• • • Rand’s values are not to be revered 
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Altruism  |Atheism  |Capitalism  |Egoism  |William Hickman  | Whatever else one can say about Roger Brooks’s letter to the editor on Sunday, Jan. 6, he is certainly wrong in his claim that Ayn Rand is a defender of “traditional Christian values.” She was, in fact, a militant atheist who said belief in the faith and practice of Jesus was evidence of “a psychological weakness.” [....] I am sad for Roger Brooks that he views Ayn Rand as a moral philosopher that Americans should take to heart, especially those of us who are trying to be faithful friends and followers of Jesus.  

• • • Ayn Rand warned us about this 
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Atlas Shrugged  | In finding a means to escape the events of Newtown and the gloomy news and financial reports, I resorted to my bookshelf, something long owned but never read. By chance, I ended up with Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” which for most of you who struggle with anything longer than a five-line text message or Grandma’s Facebook posting, I don’t recommend.  

• MONADNOCK PROFILE: Doerpholz is a country boy at heart 
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Lately, on his daily work commute to and from Springfield, Mass., Brian Doerpholz listens on his ever-present mp3 player to an audio version of an Ayn Rand novel.