Time to bring back ban on assault riflesBased on Rod Watson’s Oct. 5 column, I can tell he’s been drinking too much of the NRA and SCOPE Kool-Aid.From 1994 to 2004 we had a federal ban on assault rifles. We all survived that grievous injustice quite well. We had plenty of guns available for defense and the shooting sports; nobody was killed because they needed 30 round…
Let’s be clear about what the Office of Congressional Ethics has concluded about Rep. Chris Collins: When it reported that it found “substantial reason” to believe the Clarence Republican violated federal law, it was speaking in the kind of language that supports grand jury indictments. This is serious business. It’s not just federal law that may have been br…
The classic 1937 diner in Larkinville is a step back in time for customers flocking to the new-old restaurant, once called the Newark Diner and now the Swan Street Diner, at 700 Swan St. Its rich history was chronicled by News columnist Sean Kirst, who brought readers the touching story of the business built out of love and devotion by Jim and Betty McBride in the Erie …
By Chris Jacobs This November voters have the power to hold our elected officials to a higher standard of ethics and accountability by voting “yes” on Proposition 2 on Election Day. New York State leads the nation in the number of corrupt public officials. Over the last decade, more than 30 current and former state officeholders have been convicted, sanctioned or a…
By Bob Poczik It began with an invitation. “Would you like to go on a sunset-moonrise tour of the lake tonight?” Without hesitation, I said, “Yes.” The person issuing the invitation was Joan Newton, who since her retirement lives from May through September at Sportsmen’s Camp in Ontario. She is a close observer of nature and is very familiar with Firth Lake, w…
By Larry Scott SPECIAL TO THE NEWS On Aug. 23, I began a four-day training on Restorative Justice Intensive Peacemaking with national expert on restorative strategies, Robert Spicer. As a parent leader in Buffalo Public Schools and a school psychologist in the Ken-Ton District, I enrolled in this training, hosted by Open Buffalo, to educate myself on this growing movem…
By Brian Higgins Special to The News For the past eight months, President Trump and Senate Republicans have failed to enact “repeal and replace” legislation to the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Their efforts and Congress’ seven-year near obsession with “repeal and replace,” while humiliating and overly dramatic, did provide Americans with the opportu…
By Karen G. Hamm On Sept. 23, I had the honor to fly to Washington, D.C., with the Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight as a volunteer. We arrived at the Leonard Post VFW Post on Walden Avenue at 5:30 a.m. for a quick greeting and organization. All 50-plus veterans and their guardians boarded buses for the Buffalo Niagara Airport. Tears sprung in my eyes as many patriot riders,…
By Richard D’Angelo On Oct. 4, my sports season began once again. That date marked the beginning of the 101st season for the National Hockey League. But it wasn’t always that way. Back in 1954, I was 9 years old and 1 p.m. on Sundays was a very important time of the week. That was when Dad and I would sit in front of the TV to watch the Cleveland Browns. Back the…
President’s resignation would be gift to AmericaIsn’t it time that the 65 percent of us who pride ourselves in putting country over party begin whispering the word “resignation” until it reaches a crescendo? Eventually, the remaining 35 percent will join the chorus when they learn that this president’s interests don’t really coincide with theirs.In congressiona…
A bus stop is needed near entrance to TifftI enjoyed The News article on Tifft Nature Preserve. It is one of the jewels of Buffalo. However, it is not accessible to people without cars. This is unfortunate for many Buffalonians.Buffalo should insist that the NFTA place a bus stop on Fuhrmann Boulevard opposite the entrance to Tifft.Louise RuszczykBuffalo
The solution is simple, stop playing the anthemPlaying a national anthem at athletic events is appropriate for the Olympics, where athletes represent their countries. However, it has absolutely no place at local football or baseball games. Here the athletes’ job is to play ball to the best of their abilities – and they are well paid for it. Their political views are ir…
Pro-life stance matters to some constituentsIn the recent News article about the county clerk race, Steve Cichon criticized Mickey Kearns for mentioning his pro-life position in his campaign literature. I think it’s important information for voters.First of all, it speaks to character. I certainly think much more highly of a man like Kearns who is willing to speak for th…
Fight over the anthem borders on the absurdIn this corner, we have the president, who wraps himself in the flag and demands respect for our veterans. The same president who was more than willing to let someone else take his place during the Vietnam War by getting five deferments and who, in his only tax return made public, paid no federal income tax.In the other corner, we…
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