In the Military Notes section of the Dec. 13 Press Herald, a brief article headlined “Waterville unit returns from Southwest” (Page B3) states that 125 soldiers of Maine’s 488th Military Police Company returned from a 13-month deployment to the southwestern border. I was surprised to read this because I didn’t realize we had a war at our southern border, and I wondered why our governor thanked them for their service to keep our state safe. I didn’t realize our state was in peril.

As someone who has been to the border several times, I have witnessed the incredible efforts carried out by volunteers and seen the pain caused by our decisions to have a large military presence rather than provide the much-needed humanitarian and legal assistance.

As a daughter of a veteran and auntie of a veteran, I am certainly grateful the soldiers are home safe for the holidays, but I couldn’t help but wonder, “Safe from what?” From the thousands of desperate individuals and families fleeing unimaginable violence and poverty? The United States and over 140 other countries have agreed to abide by the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees, which gives those seeking asylum global protections. We have sadly joined the likes of Italy, Greece, U.K. and others that are not abiding by that agreement.

It seems, with a Democrat in the governor’s office, that Maine would be able to muster the ability to see what is happening along the southern border and aid in providing what is really needed: Help.

Mary Dunn
Whitefield

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