In praise of Utah gov
I am an American and a Democrat. I watched Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox at news conferences last week as he answered questions and offered his thoughts about the Charlie Kirk assassination.
His words were spot-on. He projected humanity as he honored the pivotal gravity of the moment and the critical choices it places before each American. It was the leadership of someone who was trying to serve, unify and appeal to the best instincts of the entire nation. It was like a breath of fresh air.
Democrats know good leadership when they see it and we can praise it regardless of that leader’s party affiliation. We also know disastrous leadership when we see it, such as that offered by Donald Trump, and we are working very hard to peacefully change it.
Deepest condolences go out to the Kirk family as they did to the Hortman family in June following that political assassination in Minnesota. It’s all horrible, but Trump has begun seizing on the horror to divide us further.
If Democrats allow ourselves to see and acknowledge them, it’s moments like the ones given to us by Governor Cox that instill hope that there exist leaders in the Republican Party with whom we can work. Republican leaders with decency and drive to see the entire country heal and thrive. Perhaps, with their help and leadership, when all is done, we will still recognize our own democratic form of government and remain “the last best hope of earth.”
Bryan Iandoli, Fitchburg
Natural gas no solution to mass power needs
The Opinion “Natural Gas Helps Power State’s Economy” in the 9/15/25 T&G is extremely thorough in its references on the subject of natural gas (methane) as a source of generating electricity to the state.
Rather than commenting on the desirability of data centers built for AI, it is important to focus on the mentioned “unfortunate threat to grid strength and dependability” due to “delays, shutdowns and revoked approvals of offshore wind projects that would have supplied power to well over 1.5 million Massachusetts businesses and homes.” What the writer is saying is that due to the federal government canceling offshore wind projects this year, the solution to increased electricity requirements is the expansion of the Algonquin Pipeline, the completion of the Constitution Pipeline and the development of Project Maple (more gas lines). One canceled offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, was 80% complete and scheduled to provide electricity throughout New England in 2026.
It makes one wonder why, if New England electricity use “will increase 11% in the next decade,” would the federal government be canceling offshore wind projects that are a source of electricity? The answer is clear: The beneficiary of the canceled wind projects is the natural gas industry. The natural gas utilities are paid a guaranteed rate of return by their customers (me and you) on pipeline infrastructure projects for decades.
Let’s not be fooled by this opinion, which clearly benefits the natural gas industry.
Denis Mahoney, Holden
What about rights of unborn?
Numerous Americans (including politicians, religious leaders, judges, educators and students) are demonizing President Trump for deporting undocumented migrants, who simply came to America for protection, freedom, citizenship, education, work and the pursuit of the American dream. However, herein lies a malevolent and appalling contradiction — while enjoying these privileges themselves, by abortion, millions of Americans are selfishly denying these same privileges to their very own unborn sons and daughters. They even refuse to let their children receive these godsends through adoptive parents.
Regarding President Trump’s defunding refugee resettlement programs, it was (and is) unwise to let fickle, secular governments be the sole/primary source of funds for welcoming strangers, sheltering the homeless and feeding the hungry. In Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ has the Samaritan using his own resources/money to provide for a man beaten up by robbers and left for dead. In the early church, Christians unselfishly sold their properties and gave the proceeds to the apostles for the poor; seven deacons were ordained to help. Identifying the “least” human beings with himself, Christ entrusted these (his own) divine works of charity to his followers — and depending on what they “do” or “fail to do,” they would receive eternal reward or eternal damnation.
We are often reminded that the Holy Family were once refugees. True! However, Joseph being a “righteous” man, would not likely have exposed Jesus and Mary to civil punishments by spurning Egyptian laws. (After the threat to Jesus’ life was over, they returned back home to Nazareth.)
Fr. Anthony Kazarnowicz, Webster
More pipelines, more emissions
Enlarging gas pipeline capacity into New England would do little to get more gas into New England or lower heating, cooking and electricity costs for us consumers.
The Constitution pipeline, for example, referred to in the Telegram opinion piece of Sept. 14, would terminate near Albany, New York, where it would connect to pipes that already carry gas into New England. But because the existing pipelines inside New England are relatively small, the arrangement creates a severe bottleneck before gas even gets to us.
In 2023, Massachusetts regulators laid out plans for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. A major piece of this plan is shifting from gas to electricity for cooking and to devices like high-efficiency electric heat pumps for both heating and cooling. This approach addresses New England’s growing appetite for energy and attendant price and reliability worries by simply burning less gas: leveraging a portfolio of options that include solar, offshore wind, battery storage, energy efficiency and demand-response programs.
These resources create “virtual power plants” — collections of geographically distributed resources that together help meet consumer demand, supply clean power to the electric grid, avoid often severe gas price spikes, and can be built more quickly and less expensively than new fossil fuel infrastructure. And more pipelines would lead to more harmful emissions that in turn increase the risks to the health of all living things.
Ken McDonnell, Holden
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Letters to the editor: In praise of Gov. Cox, rights of unborn
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