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Opinion

Letters to the Gazette-Journal on any subject of public interest are always welcome. Letters should be 300 words or shorter, and all submissions must include the writer’s complete home mailing address, email and phone number should we need to reach you (this information is not published).

We favor letters that thoughtfully respond to or offer perspective or content published in the Gazette-Journal, and on local or state issues. The Gazette-Journal will not accept letters which comment on articles published in other periodicals; and we may not use letters which have appeared in other publications. We do not accept letters that are primarily broad endorsements or attacks on political candidates or parties. Also, space limitations often prevent publication of thank-you letters.

The right is reserved to refuse letters and to limit letters from individual contributors to one per month, to limit to one the number of candidate endorsements an individual can make, and to edit letters for length, accuracy, clarity, tone, style and other considerations. The newspaper requires a physically signed copy for our records. That can be accomplished by sending a digital image, such as a JPEG, to the editor.

Screenshot Essay: The 250th Anniversary (7/1/2026) - Madison Young, Rising Senior at GHSGloucester, Va. The 250th Anniversary of the United States matters in part due to patriotism, pride that this country has prevailed in its existence for…
rgb essay ruth machen preferred Essay: Reflect and remember (7/1/2026) - Ruth Machen, recent homeschool graduateFoster, Va. Our nation’s 250th anniversary is a time to reflect and remember where we came from. Every freedom we have today in the greatest country…
rgb 250 essay eloise leslie Essay: What This Nation, and its Anniversary, Means to Me (7/1/2026) - Eloise Leslie, Rising Freshman at MHSMathews, Va. This year is the United States of America’s 250th anniversary. I have lived in the USA for my entire life. In those years…
rgb 250 essay mackenzie chapman Essay: Protecting our freedom (7/1/2026) - Mackenzie Lynn chapmanRising Freshman at GHSGloucester,Va. The 250th anniversary of this country reminds me of the freedom that it means to me. While this country has a hateful past, where…
rgb 250 essay peter machen Essay: Our Nation’s Incredible Milestone (7/1/2026) - Peter Machen, Grades 8-9 HomeschoolHonorable Mention, Foster, Va. This 250th Anniversary of our Nation is significant for many reasons. Only 15 countries in the world today have had independence for…
rgb 250 essay ayla martinez Essay: 250 Years of Freedom (7/1/2026) - Ayla Martinez, Rising Junior at Mathews High SchoolThird place, New Point, Va. This year, 2026, marks 250 years of the United States of America. This anniversary reminds us to reflect…
rgb 250 essay laura byser Essay: 250 years of change (7/1/2026) - Alexandra S. Byser, Rising Junior at GHSSecond place, Gloucester, Va. Two hundred-fifty years of war, change, and tradition have formed our country into the nation it is today. The signing…
rgb 250 essay ariana smolinski Essay: 250th Anniversary of the United States (7/1/2026) - Ariana Smolinski, Rising Junior at Gloucester High SchoolFirst Place, Gloucester, Va. The 250th anniversary of the United States means a celebration of resilience, acknowledgment of our complex history, and a…
‘What America’s 250th anniversary means to me’: Results of student essay contest (7/1/2026) - The Gazette-Journal asked local students in grades eight through twelve to compose semiquincentennial essays of 250 words or less on what the nation’s 250th birthday means to them. Ariana Smolinski…
Letter: Vote with boldness (6/24/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: After too many years of bending to the Trump-distorted Republican Party, Congressman Rob Wittman is worn down and worn out. It is time for him to pack up…
Letter: Cywinski for Congress (6/24/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: I am tired of being a political tool. I am tired of people who have never met me making decisions for me. As a grown woman, living in…
Letter: Wittman’s voting record (6/24/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Social Security’s trust fund is projected to be depleted by 2032, at which point benefits could be cut by about 24%. This problem is due to an aging…
Letter: Bhatti for Congress (6/24/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: The founding fathers fought to create a country in which power is vested in the people. Elections were the vehicle by which the will of the people would…
Letter: Mystified by commitment to Trump (6/24/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: We moved to Cobbs Creek five years ago from Connecticut, retiring here to be nearer to our children/grandchildren. When the opportunity presented itself, we moved. We have not…
Editorial: Kitten season (6/24/2026) - Let’s talk for a moment about one of the saddest sights that we witness at times along the roadside: a dead kitten; or two dead kittens. It’s a sure sign…
Editorial: Celebrate freedom (6/24/2026) - All the years of preparation for this year’s upcoming special Fourth of July come to a climax in the next few weeks. Our area will well and truly celebrate the…
Letter: Cywinski for Congress (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Mathews County contains over 200 miles of shoreline, home to hundreds of people making a living from the water. Local businesses ship 200 million oyster seeds up and…
Letter: We the people want change (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: In 2007, Rob Wittman became our member of the House of Representatives. I was hopeful when I learned that he had education and experience in both biology and…
Letter: Is this freedom or endangerment? (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: While we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of our Constitutional government, I am concerned that a document that inspired it is under threat. The Virginia Constitution protects our…
Letter: All politics is local (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: All politics is local. The war in Iran may be 1,000s of miles away but the effects are hitting us right here in the Northern Neck and Middle…
Letter: Surrendering our sovereignty (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: Last Friday, the Dixons of Gloucester kindly hosted Sen. Warner (D-Va.) in a meet and greet. He dedicated his speech to his recently deceased daughter who, before passing,…
Letter: USPS mismanagement (6/17/2026) - Editor, Gazette-Journal: I’m not sure why it took me so long to find this out, but I’m glad I did, better late than never. I discovered that when I mailed…
Editorial: Some modest proposals (6/17/2026) - Every year, thousands upon thousands of federal, state and local public officials (including county supervisors and school board members) and members of the military take an oath to be loyal…
Editorial: It’s getting real (6/15/2026) - The 250th anniversary of the United States of America, dating from the July 4, 1776 formal approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, is almost here. Special…
Editorial: On hurricanes (6/15/2026) - Like clockwork, each spring we hear, and often forget, forecasts about the upcoming hurricane season. This is not an academic exercise, or a remote tragedy to be watched on TV.…

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