Science should lead government both in offering guidance and in setting regulations

We depend on our government to enforce regulations that protect our health. And for nearly half of a century, Americans have relied on dietary guidance from the federal government to stay healthy. Both the regulations and the guidance are currently being upended.

The future of our democracy depends on citizens willing to seek the truth

by Melissa Hale-Spencer

It doesn’t matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat, a conservative or a progressive, your duty to seek the truth transcends party allegiance and political philosophy.

We must learn from the past as we shape our future

Reorganizational meetings, where newly elected officers are sworn in, always reassure us. They are rituals of democracy that show, based on the will of the people, power can be transferred in an orderly and meaningful way.

Shine a light in this time of darkness

“He was in school before they had special-ed programs …. This guy’s whole life was about overcoming difficulties ….,” Mr. Mullins said. “After he dropped out of school, he worked as a gravedigger, a mason, a carpenter, a paver until he was drafted in 1967.”

Guilderland must legislate to preserve its history

Some towns, like Clifton Park, go further than New Scotland, incentivizing property owners with tax breaks to encourage them to preserve their historic buildings much the way Guilderland does with property owners willing to commit to not developing their land.

Targeting the news won’t solve our problems

Citizens have a responsibility to read, to listen to, to look for, and to embrace news from sources that will widen their perspectives and understanding. After all, since it is the people who hold sovereign power in our democracy, they must not be like King Tigranes and listen only to those with whom they agree. They must not kill the messengers — the journalists who tell the truth.

‘Our march to freedom is not complete unless want is annihilated’

Carlos Bulosan wrote, “Our challenge to tyranny is the depth of our faith in a democracy worth defending.”