Letters to the Editor

Published 10:30 pm Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Local support strengthens local schools

Community schools thrive when local families, businesses and organizations come together to support the students they serve. The West Homer Elementary Breakfast with Santa fundraiser on Dec. 13 was a powerful example of what can happen when a community invests in its neighborhood school.

We extend our sincere thanks to Loopy Lupine for donating cups, Coop’s Coffee for sponsoring our drink station, and Misty Kincaid Photography for generously providing family photos with Santa. Their contributions helped create a warm, welcoming morning that included a community breakfast and holiday crafts.

Thanks to this collective effort, we raised over $2,000 that will be used to pay down student lunch debt and support programming and events that enrich the educational experience for all students at West Homer.

Local support makes our schools stronger. When businesses invest in community schools, they are investing in children, families and the long-term health of our community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success.

Ahnie Litecky

West Homer Elementary PTO

Insist on upholding the rule of law

In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” This statement is just as relevant today. In defiance of laws and norms, Trump welcomes us to go along with his delusions of grandeur. He is leading the nation towards an undeclared war in the Caribbean. The administration’s claims of secrecy and proof become substitutes for accountability when lethal force replaces arrest and trial. When governments assert the right to kill based on undisclosed intelligence, legality turns into a marketing exercise rather than a constraint. The danger isn’t only the immediate loss of life but establishing a moral precedent that mistakes are acceptable collateral. These victims have no avenue for redress. This logic hollows out democracy and attempts to convince us that outcomes matter more than methods. Once that lesson takes hold, violence stops being exceptional and starts becoming routine. We need to emphasize our insistence on upholding the rule of law embodied in due process. Please contact Senators Murkowski and Sullivan, urging them to help restore our moral compass and advance legislation to stop this illegal, immoral oncoming war.

Michael A LeMay, Veterans for Peace

Homer

Dear Reader,

I invite you to settle in for the retelling of an ancient story.

Once there was a fair young man named David and a big ugly giant named Goliath. Goliath was very powerful and cunning. But he had an uneasy premonition about David, so he decided they should talk. “Hey David, I see you are a man of God. Put down your stone. I know I’m a sinner; teach me your ways.” At first David recoiled. “Wait! This isn’t the way the story goes!” But upon further reflection, David could see Goliath’s point. Wouldn’t it be better to convert Goliath than kill him? So they began to talk…

After a while, David became more comfortable in the relationship. So he was very happy one day when Goliath announced, “We have God, and we have the strength of my right arm. Together, we can conquer the world!”

Now, dear reader, you get to write the conclusion.

Helen Gustafson

Homer