I’m sorry to see Rite Aid leaving town. Its pharmacy will be closing July 15. Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May. The company is closing all its stores, either through outright closures or sales to other companies. CVS, Walgreens, and Albertsons have purchased prescription files and some physical locations.

I hope it doesn’t get too crowded in our small Fillmore CVS pharmacy.

*****

A response to Kelly Scoles’ letter:

Hello again, Kelly,

I understand that you hate that Big Beautiful Bill. I have serious doubts that we will ever balance the budget. I’m not optimistic despite America’s improving fiscal condition. In ordinary times I would cheer what I believe to be fresh prosperity – new green shoots. But these are not ordinary times, and I believe “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men sometimes go awry”, or “Gang aft agley” (Robert Burns knew this). Simply stated, our schemes of peace and reconciliation with communist, totalitarian, and theocratic bullies, must always fail. Only fools trust such enemies and Trump should get on with the business of providing Ukraine with everything it needs in armaments to defeat Russia.

Trump has scored extraordinary victories, including the destruction of Iran’s nuclear adventures with awesome precision. Also, the Abraham Accords may be back on track. Our southern border is closed; not the fictitious closing by Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, remember him? But I’m embarrassed with all this talk of a Nobel Prize. Let’s get the job done first of neutering Putin, giving Xi Jinping notice of immediate destruction in the event of any Taiwan attack. China did not conquer Taiwan in the revolution; Chiang Kai-shek successfully defended and built Taiwan! China does not own the South China Sea. Israel will have to play an essential part in the coming Islami-Rusia war against the west. It is far better equipped to do so than Europe with its unprepared patchwork of under-financed NATO mini-armies.

On one issue I do agree with you, Kelly, which is the outrageous Trump administration treatment of Ukraine. This most outrageous recent pullback of weapons (already off-loading from Poland to Ukraine) may just now been reversed when Ukraine is under the greatest missile, drone, and artillery attack! These weapons were provided in the Biden administration. Trump should immediately reverse this devilish order (may have been done) and Trump should condemn whoever launched it (Secy. of Defense Pete Hegseth), so our allies will stop referring to our president as “That treacherous bastard!”

V.P. Vance disfigured his character in my view with his insulting behavior towards the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the oval Office, in view of the world. It was Vance who recently admonished Ukraine for daring to understand the war as a fight of Good v. Evil. And I fear sometimes both he and the president truly seem not to understand this underlying Judeo-Christian raison d’être. The basics of war are spiritual with eternal consequences. Until we address these facts war will remain perpetual. Memo to Pete: Good versus Evil is what it’s all about!

I remain a strong supporter of MAGA, and of Israel and Ukraine. They represent the Good.
My time has run out again, Kelly. Thanks for the letter.