Letters to the editor for Sept. 19, 2026

kAmpD H6 C6>6>36C E96 :>286D @7 9@CC@C 7C@> $6AE] ``[ a__`[ 4:E:K6?D @? 3@E9 D:56D @7 E96 2:D=6 2C6 4@?46C?65 H:E9 E96 8C@H:?8 AC6D6?46 @7 xD=2> :? @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 :ED 4@>>:E>6?E E@ G:@=6?46[ :]6] 9@?@C <:==:?8D[ DF3;F82E:@? @7 ?@?\xD=2>:4 A6@A=6 F?56C D92C:2 =2H[ 42A:E2= AF?:D9>6?E 7@C 9@>@D6IF2=D 2?5 4@?G6CED 6E4]k^Am

kAm%9:D AC@>@E:@? @7 G:@=6?46 >FDE 36 C6DEC2:?65 3J =@42=[ DE2E6 2?5 ?2E:@?2= =2HD] w@H6G6C[ >2?J 4:E:K6?D :?4=F5:?8 >6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD D66> E@ 36 A2C2=JK65 3J 2 72=D6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 7C665@> @7 C6=:8:@? 2>6?5>6?E E@ E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?] $@>6 36=:6G6 E92E E9:D >62?D H92E6G6C 2?J C6=:8:@? E62496D D9@F=5 36 2==@H65]k^Am

kAm%96C6 :D =68:D=2E:G6 2?5 $FAC6>6 r@FCE AC64656?E E@ E96 4@?EC2CJi x? :ED 564:D:@? “|@C>@? r9FC49 G] &?:E65 $E2E6D[ `be &$ ` W`gh_X” E96 4@FCE CF=65 E96 AC@>@E:@? 2?5 AC24E:46 @7 A@=J82>J H2D AC@9:3:E65 3J E96 =2HD @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] %96 4@FCE DE2E65 E96 AC6E6?D6 @7 C6=:8:@FD 36=:67 42??@E 56AC:G6 r@?8C6DD @7 E96 A@H6C E@ AC@9:3:E A@=J82>J 2?5 @E96C @776?D6D 282:?DE E96 6?=:89E6?65 D6?E:>6?E @7 >2?<:?5]k^Am

kAm%96C67@C6[ :E :D ?646DD2CJ E92E =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D[ DE2E6D 2?5 r@?8C6DD A2DD =2HD E92E C6DEC:4E AC24E:46D @7 E96 xD=2>:4 C6=:8:@? 2?5 2?J @E96C C6=:8:@? H9:49 2C6 4@?EC2CJ E@ p>6C:42? =2HD[ G2=F6D 2?5 36=:67D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m%96 #6G] sF2?6 #] {:?536C8[ (2E6C=@@k^DEC@?8mk^Am

k9bmx@H2 42?46C 42FD6Dk^9bm

kAm#676C6?46i “&}x A2?6= E@ 5:D4FDD x@H2 42?46C 4C:D:D” %96 r@FC:6C h^gae] %96 5:D4FDD:@? H2D 32D65 @? 2? 2FE9@C65 5@4F>6?E[ “t?G:C@?>6?E2= #:D< u24E@CD 2?5 x@H2’D r2?46C rC:D:D[” H9:49 2EE6>AE65 E@ 4@CC6=2E6 x@H2’D C:D:?8 42?46C C2E6 E@ 28C:4F=EFC2= 496>:42=D]k^Am

kAmp8C:4F=EFC2= 496>:42=D 42? 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ 42?46C 42FD2E:@?[ 3FE E96 42FD6D @7 42?46C 2C6 >F=E: 724E@C:2=] {@@<:?8 2E 2G6C286 =:76DA2?i w2H2:: g_[ x@H2 ff]h[ (6DE ':C8:?:2 fa]a H6 5@ ?@E 2AA62C E@ 92G6 2 42?46C 4C:D:D]k^Am

kAm%@3244@[ DF?=:89E[ 2?5 C25@? 2C6 <?@H? 42C4:?@86?D[ 3FE 2C6 E96C6 @E96C 42FD6D @7 42?46C H9:49 x@H2?D 42? 255C6DDnk^Am

kAmR`i x@H2 C2?<D :? E96 E@A b\c H:E9 6I46DD:G6 2=4@9@= :?E2<6] aa\abT @7 x@H2?D 6?8286 :? 3:?86 5C:?<:?8 GD `fT 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96 4@F?ECJ] r@CC6DA@?5:?8=J[ x@H2 C2E6D 7@FCE9 9:896DE :? 2=4@9@= C6=2E65 42?46CD :? E96 &]$] x? 255:E:@? b_T @7 2== EC277:4 562E9D 2C6 2=4@9=? C6=2E65]k^Am

kAmRai x@H2 C2?<D f\`` :? @36D:EJ 2?5 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 x@H2 s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D c_T @7 2== 42?46CD :? x@H2 2C6 @36D:EJ C6=2E65] x7 x@H2?D 2C6 ECF=J D6C:@FD 23@FE 42?46C[ H6 D9@F=5 E2<6 D@>6 @7 E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ FA@? @FCD6=G6D 3J 62E:?8 2?5 5C:?<:?8 =6DD] x? 255:E:@? E9:D >:89E C65F46 @FC 2=4@9@= C6=2E65 5C:G:?8 72E2=:E:6D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m%96@5@C6 {656C>2?[ (2E6C=@@k^DEC@?8mk^Am

k9bmpx 2=2C>:D>k^9bm

kAmpD E96 8C62E *@8: q6CC2 @?46 D2:5i QxEVD 56;2V GF 2== @G6C 282:?]Q %96 ?6H6DE 4@?DA:C24J E96@CJ 4@?46C?D pCE:7:4:2= x?E6==:86?46[ @C px[ 2?5 9@H :E H:== 56DEC@J >2?<:?5] Q%96 D<J :D 72==:?8PQ q66? E96C6]k^Am

kAmx? `heg[ 2 3:@=@8J E62496C ?2>65 !2F= t9C=:49 HC@E6 Q%96 !@AF=2E:@? q@>3]Q w6 4=2:>65 E92E @G6CA@AF=2E:@? H2D 2 8:G6?[ 2?5 E92E H@C=5H:56 >2DD DE2CG2E:@? 2?5 D@4:2= 492@D H2D AC@323=6] ~FC ?6HD >65:2[ C2E96C E92? 2D< BF6DE:@?D[ AC@>@E65 9:D E96@CJ 7@C J62CD] (96? D<6AE:42= >:?5D D4CFE:?:K65 t9C=:49VD AC65:4E:@?D[ E96J 7@F?5 9:D 52E2 D6C:@FD=J 7=2H65]k^Am

kAm$:?46 E96?[ H6VG6 366? DF3;64E65 E@ 8=@32= H2C>:?8 2=2C>:D>[ 7@==@H65 3J 8=@32= 4@@=:?8 2=2C>:D>] p?E:\?F4=62C @G6CC624E:@?D 5FC:?8 E96 `hg_VD D2H p>6C:42 56\AC:@C:E:K6 3F:=5:?8 ?F4=62C A@H6C A=2?ED] r9:?2[ F?52F?E65[ ?@H 92D 2 3:8 =625 :? 4=62?[ D276 ?F4=62C A@H6C]k^Am

kAmx? a__f[ 2? ~D42C\H:??:?8 A@A\D4:6?46 5@4F>6?E2CJ 32D65 @? p= v@C6VD FA52E65 G6CD:@? @7 8=@32= H2C>:?8[ H96C6:? 96 H2C?65 E92E 7@DD:= 7F6= FD286 E9C62E6?65 E@[ 2>@?8 @E96C 9@CC@CD[ 6DD6?E:2==J >6=E E96 }@CE9 !@=6] (6==n s@?VE 6G6? 86E >6 DE2CE65 @? r~'xs 2?5 E9@D6 D4:6?E:7:42==J F?DFAA@CE65[ 2FE9@C:E2C:2? 8@G6C?>6?E >2?52E6Dk^Am

kAm{6DD@?i q6 C6DA@?D:3=6 H:E9 px C6D62C49] qFE 5@?VE 72== 7@C E96 5@@>D52J[ r9:4<6? {:EE=6 G@:46D 42==:?8 7@C 2 92=E @C D=@H5@H? :? px C6D62C49] w:?Ei u@==@H E96 >@?6J]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m$E6G6 z2A=6C[ (2E6C=@@k^DEC@?8mk^Am

k9bmvC27E 2?5 4@CCFAE:@?k^9bm

kAmx E9:?< E92E D@>6H96C6 x C6>6>36C C625:?8 E92E {2CCJ '2? ~@CE H2D 2 E62496C D@ x 8F6DD 96 E@@< 2? t?8=:D9 4=2DD  :? 4@==686[ 3FE 2AA2C6?E=J 96 7@C86E 9@H E@ HC:E6 :? D6?E6?46D :?DE625 ;FDE ;@EE:?8 5@H? 5:D;@:?E65 :562D 2D 96 HC@E6] qFE 96 :D 2 >2DE6C 2E E96 5@8 H9:DE=6] w6 >FDE <?@H E96C6 2C6 ?@ >@C6 E92? 2 92?57F= @7 s$p[ @C 4@>>F?:DED 2D 96 AC676CD[ 3FE 96 H2?ED J@F E@ 36=:6G6 E96J 2C6 D6E E@ E2<6 @G6C 8@G6C?>6?E]k^Am

kAmx?DE625 @7 D42C:?8 J@F H:E9 E9:D #65 $42C6 96 D9@F=5 36 >@C6 4@?46C?65 H:E9 E96 C2>A2?E :?\J@FC\7246 8C27E 2?5 4@CCFAE:@? E92E :D @44FCC:?8 H:E9 %CF>A[ 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 2DD@4:2E6D] ~FE @7 4@?EC@= 82D AC:46D 3642FD6 @7 E9:D :==\4@?46:G65 H2C H:E9 xC2?[ 9:89 AC:46D 7@C 8C@46C:6D 2?5 76CE:=:K6C 7@C 72C>6CD 3642FD6 @7 %CF>AVD :562 @7 9:D DEFA:5 E2C:77D 2C6 >2<:?8 =:76 92C56C 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 6I46AE 7@C 9:D H62=E9J 3C@D]k^Am

kAmxEVD @G6C @?6 2?5 2 92=7 J62CD :?E@ %CF>A’D C68:>6 2?5 DE:== 2== E96J 42? 5@ :D DE:== 3=2>6 y@6 q:56? 7@C 6G6CJE9:?8] |pvp H@F=5 92G6 8@?6 4C2KJ :7 2?J @7 E96 E9:?8D H@F=5 92G6 92AA6?65 F?56C q:56? 3FE E96J ?@H EFC? 2 3=:?5 6J6 E@ 2== E96 4@CCFAE:@? H6 ?@H D66 92AA6?:?8i p #FDD:2? A2J:?8 9F?5C65D @7  E9@FD2?5D 7@C s@? yCVD H655:?8  86E2H2J 86ED 3CFD965 @77 2D >62?:?8 ?@E9:?8]k^Am

kAm%96J 92G6 3C@<6? :E 2?5 ?@H @H? :E] r@>6 }@G6>36C bC5 E96 49:4<6?D H:== 4@>6 9@>6 E@ C@@DE]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m#:492C5 qFC86C[ r652C u2==Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am