In regard to Bill Nemitz’s column July 30, “Communique to a candidate: Mr. LePage, people are listening,” I take issue with the reference, “At Marden’s you can spout off whenever you feel the urge and your words quickly evaporate into thin air. Kind of like Glenn Beck.”

I wonder if Mr. Nemitz has watched Glenn or read any of his books?

He has given us history lessons on the establishment of our country, where our form of government has made this a place that people die trying to get to because of our freedom. Where else can you achieve so much? Freedom is not free. We have been too apathetic for too long and have a chance to lose it.

Mr. Beck backs up what he tells us with video of what people say and mean. The phone to the White House is there if what he says is untrue. But he receives no calls for corrections.

Mr. Beck had a Friday devoted to black history. The audience was all black people and even though many had gone through college and sought information on their history, they heard of people who were heroic and need to be known by all.

Mr. Nemitz gave a quick dismissal to the tea party movement. They number millions, of all ages, races, religions, rich, poor, all genders. Will their movement also evaporate into “thin air”?

This president has surrounded himself with people who don’t like America (the Weathermen, SDS members, etc.). This is their chance to change America. But is that the America the people want?

Janet Romano
Portland

 

I understand the paper’s right to endorse candidates, but as a subscriber to your paper I am irate that you gave one of your writers the space to state his personal views on one of the candidates for governor.

You have left yourself in an unprofessional dilemma. I had thought, for a while, that The Press Herald was taking a step forward.

K.A. Dillon
Scarborough

 

Viewpoints in media serve various agendas

 

It is my opinion that America is in a civil war, a war initiated by this administration with its weapons of propaganda and disingenuousness in the legislative process.

The news outlets, including major TV networks, also help them.

We, the American people, have our weapons also: the Constitution, the rule of law and our desire to be free.

With a steady purpose of mind we can turn the tide in November with our vote and use it to bring the country together again.

Look what is happening to Arizona.

Willard Boothby
Limington

 

The editorial policies of The Portland Press Herald are cause for concern. The Aug. 2 contribution by Elisabeth Echevarria is a very troubling example.

Printing her item as “Another View” in the same column as the newspaper’s own editorial gives it a status that is unworthy of the language that Ms. Echevarria uses.

I was particularly troubled by her accusation that President Obama is “demonizing us” — meaning not her or her particular party, but the “American people”!

One can debate who is “demonizing” whom, but that is not my concern. She should be able to say in print what she believes about Obama.

But her item should have been printed as a letter to the editor. To print such inflammatory language in the same column as the newspaper’s own editorial is unworthy of a serious newspaper.

Several months ago the publisher of this newspaper visited the church where I serve and wrote about my sermon, in which I had expressed concern about the increasing anger and lack of civility in our public discourse.

Perhaps he should go back and re-read his own comments about civility and then re-evaluate the editorial policy of his newspaper.

If you print this, please do so as a letter to the editor, which is what you should have done with Ms. Echevarria’s item and any item that uses inflammatory language and encourages the polarization that is harming the American experiment in democracy. Thank you.

The Rev. Constantine Sarantidis
Portland

 

Why didn’t paper mention World War II anniversary?

 

It was with sadness and disappointment that I was unable to find anything in your newspaper of Sunday, Aug. 8, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, except for a (joke) in the Beetle Bailey comic strip.

I also was unable to observe any mentioning of this anniversary on any other liberal news media.

So many from the “Greatest Generation” sacrificed all, including those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to prevent all of Europe from falling into Nazi hands, and preventing most of Asia from falling under imperial Japan.

Many who were able to return have now gone on to be with their fallen brothers from over there.

They who are still with us, including we who were too young to be directly involved, but still remember the hardships and sacrifices, have to be saddened that the media do not feel that any mention of this glorious anniversary is important.

How sad for our current generation, many of whom have very little, if any, knowledge of the tragedies and suffering the entire world endured during that time.

What has happened to the patriotism that we all shared in this country? Is there any left?

Jack McLaughlin
Ocean Park

 

Catholic instructor had no right to condemn others

 

The University of Illinois should have fired Kenneth Howell, a Catholic who taught a course on his church’s doctrines in the religion department (“University offering to rehire fired instructor,” July 31).

As an individual, he enjoys First Amendment rights to say almost anything he wants.

As a teacher, he has an obligation to open the minds of his students, not to indoctrinate them as he attempted to do with the e-mail he sent to a student asserting Catholic doctrine on homosexuality as irrefutable.

That makes him no better than the Taliban with their corrupt interpretation of the Quran.

Stephen Hinrichs
Rockport