Regarding the Feb. 6 news article “Trump calls for new accord after nuclear arms limitation treaty with Russia expires”:
President Donald Trump’s commitment to “work on a new, improved, and modernized [New START] Treaty that can last long into the future” is a welcome step back from the precipice of renewed nuclear weapons competition with Russia.
Both sides now have an opportunity to jettison outdated or costly weapon systems that serve no strategic role in the post-Cold War era. One tempting target for cutbacks by the United States is the incredibly expensive and unnecessary replacement of 400 Minuteman III ICBMs with a gold-plated Sentinel missile system, whose price tag has gone through the roof at $140.9 billion. The Air Force has conceded that the legacy Minuteman III missiles will retain their deterrence effectiveness past 2050 — a full 24 years and six presidential elections from today.
Consequently, the U.S. should suspend Sentinel deployment while the proposed negotiations continue. This hiatus would permit the U.S. to engage with Russia in needed deliberations over the use and abuse of nuclear arms and to extend these deliberations at a certain point to China.
Robert Rudney, Washington
The writer is a retired senior adviser in the Department of the Air Force.
A walk with history
I happened to be in Savannah when I read George F. Will’s Feb. 8 op-ed, “A federal judge schools chaotic Kristi L. Noem,” which described the homeland security secretary’s startlingly negative image of Haitians. Will corrected the record with examples of Haitian refugees legally in the United States.
Then, while walking our dog, I read a piece of history I was unaware of. In one of Savannah’s many city squares, there is a statue of fighting men with this inscription:
“The largest unit of soldiers of African descent who fought in the American Revolution was the brave ‘Les Chasseurs Volontaires de Saint Domingue’ from Haiti. This regiment consisted of free men who volunteered for a campaign to capture Savannah from the British in 1779. Their sacrifice reminds us that men of African descent were also present on many other battlefields during the Revolution.”
Robert Pokras, Silver Spring
Don’t disparage pickleball
Margaret Spellings, a former education secretary, was quoted in the Feb. 9 front-page article “Dr. Oz wants you to delay retiring. Not everyone can.” as saying: “I think people who retire too early are boring, boring, boring. They play pickleball and have nothing to do.” Spellings needs an update on modern retirement.
I left full-time work well over a decade ago. This enabled me to scale back to part-time work in a challenging job, create a course in my area of expertise and teach it abroad, and travel to remote locations as an international election observer. To indulge my love of classical music, I volunteered at a performing arts venue and chaired the board of a small arts organization. Best of all, I played pickleball — a lot of it. Pickleball helped me build muscle and bone mass, improve hand-eye coordination and flexibility, and, best of all, introduced me to a slew of new friends.
There’s nothing boring about better health. Without it, you’re unable to do “interesting” things.
Mary Kruger, Alexandria
This doesn’t fade with age
Dana Milbank’s Feb. 2 Health column, “These older adults found a way to slow aging process: Just say yes,” spotlighted the significant contributions older adult volunteers make to their country and communities. We all continue to learn, develop and change throughout our lives.
Yet, volunteerism isn’t an option for every older adult. That’s because millions of retirement-age Americans are still working in paid jobs simply to make ends meet. The Census Bureau’s latest data show that the supplemental poverty measure continues to rise among older adults, reaching 15 percent in 2024.
For these older Americans, the Senior Community Service Employment Program can be a lifesaver. That Labor Department program helps unemployed, low-income older adults gain work experience, learn skills and find in-demand jobs through community service. AmeriCorps Seniors also is investing in older workers through a National Council on Aging demonstration program that is creating a pathway to health care jobs in West Virginia. Both programs allow older adults to contribute to their communities while earning much-needed income.
Whether working or volunteering, we all can agree that our ability to give back doesn’t fade with age.
Maura Porcelli, Arlington
The writer is senior director of workforce at the National Council on Aging.
Hope for a timely, happy return
Philip Kennicott’s Feb. 7 Style column, “At a broken Kennedy Center, the National Symphony begins a new journey,” about the National Symphony’s performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8, was one of the most gripping in memory. One can scarcely imagine a more fitting rendition by an ensemble facing a forced departure than a wartime piece of music.
The situation becomes even more poignant in contrast with the NSO’s previous exit from the Kennedy Center for the remodeling of the Concert Hall in the 1990s. The final program concluded with the full score of Ravel’s lush “Daphnis and Chloe.” I sang in the chorus, joining in the otherworldly sounds. Backstage after the performance, a couple of players sported hard hats. It was a happy, planned departure in anticipation of what indeed proved to be a timely, happy return.
David Peyton, Christiansted, St. Croix
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