‘Learned a Lot’ As a dual Canadian/American citizen, I am grateful for “Oh, Canada: Historic Ties Between Vermont and Québec Communities Are Fraying. Reporting on Both Sides of the Border Suggests They Could Break” in the October 28 issue. I learned a lot more about the current cros s-border issues and feelings. Thanks. Liz Benjamin East Montpelier Enforce the Law [Re “Roof Raids: Laborers in Construction and Roofing Are Being Targeted as ICE Detentions Spike in Vermont,” September 23]: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is mandated to enforce laws aimed at fair and safe immigration of noncitizens into the country. Federal law grants immigration officers the power to interrogate, arrest and detain any foreign national without a warrant — if there is reason to suspect the person is here violating laws and regulations. Despite a shortage of construction and roofing workers in Vermont, as Five Star Roofing and comparable companies assert, there are legal options to overcome “serious workforce shortages.” These include: • The H-2B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals here for temporary jobs (like seasonal roofing). The first step is to document a shortage of U.S. workers in a given industry. • The EB-3 “other workers” program: For permanent positions, employers can sponsor foreign workers through the U.S. Department of Labor’s certification process. • Subcontracting legally: Many regional contractors partner with established subcontractors who legally utilize temporary visa holders. These programs work. Today there are roughly 31 million foreign-born workers in the U.S. labor force. Between 7 million and 10 million, however, are on jobsites without legal authorization and often proper skills. The U.S. Congress and courts have empowered DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement with detaining and deporting unauthorized workers, as well as adjudicating some 10 million-plus illegal entrants who arrived without vetting during the 2021 to 2024 border surges. The U.S. House Budget Committee estimates the net annual cost of noncitizens to federal, state and local taxpayers at $134.9 billion to $150.7 billion. Jack Scully Colchester Don’t Prosecute In response to “AG to Prosecute ICE Protesters” [Last 7, September 23]: “It isn’t nice to block the doorways / It isn’t nice to go to jail / There are nicer ways to do it / But the nice ways always fail.” That’s a song I learned in the 1960s. It came out of the use of civil disobedience — deliberately violating a law to protest a serious wrong. And it’s a tactic now being used to bring attention to and inconvenience the work of a federal program that is clearly out of control. The people who engage in civil disobedience knowingly take on the risk of arrest, prosecution and even jail time and are willing to pay the consequences. (Another old song asks, “Have you been to jail for justice?”) The attorney general decides which arrests warrant court time and resources. But does it serve justice or community needs to use those resources on otherwise law-abiding citizens who create some inconvenience by protesting federal policies and the cruel actions of federal agents — agents who have been documented breaking laws, using unreasonable force and even murder, and who, for the most part, have faced no consequences? I don’t think so, and I hope the judge will agree. Ann Larson Essex Mommy/Daddy Issues [Re Feedback: “Not Proud,” October 28]: Marianne Ward shares that her heart is broken because children of same-sex parents don’t have a mommy and a daddy. While I acknowledge her personal sadness and fully support her freedom to share that with the readers of Seven Days, her ignorance of facts and her judgment of loving parents, no matter their gender, is cruel and insupportable. Based on the best evidence available, children of same-sex parents are just as happy, well adjusted and successful as those who have both a mommy and a daddy. Children thrive on love and don’t keep score of who is loving them. I am proud of our welcoming communities in Vermont. Those who stigmatize others based on personal judgments present a greater threat to our children’s happiness than the gender of their parents. Jim Wallace St. George Up in Arms [Re From the Publisher: “Navigating Tech,” October 21]: To use publisher Paula Routly’s own words from her piece about tech, where she says “The pace of technological change can be unsettling, but as a newspaper publisher, I know hiding from it is not the answer,” I wonder why she didn’t share in her excitement about hosting the Vermont Tech Jam that some of the companies in this event manufacture components, military technology and weapons of war? I learned this information from the Vermont People’s Arms Embargo website, vtpeoplesarmsembargo.org, which shows how more than 30 companies in Vermont are involved in the war machine. When Seven Days puts the cartoonish character with his guitar excited for the Tech Jam, it should have put a machine gun instead to illustrate the point that these jobs are part of the weapons industry so that everyone knows the truth. Visit the website to learn more and get more involved! Sally Lincoln North Ferrisburgh ‘Terrific’ Coverage [Re Feedback: “Same Old, Same Old,” September 30]: I don’t agree with the letter writers who think Seven Days is “same old, same old” or criticize the Daysies. The Daysies are a fun way to recognize our favorites in many categories. If some win every year, so what? I may not agree with others’ choices, but I voice my opinion on my faves. As far as your articles being “same old, same old,” how can anyone say that about Chelsea Edgar’s many feature stories? Or, more recently, Lucy Tompkins’ coverage of immigration issues? The feature story on the closed Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center [“The Loss of Grace,” October 25, 2023], the one about issues at the Burlington Housing Authority [“The Fight for Decker Towers,” February 14, 2024], and the many food stories on new eateries by Melissa Pasanen and Jordan Barry? Just last week, my wife and I went on our annual trip to April’s Maple in Canaan. A wonderful leaf-peeping trip and, of course, great maple creemees. We wouldn’t have known about this without an article in Seven Days [“Sap It to Me,” March 21, 2023]. Your coverage about Art at the Kent [“Art at a Crossroads,” September 23] was terrific! All the many artists featured — didn’t the “same old, same old” author read this? Alan Quackenbush North Duxbury Correction Last week’s story “Rough Cuts” misidentified the building Harwood Unified Union School District is looking into purchasing. The building is currently being used as Cabot Creamery’s headquarters. The post Letters to the Editor (11/4/26) appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less