Opinion
by Anne Thorward Recently, one of the founders of Newcomers Access Center told me that the first wave of Syrian refugees arrived here in the Claremont area 10 years ago. Has it been that long? “I remember community folks helping the refugee families in the fall of 2015,” he said. Adnan Aswad would know. His […]
“All this this money, time, and energy spent on screwing poor people has translated into increased strain on food banks and pantries across the country, including locally. ‘This whole week we’ve been inundated with calls,’ said Gina Hernandez, food pantry manager at Service Center for Independent Life. ‘Where before we had one or two a day, now we’re having dozens.’”
“We were lucky in the Grand Prix Fire. It could happen again. It makes sense to consider the unlikely toppling of one of the large number our majestic Canary Island pines onto Mountain Avenue in a windstorm or fire creating a very real potential for injury or death. Notwithstanding arborists’ reassurances the pines are healthy (implying low risk), if residents can’t evacuate or if first responders can’t reach them in an emergency, we will rue the day we thought “it can’t happen here,” or that the risk is sufficiently low we can ignore the outsize consequences of being wrong. Reluctantly, the trees should go.”
“It’s been incredibly gratifying to see the outpouring of generosity and support from our readers. Since my last column four weeks ago, in which I offered an honest look at our financial picture, we’ve received a steady stream of donations, pushing us past $87,000 toward our $100K Challenge match goal. We are so close!”
“My kids and I have taken this ride on the A Line many times. It’s always a fun day. We spent a couple hours showing grandson Vincent some of the cool Japanese shops then had another great lunch at 53-year LA institution Oomasa, where he destroyed an entire plate of rainbow roll, some salmon sushi, and a bowl of rice. By then the sun, the walking, and the metric ton of food had done a number on the 10-year-old. It was time to go.” Photo/by Lu Rhodes
“I didn’t go to the No Kings protest last month. Not because I didn’t care. Not because I didn’t agree with the protesters. It wasn’t because I’m not outraged by masked thugs and goons deputized as federal officers grabbing people who are of certain color, have accents, work at certain jobs — some of whom are citizens — and whisked away in unmarked vans to be detained and often deported. It wasn’t because I’m not alarmed by the dismantling of agencies to help the poor here and internationally and promote the rights of racial minorities and LGBTQ folks as well as cultural diversity.”
“‘Supporting our veterans’ has become too symbolic — a slogan rather than a promise lived through policy or compassion. Whether someone served one weekend a month or devoted decades to this country, each wrote a blank check payable to the United States. Really think about that.” Courier file photo
“We are currently at a dangerous and unprecedented place within the culture and politicization of health and science. This threatens the health of the United States, in particularly our most vulnerable, and our ability to lead the world in biomedical sciences and health advances.” Photo/by Kaboompics.com
In May, when I conceived the Courier’s First Amendment special edition, I envisioned a primer for our readers, sort of a guide to possible things to watch for. But things have changed. In the intervening months, the Trump administration has exceeded many of our most outrageous fears, delighting supporters and enraging critics along the way. Photo/by Mohadese, pexels.com
Past presidents have restricted press freedoms during national crises. Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt acted in wartime. Trump, critics note, has offered no justification beyond personal dislike of criticism — a stance with broad implications for his political opponents and for democratic institutions. Photo/by Beth Fitzpatrick, pexels.com
“Maybe leaving a better world for our kids isn’t our job after all. Maybe we just need to get over ourselves and accept that our kids will rise to the occasion and be the change we wanted to see. Or not. It’s not up to us.”
“There is an urgent need and opportunity for California’s schools to strengthen protections and cultivate a climate of inclusion for Jewish students, aligning with their existing support for other targeted groups. It brings parity to how antisemitism is addressed within existing anti-discrimination frameworks and offers a systematic and overdue response to the rise in antisemitism.” Photo/courtesy of Jewish Federation of GSGPV
“California’s classrooms should be places of learning, curiosity, and critical thinking that enrich and guide our next generation of leaders. However, a dangerous bill being considered in the California state legislature, AB 715, threatens to chill free speech and comprehensive learning in classrooms, punish educators for discussing global human rights issues, and adds a financial strain on the state’s already deficient budget by adding additional levels of bureaucracy.” Photo/courtesy of CAIR California
“There’s a lot going on in ‘1991: The Year Punk Broke,’ but the most impactful character in the documentary film, which includes Kurt Cobain no less, does not appear on screen: it’s the approaching cultural tsunami that would be felt around the world just months later. Dirty Opera, is screening the film by director Dave Markey at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 18 at the Laemmle Claremont 5.”
“Inflation, though down sharply from its short-lived post-pandemic peak of 9%, is holding stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% target — currently closer to 3%. Arguably, current policies on trade and immigration are also inflationary. Meanwhile, recent jobs reports show significant slowing in new job creation. Despite the inflation risks, it appears likely the Fed will cut rates in its September 17 announcement, giving greater priority to its employment mandate for the moment.”
“At the Claremont Courier, we don’t just believe in the First Amendment — we affirm it every single day. We question authority, publish the truth, and keep public servants in the public eye. The right to speak, write, and know what’s happening isn’t some abstract legal concept; it’s the oxygen of a free community. When those rights get chipped away, we all breathe a little less freely.”