Worldwide, humans kill billions of animals and kill or oppress millions of humans. We’re the most destructive beings on earth.

Wild animals don’t plot to hurt us; they seek to live in nature, as far away from us as possible.

This is why baiting our bears is so cruel. We lure shy bears from their havens by dumping 7 million pounds of fatty, rancid human food in our woods every year. This grows bear populations. Then we hound them, trap them and make them suffer excruciating pain, so unskilled trophy shooters can get an easy kill for a rug or wall mount. We demonize bears, scare people with lies they’ll attack us if we don’t kill them, and concoct backroom buddy policies with dubious “science” that lack common sense. We pretend this feeding-breeding-to-kill plan is a “bear management program.”

Maine is the ONLY state to allow baiting, hounding and trapping of bears. These 40-year-old barbaric acts are illegal for fair-chase hunting of deer, moose or turkeys: Bears need equal status. We’ve made a terrible mess of nature’s wisdom. We debase God’s majestic creations when we lure them into the garbage where we’ve fallen.

This is why voting yes on Question 1 to ban baiting-hounding-trapping is important. Will we speak for the voiceless and end these brutalities, like other states? Will we lead with innovative, compassionate wildlife policies that build positive revenue?

Maine, let’s choose fairness and decency as “the way life should be” for our wildlife, environment, and our conscience.

Elaine Tselikis

South Portland

Support Millett, others

Because of my 25 years of non-profit, political, and community service, I am still called upon by South Portlanders who seek advice on which candidates meet our mutual standards of passion, compassion, intellect, attentiveness and leadership skills. These following candidates all believe in/champion education, business opportunity, a healthy environment and civil rights. Based on these criteria, I am voting for the following candidates and invite you to join me:

For South Portland City Council District 1, I’m voting for Claude Morgan; in District 5, I’m voting for Brad Fox; and, in District 3 I am voting to re-elect Patti Smith. Morgan and Fox will bring educated, reasoned voices to join Smith on the council.

For state senator to represent our district, I’m voting to re-elect Rebecca Millett, and for the State House seat in our district, I am voting to re-elect Terry Morrison. Millett and Morrison have served us well in Augusta and continue to fight for the needs of South Portland. They deserve our support for re-election.

I am proud to live in such a vibrant, caring community and I continue to promote SoPo as THE place to live in southern Maine. I’m even more proud to have the above neighbors that share my values and enthusiasm and are willing to give of themselves for the betterment of South Portland. Please vote on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Thank you!

David Swander Jacobs

South Portland