It’s a matter of squandering democracy, not votesThe purpose of voting is not to tell the state your innermost wishes, which the state has no business asking. The purpose is to make collective decisions. If a candidate definitely can’t win, our collective decision as to that candidate has been made: that’s what “no chance of winning” means. If ( Read more... )

Sabotaging Trump rallies does nobody any good, and could help himMuch as I want to see President Trump defeated in November, I’m appalled by efforts to sabotage his rallies. Rally attendance is core political expression. Stopping others’ expression, whether by physically blocking rally entrances or by hoarding tickets to keep them from would-be ( Read more... )

‘I was told’ is not an excuse for a president to make

When will Donald Trump realize that “I was told” is not an excuse for a president who gets facts wrong? A key part of his job is to evaluate what he is told, sorting fact from fiction before acting on it (“Trump said Obama never called families of fallen troops - then got fact-checked live”If ( Read more... )

Missing a Hiker

Thank you for your sensitive portrait of a remarkable person. One gnawing thought: She would have been found quickly had she carried a personal locator beacon. These small devices can transmit a distress signal and your precise location to search-and-rescue teams via satellite, no matter where you are. Also, the cost and risk of ( Read more... )

Innocent people can fold under threat of mandatory minimums

Re "Repeal mandatory minimum drug sentences" (Editorial, June 7): How many innocent people plead guilty to avoid the chance of a long mandatory sentence? No matter how weak the evidence, a small chance of a long unjust sentence can coerce a guilty plea ( Read more... )

Drug lab’s woes call for strict quality control

Re “Pattern of neglect at state drug lab found” (Metro, March 5): That a sole “bad actor” could corrupt a state drug lab is cause for dismay, not relief. It means that the lab is only as reliable as its worst worker ( Read more... )

Malpractice ideaREGARDING THE ARTICLE ``A booster shot for ailing Mass. health industry," (op ed, Aug. 12), here is a noncontroversial alternative to tort reform: Give cheaper health insurance to those who accept voluntary caps on any future malpractice awards. Doctors who treat such patients can pay less for malpractice insurance and pass on the ( Read more... )