The Portland City Council ought to have more serious items to deliberate rather than seeking a solution to a nonproblem.

The time wasted to debate the idea of a resolution to be forwarded to the Legislature to ban firearms in various public buildings is a perfect example of government waste and absurdity. It is this same kind of political correctness that is destroying our once great nation.

What do these liberal ninnies not understand about the simple English used in our U.S. Constitution and Maine Constitution that says that citizens shall not be hindered in bearing arms? The Maine Constitution is even plainer, saying in the Declaration of Rights, Section 16, “Every citizen has the right to keep and bear arms and this right shall not be questioned.”

Hello, are the Portland councilors that oblivious? Obviously they are!

Think about how many public buildings have had criminals illegally carrying in guns for shootouts. Think about what happened at Fort Hood and how many lives could have been saved on this government property if one potential victim had been allowed to be armed.

This solution seeking a problem is yet another example that is destroying our once great nation, and I for one am so very tired of it. Have we not had enough of the liberal thinking that has our nation nearly broke and destitute? Here is yet another example of why we are in the fix we are in.

George A. Fogg

North Yarmouth

Why place Medal of Honor hero’s story below the fold?

I am sure picking what stories to include on the front page may be difficult. What story should be the most important?

On Nov. 17, you chose a flub by our state government (“How Maine missed the bus”) to be most prominent with an oversized picture of a bus for placement above the fold. Also there was a smaller picture of Gov.-elect Paul LePage picking a panel of budget advisers.

I know the flub involved a loss of millions of dollars in federal aid, and the governor-elect’s selections are important to our state.

However. your decision about where to place the story of Sgt. Salvatore Guinta, the most recent recipient of our nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor, was, in my opinion callous of your editor.

Just reading the piece from the Chicago Tribune’s Washington Bureau sent chills up my spine. This young man was the first in 40 years of our conflicts abroad to win this medal and survive a harrowing combat experience. He offered his life up to save his brother soldiers’ lives.

The rarity of doing this and surviving deserves more recognition than what was afforded by the editor.

The editor should be given the assignment to read all of the stories of all the previous Medal of Honor recipients and learn how rare it is for the award to be presented to a living soldier.

The editor then might have some idea of the sacrifice necessary to become such a recipient. And the editor may next time place the story in a more prominent location on the front page.

This young sergeant is the epitome of our finest soldiers who put themselves at risk in the hope we will have a better life here at home.

George R. MacKinnon

New Harbor

LePage adviser’s role elicits criticism, praise

I just read the Nov. 29 “State House Notebook” that detailed a few members of Gov.-elect Paul LePage’s transition team. Interesting folks, one and all. However, there was one important person missing from the reporting.

The article missed Pete Harring. This man is supposed to help usher our governor-elect into office, to help him start off on the right foot. To be the best governor that LePage can be.

Who is this person? He hosts a website where he has proclaimed, “Liberals are like slinkies. They’re really good for nothing, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.”

You can’t make this stuff up. This “Pete the Carpenter” also derides Sen. Olympia Snowe, who, he says “obviously lives in some fantasy world and has no grasp of reality or she is under some drug-induced coma and is suffering from severe hallucinations.” Nice.

Gov.-elect LePage is really getting off on the right foot, trying to be leader of all Mainers. Isn’t he? He has forgotten that he was elected in a big squeaker of a vote, and hardly has a mandate to bully the public with his extreme views.

Some of his advisers certainly can help bridge the gap for the average Mainer. But others need to just plain go away.

Kathy Bordeleau

York

The thoughts you expressed about Paul LePage’s advisers in your Nov. 27 editorial are understandable when the source is considered.

However, here is another viewpoint. Abraham Lincoln, in assuming the office of president, appointed to his Cabinet at least three men who were political rivals and who disdained Lincoln for his backwoods origins.

Historians have praised Lincoln for his genius and management style in having done this. Contrary to your editorial, I believe that Paul LePage has made a wise choice in selecting Peter Harring — Pete the Carpenter — as an adviser.

In saying this, I particularly take issue with your statement that “What he (LePage) doesn’t need is somebody around to remind him that voters are frustrated and government should do something about it.”

Quite the contrary, the governor needs to be continuously reminded that voters are frustrated, and change is exactly what Maine needs from the politicians and bureaucrats in Augusta.

If we continue with the same “tax and spend” policies that resulted in Maine having one of the highest state tax burdens and one of the poorest business climates of the 50 states, then we will deserve what we get.

Allen J. Bingham

Scarborough

Of all newspaper’s typos, one cannot be overlooked

On Nov. 27, you printed David Broder’s column, “Murkowski’s epiphany wins the day,” and on any given day I find typos in your articles which I tend to overlook.

But, I cannot let this one pass by. With all the issues surrounding Lisa Murkowski’s write-in candidacy, how did you misspell her name under her photo as Sen. Lisa “Miurkowski”?

Ellen Nadeau

Cape Elizabeth