Letter: Beem small-minded to say re-opening economy is selfish

Glass half empty or half full? Same glass, opposite viewpoint. That is how I see columnist Edgar Allen Beem’s screed, “The selfish minority”  (May 8)  because otherwise I cannot understand his view that Americans who think it is time to re-open the economy are selfish. From my point of view, it is selfish not to open the economy because people without savings or a government paycheck need the income from a job in order to feed themselves, their families and basically to survive. Of course there are risks in reopening the economy but there are ever-greater risks now in continuing this shut-down.

Mr. Beem, however, by labeling all those who differ with him as being selfish and by attacking our president – yes, our president – shows just the sort of small-minded person he is. People on our glass half-full side are the most selfless, generous people I know who would never do what he does, lump all those who disagree with him in such a negative, arrogant and blind manner.

Alice Darlington
South Casco

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