New Hampshire Primary, something expected of any prospective President—at least up until Joe Biden just blew us off. So, that mid-February, Ted’s Granite State campaign travels brought him to Groveton, N.H., where he toured the paper mill and then met with a few Groveton High School folks, including me—then a GHS history

Ted Kennedy was a decent football player for Harvard back in the 1950s. He even once caught a touchdown pass against rival Yale. teacher. The Lake Placid Winter Olympics were ongoing, and Ted modestly compared his campaign effort with that of the Miracle U.S. Hockey team. Then he took questions. Always a sports guy, I immediately followed up on his Winter Olympic reference with an incongruous query about Taiwan’s exclusion from that competition. (The International Olympic Committee wouldn’t allow the small contingent from

Republic of China/Taiwan to compete unless it forsook its name and national flag, out of deference to the Communist People’s Republic of China—the PRC— which was competing in its first Winter Games.) Ted glared at me. “Well, er, ah, we perhaps should consider how both the USA and Puerto Rico have separate Olympic teams, even though we’re all Americans,” replied the Massachusetts senator. I quickly responded. “But Puerto Rico’s

never been prevented from completing under its own flag, unlike Taiwan.” The liberal lion further glared at me, perhaps regretting that the road to the White House required him to travel through Groveton, N.H., to be hassled by an impertinent jock over an issue that certainly then wasn’t as important to most Americans as inflation or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Ted then came back with what I believe was a very honest response. “I frankly don’t care whether or not Taiwan competes in the Olympics or not,” he snapped. “Next question.” I resurrect this old sport-thought because I was recently privileged to visit Taiwan with a New England legislative delegation as guests of the ROC’s Foreign Ministry. The trip was timely and informative, given current international geopolitics. And the Taiwanese were wonderful hosts on their island of freedom surrounded by hostile waters dominated by a PRC committed to conquering it. For the record, the Republic of China/Taiwan did eventually return to Olympic competition in 1984 as Chinese Taipei, a compromise they reluctantly agreed to so as to allow their athletes opportunities to compete. Fast forward to 2021 and an international swimming and diving competition in Cyprus See MOFFETT on 22

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

The

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Simple Feast

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COPPER KETTLE TAVERN

Simple Feast

Contributing Writer

Mom opened the oven door and immediately the smell of melting chocolate, butter, and brown sugar began to fill the kitchen. A delicate aroma that gently wafted about the house on a heated zephyr. Pulling the rack half way out of the oven and with it the sheet pan, both hung cantilevered over the open door. Taking up a butter knife she made quick work of swirling the gooey chocolate morsels sprinkled over the top of the softened cookie dough that filled the pan. She slid the rack back into the oven and closed the door satisfied that not too much heat had been lost. Now, it was a waiting game. I was too young to calculate the minutes but knew it seemed like an eternity before the bars would be taken from the oven and even then additional minutes would have to be spent letting them cool. Licking the beaters was always of small consolation for my impatience. I could not help but think of these moments recently when I too made a pan of

Toll House Squares. Simple, delicious, and easy to make, these bars have been a staple in the Gibson family, as well as others, for generations. These bars were a mainstay in Mom’s culinary repertoire. They are a go to favorite for my sister to make. And for me, these bars are the Lazy Man’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. If you are like me (heaven help you) you probably have wondered a time or two why these bars, and for that matter chocolate chip cookies, are called “Toll House.” Well, sit right back in your easy chair and, with your feet up, a beverage, and perhaps a chocolate chip cookie if coincidence allows, enjoy the story behind… THE TOLL HOUSE SQUARE.

The story of the Toll House Square is really the story of the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie. It starts in a small cape style home on the outskirts of Whitman MA. in 1930. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Ruth Graves Wakefield decide to go “all in” on this little home and turn it into an inn. A pretty bold move considering this was the beginning of the Great Depression, its opening salvos having been fired back in the autumn “Crash of 1929.” To take one’s life savings and put it all into the hospitality trade is a gutsy move but to do it during tough economic times, that takes real intestinal fortitude. But, as I read more about Ms. Wakefield and her keen sense of business acumen, well,

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it’s no wonder the Toll House Inn was a success. Along with fixing up the place, the Wakefield’s created a story. Mrs. Wakefield was reported on several occasions to have said the house was built in 1709 and used as a way station, an inn, where travelers, stages, and others would stop for the night to gain food and lodging and to pay a toll for the use of the road. This “history” has been debunked by historians who have dated the home built between 1816 and 1817 and have proved it to have never been a toll house. But, Ms. Wakefield could certainly spin a yarn with the best of them and use publicity to her business advantage. See FEAST on 23

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

OUT on the TOWN Great Food, Libations & Good Times!

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Manchester Choral Society And Orchestra Winter Concert Series

harmony, and thanksgiving – with texts ranging from Psalms, Zulu, and Hindu, to new words by Carol Barratt. In addition to Stella Natalis, MCS will perform a selection of be-

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The Manchester Choral Society (MCS) is delighted to present a festive winter concert series featuring the enchanting Stella Natalis by celebrated Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, alongside a heartwarming selection of Holiday Family Pops. The concerts, accompanied by the MCS Orchestra, are scheduled for December 16th at 7 PM and December 17th at 3 PM, held at First Congregational Church, 508 Union St., Manchester, NH. Stella Natalis, a work composed to embrace the jubilance of Christmas, translates as “Star of Birth.” A multi-cultural work, its 12 movements celebrate different aspects of Christmas – winter, the sleeping child, tidings of peace, universal yearning for

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appearance by Santa Claus himself! In addition to these concerts, MCS is proud to spread the holiday spirit across the city with two special caroling events. The first will occur at the Currier Museum in Manchester on December 2nd from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The festivities continue that afternoon at the Tuscan Village in Salem, NH, from 4 PM to 5 PM. These events will offer a sneak peek at the musical warmth awaiting at our winter concerts. Tickets for the December 16th and 17th concerts are available for purchase at the door of the First Congregational Church or can be purchased in advance online at MCSNH.ORG, or by phone at 603-4726627. Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 seniors and military, and free for students KUndergrad.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concerts Features Vocalist Sheree Owens

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The holiday season is upon us, and the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra (LRSO) invites you to embark on a musical concert journey filled with joy, warmth, and timeless seasonal melodies. Join them on Saturday December 9th at 7pm at the Colonial Theatre in Laconia, and Sunday December 10th at 3pm at Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium in Meredith. This year they are delighted to introduce guest vocalist, Sheree Owens, a dynamic talent of the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative in Laconia. Sheree’s stunning voice takes center stage, adding her personal touch to orchestral classics like Ave Maria, and shining bright with popular favorites including Barbra Streisand’s White Christmas, Sarah Reeves’ My Favorite Things, Angela Lansbury’s We Need A Little Christmas, The Carpenters’ The Christmas Song, and many more beloved holiday tunes. Sheree Owens’ journey began in elementary school, and her passion for music led

her to earn a degree in Musical Theatre from Dean College. She’s no stranger to accolades, having proudly received three New Hampshire Theatre Awards for her outstanding performances in Les Misérables, The Penelopiad, and her captivating portrayal of Charity Barnum in Barnum. These holiday concerts are the talk of the Lakes Region, and tickets disappear faster than hot cocoa on a chilly winter day! Tickets are $20-$30 for adults, and $10-$15 for students collegeage and under (please no children under age 5). Don’t wait – these concerts sell out and will be a gift you’ll treasure all season long. Visit www.LRSO.org to buy seats for the Colonial Theatre or InterLakes performances. You can also order by phone using the contact numbers listed for each venue on our website. The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra extends its gratitude to its concert sponsors, Fay’s Boat Yard and

Cupples Car Company. Their unwavering community support is an essential part of what makes LRSO, your community orchestra, possible. Stay connected with us on Instagram at LRSO.NH and facebook at LRSO1. As they continue to grow, they are looking to expand their Board of Directors. If you are interested in being a part

of the LRSO journey, seek out a Board member at any concert, or contact us through www.LRSO.org/contact. Join us for an unforgettable celebration of holiday magic and musical enchantment, and let the spirit of music fill your heart with warmth and joy. Happy Holidays from LRSO!

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(StatePoint) As we enter the holiday season and Americans across the country look forward to spending time with family, thousands of service members deployed overseas – many to the Middle East in response to the IsraelHamas war – will not have that luxury and will be spending the holidays far away from loved ones. Here is how USO Holidays programming delivers a piece of home to them, along with ideas for how you can get involved:

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1. Care Packages: A care package might seem small in light of the challenges of deployment, but for many service members, they’re a reminder that they’re not forgotten by Americans back home. Aside from standard USO Care Packages, which contain snacks or toiletries, USO Holidays Care Packages have festive treats and goodies, such as holiday candies, cozy socks and a warm beanie, that help bridge the gap between home and the frontlines. This year, the USO will deliver 50,000 holiday packages to over 250 locations globally.

families, complete with special treats ranging from pumpkin and sweet potato pie to hot cocoa bars. Each December, USO Holidays Cookie Week celebrates the time-honored tradition of baking and decorating cookies, putting service members and military families in the holiday spirit wherever they are located. Other seasonal programming can include tree decorating, arts and crafts, holiday-themed movie nights and ugly sweater competitions. Through these activities, service members stationed far from home can still make holiday memories.

2. Holiday Traditions: Giving up treasured family traditions can be difficult. That’s why USO Centers and USO Mobile teams host holiday meals for service members and their

3. Connections To Home: Staying connected to family during the holidays can be difficult for service members stationed overseas, particularly for those in or near

regions in conflict such as Eastern Europe or the Middle East. The USO Reading Program enables deployed service members to record themselves reading a book to their child. Then, the recording and a copy of the book are sent to that service member’s family. 4. Happy Travels: As most people know, holiday travel can be especially taxing. Thousands of service members and trainees from military installations across the country participate in the Holiday Block Leave period, many traveling through some of the busiest airports in the United States to be with their families during the holidays. USO airport centers can alleviate some of that stress for service members and trainees by providing a place to See MILITARY on 22

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Greater Lakes Region Children’s The Loon Center Auction Item Collection Sites

& Markus Wildlife Sanctuary The Loon’s Feather Gift Shop

The Greater Lakes Region Children’s Auction announced recently that many collection sites are now open to drop off items for this year’s event from Dec. 5 to 8, at the Belknap Marketplace. Jennifer Kelley, the auction’s executive director, said, “We’re looking for new, unused items, big and small. Gifts cards are always a hit with our bidders. Other popular items include electronics, tools, tickets to sporting events, experiences, toys, services. You name it, we need it.” Collection boxes are at these locations in the Lakes Region: ALTON: Irwin Marine, 396 Main St., Meredith Village Savings Bank, 82 Wolfeboro Highway ASHLAND: Meredith

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Village Savings Bank, 5 Riverside Drive BELMONT: Baron’s Major Brands, 225 Daniel Webster Highway, Belmont Fire Dept, 14 Gilmanton Road, and Mattress Firm, Belknap Marketplace, 96 Daniel Webster Highway BRISTOL: Tapply Thompson Community Center, 300 N. Main St. CENTER HARBOR: Meredith Village Savings Bank, 28 State Route 25 FRANKLIN: Grevior Furniture, 440 Central St GILFORD: Franklin Savings Bank, 11 Sawmill Road, Gilford Tennis and Fitness Club, 314 Old Lakeshore Road and Meredith Village Savings Bank, 1383 Lakeshore RoadLACONIA: Body Covers, 94 Primrose Drive North, Irwin Au-

MOULTONBOROUGH: Meredith Village Savings Bank, 991 State Rt 25 PLYMOUTH: Meredith Village Savings Bank, 131 Main St. TILTON: The Country Store at Tanger Outlets, 120 Laconia Road, Dox on Winnisquam, 927 Laconia Road

tomotive Group, 59 Bisson Ave, Irwin Automotive Group, 446 Union Ave, Irwin Marine, 958 Union Ave, Meredith Village Savings Bank, 379 S Main St. Rte. 106, The Wellness Complex, 827 N Main St. MEREDITH: Edward Jones, 164 NH Route 25 #1A, Fitness Edge, 169 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith Insurance Agency, 2 Lakes St., Suite 1, Meredith Village Savings Bank, 71 NH Rte. 104 and 24 NH Rte. 25

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The historic Lucknow Mansion will be elegantly decorated with the help of local businesses and organizations transforming the mansion into a Winter Wonderland. The holiday magic continues in our Carriage House with an Artisan Fair where you can purchase gifts from local vendors, drink hot cocoa, munch on holiday cookies, dine in the stables at the Carriage House Restaurant, get creative at our craft table, and even take photos with Santa!

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

Holiday Gift Ideas For Those Who Love Fishing be covered up to protect their skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. Hooded shirts designed for anglers of all ages are great looking, provide moisturewicking performance, and offer UPF 50+ UV sun protection along with moisture-wicking performance.

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(BPT) - Has your favorite angler been naughty or nice this past year? Santa Bass knows all, so you better be good! For the coming holiday season, Santa Bass offers 10 incredible gift ideas and stocking stuffers that will surely bring a smile to your favorite angler. 1. Clean A Mess Of Fish Fast - Every now and then, some anglers like to keep their catch for a nice shore lunch

or dinner. It sounds fun, until you face the messy job of cleaning fish. Not anymore! High-quality, heavyduty lithium electric fillet knives make fast work of fish cleaning, and they’re great for other meats, too. 2. Protection From The Sun - If your favorite angler spends a lot of time in the sun - on a boat, in a kayak, or fishing from a pier or shore, they need to

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3. Warm And Dry - If you put your time in on the water fishing, eventually, you’re going to get wet. It’s not a matter of if, it’s just a matter of when. Having a reliable rain jacket and bibs designed for extreme conditions by the nation’s top anglers is essential if you’re going to spend time on the water. 4. Fish Like A Pro Bass Angler - For anglers who want to fish what the pros fish, consider a fishing lure actually created by one of the top bass fishing pros in the nation, Bassmaster Classic champion Ott DeFoe. Designed in DeFoe’s garage, the Rapala OG Rocco is a buoyant, round balsa bait with a square circuit board lip that has been proven in the nation’s top bass tournaments. 5. No More Fish “Tales” - No doubt, you’ve heard the stories about “the big one.” And each year, the big one gets a little bigger. Keep your favorite angler honest with a 50 See FISH on 21

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

FISH from 20 lb. Touch Screen Fish Scale designed for anglers. It’s easy to use to weigh and track one’s catch. 6. Keep Your Angler Warm - A lot of anglers like to get up early to start fishing. Keep your angler warm and cozy with a thick, soft hoodie that’s perfect for those crisp, cool mornings. 7. Get Organized Is your angler kind of disorganized? Lures and tools all over the boat, in the garage, or in the ice fishing house? The SmartHub system by Rapala helps anglers get more organized, which means more time fishing. 8. Tools To Get The Job Done Right - Pliers, scissors, forceps, knife sharpener, clippers, hook sharpener, lantern. For anglers to stay on top of their game, they need some essential, high-quality tools to keep their gear in tip-top shape, as well as tools that can stand up to the elements, in freshwater or saltwater.

$25) gift ideas to stuff into your favorite angler’s stocking? How about a speaker to listen to some tunes? A fish counter? A deck of cards or a stocking cap? Or, the world’s alltime best-selling fishing lure? 10. Ice Trolling And lastly, if you live in the Ice Belt of the country and enjoy ice fishing, here’s a seriously good gift idea that will save you lots of time and is good for the environment. Serious ice anglers drill lots of holes, and to accomplish that, they need a proven, electric ice auger and drill that gets the job done fast. It’s called ice trolling. Santa Bass recommends the StrikeMaster Lithium 40V auger and Lite-Flite Lazer™ Drill Unit to get to walleye, crappie, bluegill, and pike during hardwater season.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

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relax and unwind before the next leg of their journey, along with all the comfort items they need. To learn more about these programs and how to support them, and for ideas on how to reach out to the military community to express your thanks during the holidays and throughout the year, visit uso.org/campaign/holidays. The holiday season can look very different for service members and military families who must celebrate while separated from loved ones and home in all corners of the world. Bringing everyone together on special days fosters camaraderie and positivity, and provides a welcome break from the demands of military life.

MOFFETT from 12 involving 40 countries. Bullied by the PRC, officials there wouldn’t allow Taiwan’s flag to be shown on displays or scoreboards. Taiwanese divers could compete under an Olympic flag or under no flag at all. The ROC athletes chose to compete under no flag. Then came one of those inspiring “I am Spartacus” episodes where the sports world separates itself from the political realm. The Japanese athletes issued a statement of support for the Taiwanese and indicated they, too, would compete without their flag being displayed anywhere. Subsequently, swimmer/divers from other countries voted to follow suit and similarly have their flags removed to show their solidarity with Taiwan. Australia, Croatia, Germany, the USA, and others followed Japan’s lead. Even the French. Even

the Russians! The shows of support were the results of impromptu athlete actions, not government policy directives. That’s what made it so inspiring to so many—excepting for the elephantbully in the room: The communist PRC. Carpe diem! And I want to believe that even Ted Kennedy, wherever he is today, would also be inspired.

“The greatest lesson a child can learn is the greatest lesson I have learned. If you persevere, stick with it, work at it, and do your best, you can eventually achieve your goal.” – Edward M. Kennedy

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Born Today That is to say, sports standouts born on November 16 include 1968 Olympic Basketball Gold Medalist and future Boston Celtic JoJo White (1946) and 1980s New York Met pitching phenom Dwight Gooden (1964).

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 — FEAST from 13 Ruth Graves was educated at the Framingham State Normal School, graduating in 1924 with a degree in Home Economics. She taught high school Home Economics for a few years and worked as a hospital dietician. In 1926 she married Kenneth Wakefield, a businessman for the meatpacking industry. Together, in 1930, they purchased and opened their inn with a dining room of seven tables to accommodate up to 36 guests where Ms. Wakefield put to good application her knowledge and ability of cooking and baking. Soon, the fame of the Toll House Inn was gaining momentum, not just locally but within social circles, landing all manner of clientele from celebrities to politicians heading to and from Cape Cod at their door. They soon expanded their dining room to 61 tables. And, according to contemporary accounts, the dining room had “the finest appointments to include linens and even hooks under the tables for ladies to hang their purses.” The menu of the Toll House Inn was known for all manner of NewEngland fare including Lobster Dinners. But what about the cookies? I’m getting to that. It seems that Ms. Wakefield was into working the angles, in true entrepreneurial fashion she wasn’t one to let a business opportunity pass her by. Her first cookbook “Ruth Wakefield’s Recipes Tried and True” was, some say, self published in 1930. (Rather confident for just having opened an inn that same year.) However, likely absent from this was her Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Why?

TOLL HOUSE SQUARES Servings: About 28 Potions Time: About 50 Min (times vary with cooking pan)

INGREDIENTS

1.5 Cups Granulated Sugar 1.5 tsp. Baking Soda 1.5 Cups Butter Softened (about 3 1 tsp. Salt (or less if using salted butsticks) ter) 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar 1 12oz. Pack of Chocolate Chips, 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract chunks, etc. 3 Eggs 1.5 Cups Walnut pieces (optional) 3.5 Cups AP Flour

— Process — -- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. - Grease a 10x15 Baking Pan (You can use a 9x13 but may need to add to your cooking time.) - Into a mixing bowl place the butter and using the paddle attachment begin to cream the butter. - Add into the butter both the white and brown sugar and continue to cream together. - Add to the butter and sugar the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract. - In a separate bowl combine the salt, soda, and flour and mix with a spoon or whisk to combine. - Add the flour mixture by the half cup to the butter mixture and mix on low speed to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Do this until all of the dry ingredients have been mixed into the butter mixture. Add walnut pieces if desired. - Reserve one ¨heavy¨ cup of chocolate chips to the side, add the remainder of the package to the dough and mix well. - Remove dough from the mixer and scoop out into the greased baking pan. Use a spatula or spreader to evenly spread the dough in the pan. - Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips evenly across the top of the dough and place into the oven for 10 minutes. Carefully pull the rack out so that it will stay with the pan on it. Chips should be soft enough to lightly spread with a spatula or butter knife so that they ¨smear¨ over the top. - Push the rack back into the oven and finish cooking for the remaining time (about 20 minutes.) - Check internal temperature with a thermometer for 165 degrees or higher and the stem comes out clean. Let cool before serving. Because it had not been invented yet. Nor did she call it a Chocolate Chip Cookie when she finally did make it. At the time of the inn’s first opening she was making a butter drop cookie. Not until the late 1930’s did she begin to experiment with chocolate chips… literally. As the story goes, Wakefield ordered a few bars of semi sweet chocolate from the local grocer. Remember, this is at a time when “The Basket” was still a mom and pop one op shop in Lowell MA., Sam Walton was earning his high school degree, and semi-sweet chocolate morsels still have yet to

be invented. So, Ruth grabs an ice pick, once a common household kitchen tool, and begins to chisel away at a block of semi sweet chocolate. Well, as often happens in cases where foods become popular, the clientele begins to ask for the recipe for Ruth’s chocolate chip cookies but she never called it a chocolate chip cookie, it was called the Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie because of the walnuts in it. It was this cookie that was eventually included in a subsequent edition of her now famous Toll House Cook Book, eventually reaching 39 editions before going

out of print. The popularity of this cookie has had a lasting effect on culinary history. For starters, it gave official birth to the Chocolate Chip Cookie craze, now 85 years old and counting. But more importantly, it gave birth to the chocolate “chip” we know today, that flat on the bottom tear drop-like shape with the point on top. And thanks for this goes to some executives at Nestle who recognized a near dud (their semi sweet chocolate bar) increase in sales. This bar went from single digits to a recorded increase of over 500 percent in localized sales, sparking their curiosity. Upon further

research, they determined the increase was due to purchases made by the Toll House Inn, leading Nestle to join with the Wakefield’s in promoting the cookie and creating the semi sweet chocolate chip. The details of the agreement are lost to history but the basics afford that in exchange for the use of the recipe (printed on the wrapper for chocolate bars and then the morsel packaging) the Wakefield’s would receive recognition for their “Toll House Inn,” their cookie, and a lifetime supply of chocolate, along with stipends for endorsement gigs and such. As to the Toll House Square and how it specifically came about? Well, that story too, is lost to history. And that too, is another Simple Feast. Enjoy! There is a wealth of information available on Ruth Wakefield and the Toll House Cookie, one of the most comprehensive accounts being found here: https:// www.cooksinfo.com/ ruth-wakefield

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

The Taipei Grand Hotel lobby, a place of intrigue reportedly frequented by spies. TAIWAN from 1 Asia’s most vibrant democracy, Taiwan is also a top trading power. It mass-produces the most advanced semiconductors in the world. It has a world market share of around 70% for top microchips. I’d be part of a regional delegation of eight New England legislators who’d spend a week as guests of the ROC. I was stoked and was more than happy to do some prep and due diligence before making a six-hour flight to San Francisco and then a 14-hour non-stop flight to Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. The latter flight was in business

Dr. Jeffrey Davis Dr. Thomas Detwiller Dr. William McCann

class via China Airlines, an ROC mainstay. If you’re 6-feet-4 and 205 pounds, then business class is the best way to travel for a 14-hour flight. We arrived in the early morning hours of October 24. After checking into Taipei’s beautiful Shangri-La Hotel, we were soon emersed in a very full schedule of meetings, briefings, and tours. Our contingent included my fellow New Hampshire State Representative Scott Wallace, three Vermont legislators, two Massachusetts solons, and a Rhode Island state representative. All of us chaired or vice-chaired legislative

committees. Formosa/Taiwan Taiwan was once better known as Formosa. In earlier times it was independent before later being claimed by the Chinese, then the Japanese, then the Chinese Nationalists, and then the Chinese Communists, whose claims were concurrent with those of Chiang Kai-Shek’s Nationalists who set up stakes there after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong’s Communists. The Nationalists moved the mainland government to the island in 1949. The ROC still retained one of the five permanent United Nations Security Council

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Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Edifice (interior). seats until 1971, when it was finally displaced by the Communist Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The USA still recognized the ROC until the Carter Administration established formal ties with the PRC in 1979. Since then, though most countries now recognize the PRC instead of the ROC, Taiwan has somehow maintained economic—if not diplomatic—relations with many nations, including the USA. After 1949, Chiang and his Kuomintang Party (KMT) ran an authoritarian Taiwan under martial law. This era when the ROC was a hotbed of repression is now recalled as the time of the “White Terror.” A torture survivor provided us with a compelling lecture of how he was mistreated, largely for being of Malaysian descent. He then gave us a tour of his former prison to include a small room where he was stuffed with thirty other victims. Taiwan under Chiang was no democracy.

Island life for Chiang was a major comedown for a man who was once a major player on the world stage, as evidenced by his participation in a World War II Allied summit conference with Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill in Cairo in 1943. Helping translate there was Chiang’s beautiful, Americaneducated wife Soong Mei-ling. Sometimes referred to as “The Last Empress,” Madame Chiang was one of the great women of the 20th Century. She later owned a Lake Winnipesaukee estate in Wolfeboro. She died in 2003 at the age of 105. Chiang died in 1975 and was succeeded by his son Chiang Ching Kuo, under whom the ROC’s authoritarian bent gradually eased. In 1987, a year before the younger Chiang’s death, a truly democratic multiparty state emerged. Increasing prosperity accompanied the increasing freedom. The current govern-

ment is dominated by the Progressive Welfare Party (DPP) and President Tsai Ing-Wen. She’s held that post for eight years, following her 2016 election and then her record-setting 2020 reelection. The country will elect a new president in January. Hospitable Hosts The trip was supported by Boston’s Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and the Taiwan Foreign Ministry. (Full disclosure.) No state funds went toward this trip, other than our personal funds. Our guide, Alex Huang, did a wonderful job of getting us to numerous scheduled destinations. We not only toured historical and cultural centers, but were part of meetings and briefings with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Taipei 101 Financial Center, the Mainland Affairs Council, the National Assembly (Yuan), the American State Offices Association (ASOA), the See TAIWAN on 25

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

The famous Economist magazine cover.

N.H. Republican State Representatives Scott Wallace and Mike Moffett sample Chinese tea with Vermont Democratic Legislators Stephanie Jerome, Becca White, and Alison Clarkson. TAIWAN from 24 Prospect Foundation, the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, the Hsinchu Biomedical Park, the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, and much, much more. We exchanged business cards with dozens of Taiwanese officials and will be following up with folks in the areas of medicine, manufacturing, education and more re: MOUs, etc. Rep. Wallace and I also networked with other legislators on our delegation team re: several areas of mutual legislative policy interest. A constant during our travels was the cheeriness and welcoming miens of our hosts. Unlike so many other world populations, the Taiwanese genuinely like Americans. Friendliness is in fashion. Taipei appeared to be safe and clean, free from trash,

graffiti, and homeless dregs. Of course, we didn’t have the time nor the means to travel freely around the whole island. The climate was warm and sub-tropical which was pleasant for us older New Englanders visiting from our chilly, frosty fall region. English signage was everywhere, which was helpful, given how alien Mandarin was to us. And many Taiwanese worked hard to communicate in English as well, which must not have been easy for them. Taiwan Takeaways Taiwan is a nation forever under the threat of attack. The bellicose bullies of Beijing have always made clear their intent to reclaim what they feel is a rogue province. Taiwan’s freedom and prosperity no doubt grates upon the nerves of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Communist minions. Following the Biden administration’s disastrous Afghanistan exit, Beijing was quick to claim that Taipei could not count on America.

But presumably Beijing also has been watching the Ukrainian quagmire and perhaps has gained some insights on the challenges of militarily absorbing a state which does not want to be absorbed. And Ukraine doesn’t have the 100mile anti-tank moat that Taiwan has. We learned about many of the challenges that the PRC would face in annexing Taiwan. But presently Taiwan may best be protected by what some call a “Silicon Shield.” The Taiwanese cleverly positioned themselves as the makers of over half of the world’s semiconductors and around 90% of the most complicated conductors which help power all manner of modern machinery. Disrupting or taking out the island’s chip manufacturing capabilities would almost certainly create a world-wide tech collapse with an accompanying “mother of all depressions.” But with the PRC facing increasing economic and demographic challenges, analysts don’t

preclude anything. China’s increasing militarism has ominous portent for the world and especially for Taiwan. Things weren’t always so intense. Fifteen years ago, Taipei and Beijing had numerous lines of communication and informal exchanges. But when the KMT ruling party lost power to the more independentminded DPP, the Communists largely stopped answering the phone or returning messages. January’s national election will be telling. Early indications seem

to favor the DPP over the KMT. A DPP dominated regime will likely further frost island-mainland relations. Time will tell. The Chinese Communist takeover of Hong Kong in 1997 was supposed to have respected the freedoms that that enclave had enjoyed under British rule. But Communist guarantees proved to be shams. That model is not a promising one for the Taiwanese to consider.

A Shared Motto Our visiting contingent posed for numerous photos with our various hosts, usually following different briefings or information sessions after gifts were exchanged. The Vermont legislators did great work organizing and prepping our gift baskets, which included magnets of the Granite State’s late “Old Man of the Mountain.” Before these group photos a photographer would typically count down “Three, two, one, say CHEESE!” and then snap a photo. Eventually tiring of this routine, I replaced “CHEESE” with “Live Free or Die!”— our famous New Hampshire motto. The English-speaking Taiwanese were delighted. While they may not know much about General John Stark, our hosts certainly do know much about “living free.” May it always remain so. State Representative Mike Moffett (R-Loudon) chairs the House Committee on State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs.

— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

MOORE from 11 had to cut the conversations short. In 2013 I landed a monthly spot in the Northwoods Sporting Journal, which I wrote until 2020. Not long after my column appeared in that publications, which Dick also wrote for, he approached me and said, “You know, you really should join the New England Outdoors Writers Association. You’re a good writer and it adds clout.” I looked into it and learned that you needed to be sponsored by a member to join. I immediately thought of Dick and asked him to sponsor me, to which he proudly agreed. Over the years, Dick and I became friends. Sharing stories every Monday morning and any time he was in the area and saw my truck parked at Suds N’ Soda, he would come upstairs

for what always turned into a lengthy back and forth of swapping stories and the occasional secret, but Dick always made it clear that for every secret he shared with me, he had a dozen more that he would take to the grave. I have no doubt he did just that. I even had the opportunity to take him fishing for lake trout on my boat on Lake Winnipesaukee. One day in 2016, Dick asked me if I would cover the KTP Fishing Report for him while he was away on a goose hunt in Maine. After a little back and forth, I agreed. Dick was so pleasantly surprised how it went that he asked me to cover for him a couple more times in the following year. “It read like I wrote it!” he said. Late in 2017 Dick began experiencing some memory loss and asked if

I would take over the KTP Fishing Report for him. I agreed to “cover for him” until he was feeling better, but he later insisted that I keep it. People who knew Dick from his days as a CO didn’t always have the kindest things to say about him. Sometimes I’m glad I met him after the fact because I always had nothing but positive experiences with him. He was a legend, a wealth of knowledge, and I found him to be hilarious. I always felt like he shared more with me than with most. I never breathed a word of the information he insisted I keep guarded, and I likely never will, unless I meet a budding younger version of me. Sorry Dick. As sad as I was to hear that Dick had passed, I can’t help but feel fortunate to have known him and for the opportunity to

become friends with him when we did. He helped me personally and professionally in ways I can only repay by paying it forward. He was a true friend who never asked for anything in return and never made me feel like I owed him anything. I truly respected and admired him. His presence will be missed, but his impact will never be forgotten. Tim Moore is a fulltime licensed professional fishing guide in New Hampshire. He owns and operates Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association, and the producer of TMO Fishing on YouTube and the Hooked with TMO Fishing Podcast. Visit www.TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information.

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METZLER from 7 Yet Iran’s production has ramped up to 1.4 million barrels a day in October. Iran holds massive petroleum and natural gas reserves. “Since the start of the Biden Administration, Iran has exported well north of $80 billion worth of its oil. Billions are, in turn, given to terror proxies. Hamas alone receives $100 million each year from its Iranian patrons, with horrific results,” cites the monitoring group United Against Nuclear Iran. Such revenues support research and development of Iran’s long-sought nuclear weapons program. U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) slammed President Biden for his refusal to enforce existing sanctions, lining the pockets of the Iranian regime with more than $80 billion. Sen. Ernst is fighting to enforce existing U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports. So what can be done? The upcoming AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, takes place November 15-17 in San Francisco. The meeting of 21 regional

countries will focus on food security, health, anti-corruption, digitalization, women’s economic empowerment, among other concerns. U.S. President Joe Biden is slated to meet with China’s Chairman Xi Jinping for a series of tough discussions on the Summit sidelines. Besides reviewing the frayed Sino/American trade relationship, it’s also incumbent for Biden and the U.S. delegation to focus on; *Iranian oil sanction enforcement as well as North Korean missile firing curtailment; both Tehran and Pyongyang bypass, evade and flout U.S. and United Nations sanctions. *Significantly the U.S. should discreetly pressure partner states such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia over third party Iranian petroleum transfers to Mainland Chinese ports. *Develop new maritime enforcement protocols among key states such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan to monitor third party merchant ships carrying Iranian petroleum. Let Iran know we are watching and monitoring their illicit oil trade with China; and we’ll toughen enforcement.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 — SMITH from 3 they went into battle the soldiers were each issued 40 rounds of ammunition to put into their cartridge boxes and another ten to put into their pockets. The cooks were ordered to fix two day’s rations, and, before they went to sleep that night the men of the regiment wrote farewell letters. Copp wrote that for many it was indeed a farewell letter, as many of them would be buried the next day “under the soil of the enemy’s country.” The thoughts and feelings of the soldiers of the 3rd regiment on the morning of their first battle are things that we can only imagine today, but, for the young man from Nashua, New Hampshire, anticipating the battle must have been very difficult. The troops were in line before sunrise with the 3rd Regiment being under the command of a Lieutenant-Colonel Jackson who was known for his strict disciplinary enforcement. Sergeant-Major Copp, no longer a Private, was helping to form the lines of the soldiers when the commanding officer Jackson, in a voice loud enough for the whole regiment to hear, reprimanded Copp for something he had or hadn’t done. Copp had prided himself for the way he had conducted himself as a soldier, so this action left him feeling “crushed and humiliated,” but he carried on with his responsibilities. “The Hospital corps,” he wrote, “was in position with stretchers on which to carry off the wounded- this surely looked like grim, serious business.” The musicians, including the drummer boys, and the regimental band were called upon to help the ambulance corps.

told him that he was telling him for the last time to get in line, adding, “You get, and do it mighty quick,” while drawing his revolver and pointing it at the straying soldier. The man along the bank made some remark of disobedience in reply and continued walking upon the bank. Bang, went the Lieutenant’s revolver, and a bullet went close by the head

of the soldier who then quickly resumed his place in line among his fellow soldiers. “The whole company,” wrote Sergeant-Major Copp, “had learned what material this Sunday School boy was made of, and ever after that, no officer in the regiment had better discipline, nor was there a man in the regiment more popular than the Sunday School boy

tr S n o i

from Nashua.” More about the 3rd New Hampshire Infantry Regiment can be found in the SergeantMajor’s book that was published in 1911, but can be found on the internet, Reminiscences of the War of the Rebellion.

eet Anti

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ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES Elbridge Coop’s book on the war, written from his memory. Without going into all the details of the battle, which proved to be a brutal one with many casualties, SergeantMajor Copp reported that with the engagement into battle the fear that preceded went away. Copp pondered his lack of fear in his book. “I simply had no fear. The men falling, killed and wounded around me, and the shrieks of the wounded and groans of the dying made no impression. Is there a psychological explanation of this unnatural and practically inhuman mental condition?” He indicated that this was his experience throughout the war, with the sense of fear of what was coming before the battle, but the absence of fear when under fire. Though the 3rd Regiment had to retreat from this battle several officers were named as deserving special recognition for their bravery by Colonel Jackson and among them was Sergeant-Major Copp. The Third New Hamp-

shire Regiment, which was organized in Concord, included men from Maine, Vermont, and New York and a significant number born in other countries along with those from New Hampshire. Elbridge Copp passed on a story about an unnamed soldier whom he identified as “one of our Nashua boys.” Concerning this young man he said, “He was a Sunday School boy at home, and had carried into the army his Bible, his principles, and his religion. The boys didn’t know him very well: they thought he was a goody-goody kind of boy.” The goody-goody boy had, however, been commissioned as a First Lieutenant and was in charge of his men on a long forced march. The orders had been that the men were to stay in line and not to straggle. There was one man who persisted, though, in getting out of line and walking along an embankment. The Lieutenant eventually

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 —

PARKER from 6 havior that leads to the best chances of avoiding poverty and moving from low-income status to middle class. That is, finish high school, get married, and take any job. When we posted billboards with this message that this is the way to avoid poverty, Black Lives Matter went to the billboard company and demanded they take them down. What about our message so offended Black Lives Matter? They reject, along with all those on the left, values that rest on personal responsibility. They embrace only a culture of victimhood and blame. In this worldview, the only explanation for achievement is exploitation. This is their expla-

nation for the success of Israelis, who built, from nothing, a modern country with per capita GDP higher than most European countries. And this is their explanation for those who have achieved success and wealth in our own country. This year, for the first time ever, in the Gallup annual survey asking about sympathy for Israelis compared to sympathy for Palestinians, those identifying as Democrats expressed sympathy for Palestinians 11 points higher than Israelis. Our youth, those born between 1980 and 2000, expressed sympathy for Palestinians 2 points higher than for Israelis. The culture of blame and victimhood has captured the left and our youth.

These values are incompatible with the values of a free country, which can only exist when individuals take personal responsibility. It should be clear that those expressing opposition to Israel are also voices antipathetic to America’s future as a free country. Our shared values with Israel go beyond democracy. They are about the most basic ingredient of a free society. Personal responsibility. This is the value that the left so deeply hates. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book, “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now.

SHAPIRO from 6 of linking antisemitism and Islamophobia -- a link that has the purposeful goal of demonizing opposition to Hamas. Fearful of their own base, the Biden administration announced yesterday a White House National Strategy to combat Islamophobia. Karine Jean-Pierre explained, “For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents.” Why is the White House playing this game? Because they’re attempting to buy back the support of Muslims across the United States who

are enraged that the White House has sided with Israel instead of Hamas. The latest polls show that nearly six in 10 American Muslims agree that “Hamas was justified in attacking Israel as part of their struggle for a Palestinian state.” The White House is trying to buy off the Hamas fans by jabbering about the supposed victimhood to which they are subjected. It’s perverse. It continues to drive a false narrative that opposition to Hamas is opposition to Muslims -- a proposition that Muslims themselves should reject, although precious few have done so publicly. It is not Islamophobic to oppose Hamas and its supporters. It is

antisemitic to push that lie. Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and cofounder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.” To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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— THE WEIRS TIMES, Thursday, November 16, 2023 — STOSSEL from 7 that everything can be said, as long as it’s not direct incitement of violence, willful negligence or defamation. Schlott tells me, “You are well within your First Amendment rights to cancel people and to malign them on social media. But the question is, ‘do we want to live in a culture where that is our first reaction?’” She points out that her generation started

tweeting when they were kids, and many posted stupid things. “Young people need to be able to screw up.” Maybe. But based on what I see on my newsfeeds, it’s people her age who are most eager to “cancel” people. “It is true that younger Americans tend to be more pro-cancel culture,” she replies. “Millennials have the most positive view, and as you get older, it goes lower

and lower. But Gen Z (ages 11 to 26) completely switches that around. Only 8% have a positive view of it. That’s because if you’re a young person who grows up in a graceless society, you’re always looking behind your back. You see friends torn down on social media. You’re not going to want to live in a world like that.” I push back. “But they perpetuate a world like that!”

“It’s a tyranny of the minority,” she replies. “One squeaky wheel scares the life out of everyone else. Then we self-censor.” She did that in college. Students like her kept their mouths shut because they didn’t want to be reported as “biased.” NYU officials, like the secret police in East Germany, even encouraged students to report on others. She tells me, “When

I got to NYU, the first thing I had to do was go pick up my ID card. I found on the back the emergency number, in case you’re in danger, and a bias response hotline in case you’re offended. The university itself sanctioned the idea that you can snitch on your peers.” She says it’s time for students to push back against school censorship. “We need to say we

want to live in a free speech culture. ... Courage is contagious. As soon as I spoke out at NYU, people came out of the woodwork to say, ‘Thank you for saying that! I completely agree with you.’”

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