FRIDAY’S HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

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Avoca Borough Council appoints new member at special meeting

<p>Before you head to the polls, consider the importance your choice as president will have not only on our country, but the rest of the world.</p><p>At perhaps no time since the Cold War have we faced such global instability. Russia has invaded another country and is committing cyber-espionage against our own.</p><p>While Republicans focus on Iran&#8217;s nuclear capabilities, we face a far greater threat from North Korea, which is years ahead of Iran in development. Last month, North Korea exploded a 20-kiloton nuclear device, equivalent to that of the one used at Hiroshima.</p><p>Analysts at the U.S.-North Korea Institute have estimated that by 2020 North Korea could have intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States. Leader Kim Jong-un &#8211; a despot so emotionally insecure that he recently outlawed sarcasm in his country because merely outlawing criticism of him was not enough &#8211; has threatened to turn U.S. cities into &#8220;seas of fire.&#8221;</p><p>Now consider who you would most like dealing with him: another insecure bully who responds to criticism with all the finesse of an 8-year-old?</p><p>Even more troubling is Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump&#8217;s cavalier attitude toward the use of nuclear weapons. He thinks the U.S. &#8220;might be better off&#8221; if Japan and South Korea acquired their own nuclear weapons, going against world antinuclear proliferation policy since World War II. He stated he would even consider the use of nuclear weapons against ISIS, even in Europe.</p><p>He has declared NATO obsolete, and would consider not defending our NATO allies unless they &#8220;pay up.&#8221;</p><p>Have you considered that the reason Russia&#8217;s cyberattacks have supported Trump might not be because its leaders are huge fans of his, but rather because lack of NATO support could embolden Russia to invade other countries?</p><p>Trump even has threatened our own nation&#8217;s security by declaring &#8220;our military severely depleted&#8221; and our &#8220;nuclear arsenals in terrible shape&#8221;</p><p>Is this someone to whom you will entrust our nuclear codes?</p><p><strong>Elaine Sporko</strong></p><p>Scranton</p><style>
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Letter to the Editor: Don’t entrust nation’s nuclear codes to an ‘insecure bully’