Dear Readers:

I recently noticed this article: CT men busted as fentanyl dealers after driving north on I-91 in stolen car – Vermont Daily Chronicle.

I have been explaining to Vermonters for years that drug trafficking is a lucrative business that doesn’t care about race (well except that gangs move most of the fentanyl in the US, and 90% of gangs are comprised of “people of color,” but to say so is racist, while complaining that statistics show people of color are poor is hailed as equity and woke.)

I moved to East Hartford, CT at age 12 and graduated from High School in East Hartford. I was later a special public defender in CT, where I represented dozens of alleged cocaine and heroin dealers. Most of them were affiliated with gangs. I was not racist in my representations. Indeed, I worked essentially pro bono out of a sense of obligation. I grew up “on the street,” and it was a miracle I managed to climb out of that gutter and graduate cum laude from UConn Law.

Given my experiences, and the routine news stories of narcotics being trafficked into VT from Springfield, MA. Philly, Chicago, NY, and yes, CT, I similarly feel it is my civic duty to call out the woke numbskulls who claim our VT police are racist for arresting “people of color” while ignoring whether they are actually guilty. Yes, white people move drugs too (as seen here). But the demographics of the drug trafficking business have nothing to do with the motives of good cops. To slander honest police for arresting people based on race when they are arresting based on evidence and facts, is a disgraceful crime of its own. It also puts Vermonters at risk by racializing something without merit. It is a racist trope of progressives, encouraging gang activity in the Green Mountains — gangs laugh at the irony, I assure you.

MLK, Jr. said America should judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. The woke cult of race politics is patently racist and turns MLK Jr’s entire life’s work upside down in the name of equity, perverting justice and inflaming racist tensions. Is that the plan, or are these people merely ignorant, like white supremacists?

It’s time we stood up for citizen safety and honest police, rather than undermining both. I don’t support corrupt or racist police — neither do I support calling police racist or corrupt who are not. Cops are like lawyers — no one likes them until they need them.

-John Klar, Brookfield

To the Editor:

I’m writing in response to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s proposal to charge a public access license in recognition of declining hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. I would support this proposal if Fish & Wildlife were also willing to reexamine and reform the outdated and unrepresentative Fish & Wildlife Board. Senate bill S.258, that was introduced in 2024, would have modernized the Board’s composition and decision-making — a critical step toward fairness and accountability. The bill passed a veto-proof  majority but the House did not pick it up.

There is no reason the Fish & Wildlife Board should continue operating like a private game club where a small minority controls the process. Many Vermonters, myself included, used to attend Board meetings and offer public comment, but stopped participating after realizing that those in charge had little interest in listening to non-consumptive voices. Some of the Board members referred to us as “bunny huggers” and “antis”, in what appeared to be an attempt to further marginalize us.

Transformation isn’t just about collecting new fees from the public; it’s about showing Vermonters that their values matter. The Department must address the widespread lack of trust in its leadership and demonstrate that it represents all who care about Vermont’s wildlife and natural lands.

If the Department truly wants to update its model in recognition of the fact that fewer people are hunting, fishing, and trapping, then it must make a good-faith effort to work collaboratively with non-consumptive Vermonters. By all means, charge us a reasonable fee — but give us a seat at the table where decisions are made. Only then can we work together on the future of conservation in Vermont.

-Sophie Bowater, Middlesex