We are writing as strong supporters of Gov. Mills, but supporters who were both shocked and upset to read in Tuesday’s Press Herald (March 1, Page C1) that the governor has written to the Portland International Jetport requesting that PETA’s ads be removed.
While we agree that the ads appear to contain some inaccuracies (although the broader fact – the collapse of many North Atlantic fish species – is not in dispute), Gov. Mills’ letter appears to be an attempt by a powerful political figure to stop the legitimate expression of a political opinion by a group with whom she disagrees. PETA’s ads are neither hate speech nor attempting to incite any violence.
An alternative response by the governor, or the fishing industry, would be to purchase and post a contrary ad with a message that shows how PETA’s claims, in their view, are inaccurate. Isn’t this the “marketplace of ideas” that the First Amendment is designed to protect, in this way enhancing democracy?
Roberta de Araujo and Ron Kreisman
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.