John Balentine has previously displayed his lack of scientific and public health expertise, even though claiming the opposite.

Now, he portrays himself as a historian when opining: “While I don’t buy into the current craze that America is an unfair place for anyone other than white males … ” (“Portland’s Evergreen Cemetery reflects Maine unity,” May 7).

First and foremost, an “unfair place for anyone other than white males” is NOT a “current craze.” Mr. Balentine has again displayed his selective forgetfulness when not mentioning hundreds of years of abuse suffered by Black slaves, Asian and Hispanic workers, Native Americans (even in Maine) and, during WWII, the internment of Japanese-American citizens.

Second and equally germane, Mr. Balentine utterly fails to reflect specifically on the massacre of Blacks (e.g., Tulsa race massacre, 1921) and Native Americans (e.g., Wounded Knee, 1890).

In recent actions, it is quite obvious that Trump Republicans want to establish a country for white supremacists. In this regard, they have actively opposed numerous pieces of legislation that would provide assistance to ALL Americans, regardless of their ancestry.

The Democrats/independents passed the COVID Relief Bill to help ALL needy citizens. They are also crafting bills to enable millions of Americans, regardless of ancestry, to secure meaningful employment (infrastructure bill); making voting fair, easy and equitable, regardless of ancestry (John Lewis Voting Rights Act); and reforming the police to establish standard procedures for all, regardless of ancestry (The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act).

Mr. Balentine concludes “… earthly unity and harmony is unlikely, especially when people force their utopian vision on others.” The Trump Republican’s “utopian vision” is: white supremacy. The Democrat’s/independent’s “utopian vision” is: fair and equal treatment for ALL Americans, regardless of ancestry and economic standing. In future elections, we must select the latter “vision.”

John Mishler
Harpswell

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