Letters

Published
November 20, 2014

Letter to the editor: Mother of arson/murder suspect isn’t to blame

Re: “In 911 calls, Biddeford mother sought help for son now charged with murder” (Nov. 14): Our hearts should go out to Donna Pitcher, the mother of Dylan Collins, who has been accused in connection with a Sept. 18 fire in Biddeford. As a mother, she paid attention and was very aware that her son […]
Published
November 20, 2014

Letter to the editor: Ranked voting may only complicate true democracy

Let’s see if I understand the intriguing proposal for ranked-choice voting (“Ranked-choice voting advocates gathered 36,000 signatures on Election Day,” Nov. 12). On my ballot in the recent election for governor, I found the names of three candidates. I indicated a first and a second choice. Because my first choice came in third, my ballot […]
Published
November 20, 2014

Letter to the editor: No curing nurse and doctor from lack of common sense

Being smart and having common sense don’t necessarily come in the same package. Cases in point: Nurse Kaci Hickox and Dr. Nancy Snyderman (“Quarantine violation still clouds NBC medical editor’s credibility,” Oct. 20). Both wanted to do something good, unselfish and dangerous. It was something that would increase their value and, more than likely, their […]
Published
November 20, 2014

Letter to the editor: Unleashed dogs pose threat to beach-goers, other pets

Our 12-pound Cairn terrier (she looks like Toto) spent the first six years of her life in a cage as a breeding dog in a puppy mill. After her rescue, she loved being on the beach – until one day last December at Willard. She was approached by two large dogs: an Airedale and a […]
Published
November 19, 2014

Letter to the editor: Bear vote was Democrats’ undoing

Re: “Election’s outcome redefines the ‘two Maines’ “ (Nov. 14): What a hoot that Portland Mayor Michael Brennan cannot understand why the rest of Maine does not wish to pay for his wanton spending programs. Just as humorous is columnist Bill Nemitz’s realization that there is a fundamental difference in philosophies between the population centers, […]

Published
November 19, 2014

Letter to the editor: Republicans need to give veterans more than medals

There is a dissonance in the relationship between both political parties and military veterans. Republicans seem to feel that symbolic recognition of veterans by way of parades and ceremonies is enough, while Democrats appear too busy passing meaningful legislation for them to bother with the amenities. Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud’s “ice cream social” quip […]
Published
November 19, 2014

Letter to the editor: ‘Wealth of Nations’ shows wages are key for equity

Please consider the juxtaposition of Pope Francis installing showers for the homeless in the Vatican with the fear expressed in a recent letter that the homeless will drive tourists away from Portland (“Portland’s panhandlers cannot be good for tourism,” Nov. 13). Or consider a servant ministry in Florida threatened with arrest for feeding the homeless. […]
Published
November 19, 2014

Letter to the editor: The West would benefit from studying Hinduism

Thank you for publishing “Hindus make imprint on Pittsburgh religious scene” (Nov. 15). It did more than evoke unforgettable memories of my nine-week stay in Pune, India, in 1988, before I co-founded Portland Yoga Studio the next spring. Living at the Christa Prema Seva Ashram while studying at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, I […]
Published
November 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: ‘Big Data’ lets ‘experts’ control education

Every parent should ask the chief administrator of their schools: What is the most important thing that you are going to teach my child and what will be the condition of their soul when they leave public school? The era of “Big Data” has overtaken the field of education. New technology promises to transform education, […]
Published
November 18, 2014

Letter to the editor: Shame on lawmakers who didn’t investigate VA health care complaints

On Nov. 18, America should celebrate a true American hero by the name of U.S. Rep. Leo Joseph Ryan Jr. President Reagan signed a bill posthumously awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to congressman Ryan as the only member of Congress killed in the line of duty. Ryan, a California Democrat, was chairman of a congressional […]

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Letters