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In today's protest movement, more than a touch of gray

In today's protest movement, more than a touch of gray

Boston Globea day ago

Nancy F. Goldstein
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Mashpee
As a gray-haired protest veteran who participated in the August 1963 March on Washington, I was delighted to read Margaret Morganroth Gullette's op-ed 'Still marching after all these years.'
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I had noticed the prevalence of war babies and boomers at the Newton 'No Kings' protest on Flag Day and asked my wife, 'Where are the young people?' In contrast to my memory of the protests of the 1960s, there was not an appropriate proportion of young people among the thousands of Newton Centre protesters, and this was somewhat disheartening. Are they inclined toward monarchy or is it just that they can't afford to live in Newton?
Harvey Weiner
Newton
I grew up marching to ban the bomb, for civil rights, and against the Vietnam War. My parents — progressive, secular New York Jews — had met through union organizing. (My mother dated one of the Weavers!) We were one of the relatively few families who hardly experienced a generation gap in the 1960s.
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I often think about my parents today and how they would react to the corruption, authoritarianism, and racism of the Trump administration. They had fought against fascism in World War II and survived the scourges of McCarthyism in the 1950s. Would they be horrified and feel hopeless, as I often do, to watch our country go backward? Or would they see it as a moment, a setback, where the long
How I yearn for their wisdom, advice, and fortitude and their reassurance that the country will emerge once again as a beacon of hope and promise.
Cyrisse Jaffee
Newton

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Trump heralds 'tremendous breakthrough' in Rwanda, Congo peace accord
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Trump heralds 'tremendous breakthrough' in Rwanda, Congo peace accord

1 of 5 | President Donald Trump holds a signed peace agreement during a meeting with Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI | License Photo June 27 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump on Friday signed a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo that ends 30 years of conflict in central Africa that the U.S. leader described as "one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen." Congo Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe appeared at a signing ceremony in the White House's Oval Office. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Qatar began negotiations with the two foreign ministers in April. The agreement was announced by the State Department on June 18. It is officially named the Washington Accords. "At least 6 million people were killed during that period of time," Trump said. "It's incredible. And somebody said that was actually, it's the biggest war on the planet since World War II. It's a shame but we're going to bring it to an end." The treaty ends the conflict and provides access to critical minerals for the U.S. "This is a wonderful day," he added. "Hopefully, there can be a lot of healing." Rubio, calling Trump a "president of peace," said: "This was not easy. And there's still work to be done, obviously, in terms of implementation, but we're very honored you're both here, and it's been an honor to work with both of you. " The two leaders thanked Trump, with Nduhungirehe describing the treaty as a "remarkable milestone." But they urged the United States ensure the peace agreement remains in place. "There have been many mediations in the past but none of them succeed," Nduhungirehe said. "We believe that it is because of your leadership and steadfast commitment the treaty was made possible." Wagner said: "This moment has been long in coming. It will not erase the pain, but it can begin to restore what conflict has robbed many women, men and children of: safety, dignity and a sense of future." Democratic senators also urged the treaty to be enforced and humanitarian assistance provided. "While signing an agreement is important, implementation will be essential, and we urge both parties and all international partners to ensure its enforcement," Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Corey Booker of New Jersey and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said in a statement. "We are keenly watching how today's agreement shapes the future of eastern DRC. This is where the hard work begins, and following through on each component of the deal will be essential to its success." In the accord, both sides agreed to recognize and respect each other's territorial borders, committed to not supporting any armed groups and to establish a joint security mechanism to target militias. And they plan to expand trade and investment opportunities. Around 7 million people have displaced in Congo, which has a population of 106 million. Rwanda's population is 14 million. They both gained independence from Belgium in the early 1960s. In January, M-23 rebels were aided by Rwandan forces in escalating the conflict, according to a United Nations expert panel. They seized the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu. M23 first emerged in 2012. The region has been reeling from one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. The rebels overwhelmed government forces, killing U.N. peacekeepers, fired on U.N. humanitarian facilities and sent people fleeing from displacement camps. The United Nations has called it "one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth." Congo wants the U.S. to provide security support needed to fight the M23 rebels. They want them to withdraw from Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. The United States imposed sanctions on key Rwandan officials involved in the conflict. The European Union cut military aid to Rwanda.

Fetterman foe and ex-congressman Conor Lamb touring Pennsylvania as Dems express frustration with often Trump-backing senator
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New York Post

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ENOLA, Pa. — Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania isn't even up for reelection until 2028, but already a one-time primary foe, former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, is crisscrossing Pennsylvania and social media, looking and sounding like he's preparing to challenge Fetterman again. At town hall after town hall across Pennsylvania, Democrats and allied progressive groups aren't hearing from Fetterman in person — or Republicans who control Washington, for that matter. But they are hearing from Lamb, a living reminder of the Democrat they could have elected instead of Fetterman. The former congressman has emerged as an in-demand town hall headliner, sometimes as a stand-in for Fetterman — who just might bash Fetterman. Advertisement 'I thought I was going to play Senator Fetterman,' Lamb joked as he sat down in front of a central Pennsylvania crowd last are frustrated with Fetterman 4 Former U.S. Rep. 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