On the question of the origin of the pine tree flag, the 1938 edition of Funk and Wagnall’s New Standard Dictionary includes a pictorial entry identifying this flag as “Pine-tree Flag: American Navy 1776-1781.” The historical association of our state with the U.S. Navy might be another reason to adopt the pine tree flag as […]

I was troubled when I read Rev. Anne Fowler’s June 4 commentary in support of L.D. 1619. It is my understanding that this law would permit abortions during the third trimester if the abortion is deemed “necessary” by a physician. “Necessary” is a deliberately vague word and can mean almost anything from “when a mother’s […]

The letter writer recommending that caregiving by parents of special needs children should not be compensated for that care (June 20) seems to forget that: 1) The parents of these children also pay taxes; 2) taxes also pay for education, infrastructure, etc., and 3) it doesn’t always take personal hardship to understand and empathize with […]

Knowing that Portland is a progressive city, are its citizens willing to forget Memorial Day? It appears to me that the public officials have. Few city officials attend celebrations, few or no public workers help close streets and there is no podium at City Hall to speak from. This year, the Harold T. Andrews Post […]

I decided to get an abortion when I was 22 weeks along. At the time, I was very depressed and had just been honorably discharged from the military. My seven years of service were plagued by sexual assault. Without work and surroundings distracting me, it all hit me at once. My husband and I knew […]

Whenever I want to understand a voting issue, I have a source who always amazes me. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss 2024 voting with my “source.” His political beliefs are absolutely the opposite of mine on every issue. However, his past predictions about political outcomes have always been eerily accurate. Among other issues […]

Maine’s economy suffers when mental or behavioral health needs go unmet. Student loan debt and the lack of competitive pay for social workers in Maine have forced many qualified would-be therapists to abandon the field or move out of state. The behavioral health care crisis cannot be addressed if it lacks the professionals needed to do […]