I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I were contemplating where to vacation this fall.

While making dinner, I heard an advertisement on my local radio station for the Maine Office of Tourism and Visit Maine.

We have fond memories of a trip to Maine years ago. Acadia was beautiful. The food was wonderful. The parks and trails were well-maintained and lovely. The trip was quite a success. When I mentioned going back my husband’s response was, “No way. They have that crazy governor now. Maine’s a mess.”

So, here’s the problem. We actually have no idea if “Maine’s a mess,” but that’s what comes from having a governor who says crazy things, like black men with street nicknames are flooding in to impregnate white girls – the first hit on my Google search of “Maine Governor.”

Yet, as in all things, perception is reality. It gives the impression that the whole state is too unstable to spend precious, hard-earned vacation money on. And that is so sad, because we loved Maine.

Madonna Laws-Lowell

St. Louis, Missouri


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