Letters

Published
December 1, 2015

Letter to the editor: Fear of refugees, but not of pervasive guns?

I am absolutely astounded at the paranoia of so many governors in our country (our own Paul LePage included) who are fearful of Syrian refugees, and who have indicated that they will refuse to accept any of these victims of that conflict who may wish to settle in their states. So many of these refugees […]
Published
December 1, 2015

Letter to the editor: To defeat Islamic State, we must win minds, not kill enemies

All is not well within the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). There is growing discontent, including revulsion at the relentless brutality. ISIS is motivated by rage at its enemies, and as spiritual teacher Ram Dass observed, “Anger may be great for starting your engine, but don’t let it get hold of the […]
Published
December 1, 2015

Letter to the editor: Why haven’t Republicans disavowed anti-gay crusade?

On Nov. 7, a truly disturbing event was held in Iowa: the so-called “Freedom 2015 National Religious Liberties Conference.” The Press Herald didn’t report on this conference, and it wasn’t newsworthy except for two things. The organizer of the event was a fundamentalist pastor named Kevin Swanson, who, preaching at the event, said: “In Romans […]
Published
December 1, 2015

Letter to the editor: One Syrian immigrant with murder on the mind is one too many

Concerning the refugee topic, I have these comments. And I invite opposing comments that are reasonable. First, the primary role of our federal government is to protect the citizens of this nation. Second, one immigrant from Syria to the U.S. out of 5,000 who intends to massacre our citizens is simply too many. We need […]
Published
November 30, 2015

Letter to the editor: We should aid refugees  in the Middle East, not here

Regarding the Tribune News Service article Nov. 21, “‘Islamophobia’ seen spreading in the U.S.”: I wish the article had dug deeper into this important issue. Perhaps they wanted to be politically correct. President Obama has criticized Republicans for their stance on Syrian refugees, saying that most of these refugees are women, children and families. We […]

Published
November 30, 2015

Letter to the editor: Ranked-choice voting rules would complicate elections

Ranked-choice voting is being promoted as a remedy for candidates being elected with less than a majority. I have been voting regularly since 1952, and I am satisfied with the present arrangement, where the candidate with the most votes is elected without an artificial requirement of having 50 percent or more of the vote. It […]
Published
November 30, 2015

Letter to the editor: LePage is wrong and cruel to deny refugees welcome

In Bath on July 6, 1854, a mob of 1,000 stormed a church and burned it to the ground. There was a lot of negative sentiment against Catholics in general and the Irish in particular. And a year later, when the Catholics tried to rebuild, they were chased away and beaten. In 1939, about 900 […]
Published
November 30, 2015

Letter to the editor: Did LePage exert ‘official oppression’ in Good Will-Hinckley matter?

The controversy involving the abrupt firing of Mark Eves by the Good Will-Hinckley School without apparent cause has been deeply troubling to me as a legal layperson. That no official legal action has been taken as a result of Gov. LePage’s admitted threat to withhold state funding should the school not dismiss Eves is astonishing. […]
Published
November 30, 2015

Letter to the editor: Gov. LePage should lead us  to help – not fear – refugees

Gov. LePage’s stance on the Syrian refugees is incomprehensible. Did the U.S. stop Canadian immigration when French-Canadian separatists set off bombs in Montreal several times? No. Did the U.S. stop Irish immigration after the Irish Republican Army bombings of the British? No. Is it a case that the Syrians look different, and practice another religion? […]
Published
November 29, 2015

Letter to the editor: Mental health, education key to persistent problems

This letter reflects on articles in the Portland Press Herald lately regarding concerns throughout Maine that have become more of a national issue. Any avid reader is aware of these topics, including but not limited to: • Legalizing marijuana for recreational use despite federal laws prohibiting it. • The need for treatment of addiction to drugs, […]

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Letters