Forrest Brothers Flier a Veiled Threat of Violence

It disturbs me that The Times Record and other Maine newspapers have been unable to understand the implied connections made in the “Forest Brothers” flier. That connection implies a serious and potentially deadly threat.

The Forest Brothers were an anti-Soviet guerilla resistance movement in the Baltic States after WW II that had its roots in the resistance movements in these countries during that war. The Forest Brothers were responsible for strikes against the Soviet military that killed dozens of troops, as well as sabotage of infrastructure and retribution against informers. It continued, amazingly enough, from 1945 into the 1970s.

Some right-wing activists imagine that the LGBT civil rights movement in the U.S. and elsewhere is an aspect of increasing government centralization and domination or interference in citizens’ lives, aiming at (in their view) creating a Soviet-style Communist state. One can find such views just by using Google News and searching this incident. See, for example, what Stella Morabito, a senior contributor to The Federalist, is quoted as saying: ” ‘… most interesting to me is that an LGBT activist would find the equation with communism a bad thing. Most activists strongly aligned with the LGBT agenda definitely support state centralization of power, which is exactly what communism is all about. All of the policy agendas they support — single payer healthcare, extreme government regulation, common core, the abolition of the organic family, anti-life, government regulation of speech – all naturally lead to the consolidation of power by an oligarchy of elites, i.e., communism,’ Morabito concluded.”

However bent Ms. Morabito’s reasoning may be, the flier’s publisher( s) have bought into this line of thought wholeheartedly. The flier’s graphic depicts a rainbow flag, an equal sign, and a hammer and sickle. LGBT equals Communist. The Forest Brothers’ purpose was to violently oppose and to assassinate Communists.

Make no mistake — this may be lone person acting alone. It may not be. But his threat is a veiled threat of violence and attempted assault or murder against LGBT persons for their fantasized collaboration with what they view as an illegitimate regime.

Stephen C. Farrand,

Freeport

Model Train Story a Trip Down Memory Lane

The feature article in last Friday’s weekend edition of The Times Record about Maine Model Railroad Tour Shows was exceptionally well presented. Having grown up in the 1930s with a Lionel model train with its passenger and freight cars, train station, road crossing gates, tunnels, rail signal lights and the so many other accessories provided my brother and I many hours of enjoyment. Added later to this older train display was my younger brother’s contrasting American Flyer which presented the modern late ’30s and early ’40s 20th Century Limited train with its accessories.

The most detailed article, indeed, was a trip down Memory Lane for me and I’m sure many others. Written and reported personally by the newspaper’s managing editor himself certainly encouraged a high level of community interest in Saturday’s 30 railroad model tour shows throughout the state. Thank you for the extraordinary effort involved in presenting an education for our youth and their parents not yet smitten by the model train bug!

Charles L. Mull,

Brunswick

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