Although I am by no means a scholar of the Constitution, a few things I do know. The Constitution is an imperfect document that can be amended when citizens see fit. It has been amended 27 times. There are sometimes limits to the rights covered by the amendments. For example, everyone knows you cannot yell […]

In April, I called members of our congressional delegation to ask each of them where they stood on assault weapons. To my shock, Rep. Chellie Pingree was the only one in favor of banning assault weapons. I wrote a letter to the editor with these results. Soon after, a middle schooler in Yarmouth, Leif Hellstedt, […]

Thank you for your coverage on the Lewiston disaster. Members of local law enforcement deserves a huge thanks for their bravery during the shooting in Lewiston and the aftermath. It is easy for national media to be critical in the early days of analysis, but our police performed as heroes. In our tiny state, our […]

I wonder how many more graveside memorials we will attend, with friends and family, of a loved one slaughtered by a man with an assault rifle? How many more times our liberty will be stolen from us as we “shelter in place” because a man with an assault rifle threatens the community? What are we […]

High speed connectivity has become linked to all facets of modern life, including ministry. Early in the pandemic, churches across the state were racing to switch to remote services to maintain connection with their congregations. At the same time, it became more obvious that bridging the digital divide exposed glaring gaps in accessibility. Not only […]

Oct. 31 was a cold, crisp Halloween morning driving down I-95. I was listening to Maine Public. To my ears, it’s the only listenable radio station. I tend to believe and trust most of what I hear on NPR. So, when I heard what Americans were predicted to spend to celebrate Halloween, I was flummoxed. […]

It happens every time, after a shooting, and this time is no different: The finger-pointing, who can we blame, who’s at fault? The answer is no further than the closest mirror because we’re all at fault for allowing our firearms-obsessed society to reach this point. And all the crying, the tears, the vigils, thoughts and […]

Like many parents of schoolchildren in Maine, I was surprised to receive in the mail P-EBT cards addressed to my children. Without advance notice of this benefit or clear explanation in the accompanying letter, I suspected a scam. Thanks in part to Joe Lawlor’s article (“Rollout of pandemic food benefit cards to schoolchildren confuses many […]

Like many Mainers and Americans, I cringe looking at news about the situation in Gaza. Today’s headline in Al Jazeera: “Israeli bombing turns Gaza into a ball of fire as blackouts add to the distress.” I have seen references made to the firebombing of Dresden in World War II, and this would affirm that reference. […]