9/11 is old news
Once again we are treated to the maudlin, morose re-accounting of events now 10 years out-of-date (the BDN’s 9/11 retrospective). I thought you were a “news” paper?
The front page, the State page and the magazine are all full of events we have been inundated with for the last decade.
It’s time to put such morbid fascination aside and get on with life. The only interesting recent fact regarding this subject is most people feel that security is more important than liberty. The founding fathers would not be pleased. Neither am I.
Harry Snyder
Whiting
Police action needed?
Bangor residents who are concerned about excessive noise generated by Waterfront Concerts should know that Bangor has a long-standing noise ordinance that explicitly prohibits amplified sound played in an “annoying, harassing or offensive manner,” which the ordinance defines as a sound level which is sufficiently loud to interfere with ordinary conversation at a distance of five feet.
The ordinance also gives the Bangor Police Department authority to seize and impound a violators sound system. Can Bangor’s police chief please explain why he continues to allow the promoters of the Waterfront Concerts to flagrantly violate this ordinance?
Carl Rella
Bangor
More than a punch
Those of us who are male and white (but not Jewish, Muslim, Hispanic or gay) need not fear being assaulted just because of someone’s hatred of who we are. It’s not surprising then that some don’t understand what hate crimes are.
A recent letter to the editor writer sees laws against hate crimes as an “assault on free speech.” He writes, “A punch in the nose is a punch in the nose, regardless of motivation.” He is simply mistaken.
When a person is assaulted or threatened because he is black or gay, for instance, then all blacks or gays, etc. are under heightened threat. It is more than a punch – it is a threatening message to a whole category of people. That punch is not only intolerant, it is intolerable in a civilized society, and that is why we have hate crimes laws.
Hate crime laws do not prohibit the expression of opinions, however repugnant they may be to others. It is quite another thing to make a threat of harm. That is not protected speech any more than is libelous speech, false reporting to the police or yelling “fire” in a theater. Opinions are not unlawful, but some speech and behaviors are.
Some places have additional rules that encourage a civil climate, one where all members feel respected and safe. Families may prohibit swearing, teasing and insults. So may schools, where we know that learning is impaired where students do not feel safe and respected. Some things are more important than unlimited “free speech.”
Peter Rees
Trenton
What jobs, companies?
Gov. Paul LePage says Maine’s labor force is not trained to fill the jobs available. I have heard the governor say this on several occasions. He never says what these jobs are or who the companies are.
A few years ago, Cianbro trained several hundred laborers to be welders, machinists and outside machinists. Many are now looking for work. These companies that can’t find workers trained to do the jobs they have should think about training the labor force as Cianbro did. Don’t they want to invest in Maine?
And a question for Gov. LePage: What are the jobs and who are the companies?
Dick Wands
Old Town
Smart crime prevention
I appreciated reading the Aug. 31 OpEd column by Bangor business leaders John Bragg and Andy Hamilton explaining why high-quality early learning programs are so important to Maine’s economy and future viability of our work force (“Skills gap undermines recovery in Maine”).
As Bangor’s police chief, I would like to share a fact that may be surprising to some: early education programs have also proven to be one of the best crime prevention tools we have.
In addition to the positive education and career outcomes found in the Chicago Parent Child Study, the same study shows that children who participated in this high-quality program were significantly less likely to be involved in crime later in their teen or adult lives.
In fact, a like peer group of kids who were not in Child-Parent Center programs were 70 percent more likely to have been arrested for a violent crime by age 18 than kids who did attend the centers.
I would like to join John Bragg and Andy Hamilton in their call to policymakers to protect and expand investments in high-quality early care and education programs, like prekindergarten, Head Start and quality child care. High-quality early learning programs help prepare our youngest citizens for a successful future academically and socially. Both the short-term and long-term benefits are good for Maine’s economy, and these programs will help keep our communities safe.
Ronald Gastia
Bangor
A New York City memory
I went to a conference this past week and four of those attending, including me, had a few hours to spend in New York City.
A New York native was nice enough to advise taking a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. While enjoying the view of the shoreline, a lady sitting next to us shared her recollection of that September day 10 years ago.
Hearing it first-person while taking in the sight of the red, white and blue lighting on the newly constructed tower as twilight overcame the city is something I cannot put into words. She recalled working on Wall Street when the event began, and explained in vivid detail her evacuation from the building, debris and ash falling all around her, as she and thousands of others fled for their lives.
It’s not that we are not able to understand the tragedy that occurred here in New York, but as one of my co-workers eloquently stated later on, as we watched in terror the events of 9/11, we had the ability to simply shut off our television when we had had enough. This woman and many others did not have that luxury.
It was a true honor for this woman to share this memory with us, and no matter how many times I have the opportunity to visit New York City and see its awe, this will be the memory I keep.
Jennifer Theriault
Bangor