For many years there have been various “Palestinian Gandhis” leading nonviolent struggles to gain rights while under Israeli occupation. Ayed Morrar led his Budrus villagers to a victory to save their olive groves, their way of life, when the Israeli Defense Force was ordered to push a wall through. Or Mubarak Awad, Palestinian nonviolence leader and founder of Nonviolence International — a man still calling for nonviolent struggle.

Editor: The Union Presbyterian Church would like to thank everyone who purchased tickets for the fundraiser held on Oct. 4. The church is very grateful for the overwhelming community support for the stained glass window restoration project.

I’ve been feeling a little inadequate ever since I overheard a conversation between two dreamers in a restaurant recently. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. It’s not my fault people talk so loudly — and about such interesting things.

OK, my fellow Republicans, you got rid of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Eight of you joined with every Democrat in the House of Representatives — the only part of the federal government we control — to vote McCarthy out, 216-210.

I was leaving a parking lot when I saw a man jump out of his car, wave his arms, shake his fists and rant at a woman in a car that had nearly collided with his. Given the particulars of the near miss, it’s hard to say whose fault it would have been had they connected, but I can tell you whose side I would have taken.

My retired teacher friends and I had lunch at the Bear Ponds. There was a slight breeze, and the leaves were turning their fall yellow. The river was so beautiful and calming. As we enjoyed this beautiful, very usable location, I thought of who was responsible for this area — Paul Knopf.

Editor: I feel that I need to address a matter that I should have cleared up in my letter to the paper last week. The information I received about both the shed and the snow removal at Tom’s HVAC was told to me AFTER the planning and zoning meeting when the vote was taken that ended up in Dominion’s favor.

I’ve noticed a change in my behavior since COVID. Nowadays when I cough in front of someone else I feel obligated to explain it away. “It’s just a little tickle.” Or “I’ve got seasonal allergies.” Or “You must have cat hair on your sweater.”

Even given the opportunity to right a wrong, the Evanston City Council showed it’s not interested in representing its citizens during a special meeting on Sept. 12. At stake was the installation of a gas regulatory station proposed — with “DANGER” signs plastered all over it — for smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood, close to a young children’s learning center, a middle school and a church.

I want to encourage our constituents to take a few minutes to help us continue to get the word out about both the rate increases proposed by Rocky Mountain Power and the proposed changes to the BLM’s southwest Resource Management Plan (RMP) for multiple use. Both of these entities have failed to consider the long-term and short-term repercussions from both of these poorly thought-out decisions.

There have been times that I have been misquoted in this newspaper and I have just let it go. But this time I am appalled at the misinformation and poor reporting printed in your Sept. 20 edition.

I recently saw a thought-provoking question on a sign outside a hair salon. “We make people beautiful. What’s your superpower?” Several days later, I saw a survey that said the number one most desired superpower is invisibility. If you can’t have that, and you probably can’t, I think making people beautiful would be a pretty close second, depending on what you have to work with.

Sen. Charles Scott (R-Casper) says he wants to do “some radical things” to change Wyoming’s energy policy. But what’s so radical about abandoning free-market principles and ignoring the facts to suppress anything and everything that might possibly compete with fossil fuels? The Legislature has been doing that for years. Perhaps the only thing “radical” about Scott’s most recent demonization of renewables is his unabashed disregard for the available data.

What’s it like to try to organize a union in one of the reddest states in the country? When Starbucks employees in downtown Cheyenne first took their complaints public June 25 at a one-day strike to protest working conditions, one woman carried a sign on the picket line that read, “If baristas are out here, something is WRONG in there!”

Modern political campaigns have given rise to a new breed of politician: the performance artist. This type of candidate is known less for their ideas or qualifications and more for their attention-grabbing antics. Whether it be through bombastic statements or through policy proposals with no basis in reality, this type of candidate is far more concerned with performance over policy.

Many years ago, I had the good fortune to travel to Japan. There weren’t any of those language apps you see advertised now but I and the other members of the group I accompanied did manage to learn a few basic Japanese words and phrases. And I’m proud to say that all these years later, I can still count to ten and say hello, goodbye, thank you and octopus. Really.

Dominion Energy is proposing to build a natural gas regulator station at 209 Center St. in Evanston, within a residential neighborhood. Why would a huge corporation like Dominion Energy choose to place a potential hazard smack dab in the middle of family residences, where children play, if there are more suitable vacant commercial lots, particularly along Highway 150? Does the cost of the site have anything to do with their decision to intrude upon a residential neighborhood?

The Union Presbyterian Church would like to thank those who attended the open house for the stained glass window restoration project. We are so grateful for the generous donations received at the time. The windows have been removed with an anticipated completion date between six and eight weeks.

Cowboy Days will soon be here. I was concerned at our recent fair about the goat roping event. It should not be happening. I’m very familiar with this being done in fun with burros, and I’ve seen the pain caused by rope burns. Neither species has the leathery skin to endure this happening time and time again. It’s inhumane — just like the Evanston Animal Shelter’s gas chamber, which is still in use even after many public complaints.

I got my feelings hurt…by an internet robot. It’s my own fault. I’ve heard so much about ChatGPT, the language processing bot, and I had a deadline coming up. So I decided to let artificial intelligence write my column for me. You might think that’s cheating, but I thought it would be fun. I thought it would be easy. I thought I could get away with it.