Laurie Rhoades: To Every Good Person

This letter is addressed specifically to my fellow citizens who are wondering what’s happening outside the insulation of “business as usual.” It’s addressed to those among us who might have trouble believing something as enduring and trustworthy as democracy could actually be in danger of collapse, and that our own children may not enjoy the freedoms that we’ve imagined for them.

William Diamond: Support legislation to decrease plastic use

A recent article in the journal Environmental Science & Technology relates colon cancer, lung cancer and human infertility to microplastics. These are tiny particles of plastic that come from the manufacture, use and disposal of plastic products. A story in the Boston Globe reports that people with microplastics in major arteries are more likely to have heart attacks and strokes.

My Turn: At the crossroads of power and democracy

By ALAN HARRIS

My Turn: Ask the ethicist (that’s you!)

By GENE STAMELL

My Turn: The cost of being the Ugly American

By DONALD JORALEMON

Jonathan von Ranson: Trump, Musk an existential risk to stable evolution

President Donald Trump and Elon Musk (and many others in our government) are sociopathically impressed with themselves. Both of these individuals suffer from the illness of right now and never enough, and are thus unable to respect the mindset of citizen participation, modesty and acceptance that lies behind democracy, or order itself.

Doug Selwyn: Resist the destruction of our country

Many of the actions taken by the current administration have one thing in common: They threaten the death of many people.

My Turn: Grave threats to local farmers, food

By JENNIFER CORE and CLAIRE MORENON

My Turn: Real fraud starts with knee-capping watchdogs

By ELAINE FRONHOFER

On Jan. 28, the Gazette published an article headlined “Trump order sows confusion, fear across the Valley, beyond.” Journalism like this is crucial to understanding how this administration’s actions will impact all of us. But it’s important to look a little deeper.

My Turn: Any takers to sign a deal with Trump?

By JUDITH TRUESDELL

My Turn: The ADU controversy — Much ado about very little

By SUSAN WORGAFTIK

My Turn: Will we stop the coup?

By RUSS VERNON-JONES

John Walter: Callous disregard for human beings

President Donald Trump and his minions have only proved their callous disregard for human beings under the false claim of efficiency.

As I See It: Trump trumping capitalism

By JON HUER

I am noticing something strange about Donald Trump: He may still be selling watches and shoes to his gullible followers for a few dollars here and there. But I believe his attention is now on something far grander, beyond petty cash and Trump Towers: He now wants to build pyramids for his eternal fame.

My Turn: Bang a pot, become us!

By RICHARD S. BOGARTZ

Michael Naughton: Taking America for a ride

Thank you, opinion page column and letter writers Elizabeth Lareau Whitcomb, Emmet Barcalow, Susan Glovacki and others, for your eloquent descriptions of what troubles so many of us about what’s being done with our federal government. Sadly, as evidenced by some subsequent letters, some people aren’t paying attention. Let’s hope that more people are.

Chris Queen: Help prevent another battery storage plant disaster

On Jan. 16, one of the world’s largest lithium-ion battery plants at Moss Landing, California burst into flames, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 residents. A lawsuit has been filed by citizens against the battery systems owner, charging that the company failed to implement adequate safety measures despite previous incidents at the facility. That lithium ion battery fire continues to flare up a month later.

My Turn: Why is DCR logging our public forests?

By BART BOURICIUS and J. WILLIAM STUBBLEFIELD

My Turn: ‘Waste not, want not’: Keeping costly energy use low

By JOHANNA NEUMANN

Eggs are pricey these days. And eggs aren’t the only thing costing more. Those of us who heat our homes with gas are paying more than twice as much for the same amount of energy as we paid five years ago.

William Hamer: Let’s make Massachusetts energy competitive

Governor Maura Healey, who has announced that she will be seeking reelection in 2026, recently signed the Affordable Homes Act, planning to build or preserve 65,000 homes in Massachusetts over the next five years. A lack of affordable housing is certainly a problem, and the reasons for the dearth of housing are numerous, but the increasing cost of living in Massachusetts is also a major problem.