Gay marriage threat?

The Dec. 6 BDN article on the struggle for gay marriage does not discuss the specific threats it was alleged to pose to heterosexual marriage. My wife and I got married last year in spite of a fear that our union would be at risk due to gay marriage. We have been happily married for 18 months and have not felt any adverse effects from gay marriage.

Thomas E. Martin

Ellsworth

Maine land is open

Among recent letters in support of a national park in northern Maine one writer was lamenting the fact that Maine’s land is largely privately owned and becoming less accessible to the public. This is half right and half wrong. While Maine has about the least amount of federally owned land of any state in the U.S., our 400-year tradition of open access to this land is unique and unchanging.

A program that coordinates the multiple use of our Maine woods for commercial and recreational purposes, North Maine Woods is an organization that manages a vast amount of privately owned land in the more remote areas of the state for those landowners and welcomes over 100,000 visitors every year. The only landowner to close off this long-time access to the public is Roxanne Quimby, who has since reversed that decision in her attempt to woo public support for her park.

Unlike federal lands and national parks that were closed during the government shutdown, the Maine woods remained open for recreational use that entire time. Why would we want to change this?

Anne Mitchell

Readfield

Common Shakespeare

Common Core. Why not “Common Dumb Down”?

Were Shakespeare to take a Common Core English class he might very well flunk it. He didn’t even know how to spell his own name.

One should not mistake the exigencies of the printing press as representing something of value. Fortunately, the monopoly of printed expression is ending as information is increasingly transmitted by people through various alternative devices.

I believe Shakspere (how he signed his name) would be delighted.

Karen Saum

Belfast

America’s debt problem

There is a lack of editorial horsepower shining a light on the financial disaster being left for our children and grandchildren to face. Maine is heavily dependent on borrowed federal dollars to maintain an economy and standard of living. We have unfunded pensions for federal, state, and military retirees, a Social Security system that is paying out more than it takes in with an imaginary trust fund, promised but unfunded medical care for millions, etc.

As Americans, whether we are Democrats or Republicans, for more social spending or for tax cuts, let us insist our grandchildren’s credit cards are taken off the table. Do we need a war tax to pay for current and past conflicts? Should we raise gas taxes to fund the almost certain highway jobs bill?

Only with a true balanced budget will our elected leaders be forced to make the tough decisions to reduce spending or raise taxes. It would fundamentally change the entire political process. Those looking the other way while our young people’s futures are being stolen need to come out of the closet.

Richard Ginn

Bucksport

Speak out on GMOs

Should Maine be allowed to pass our own laws without federal interference? Of course.

But Monsanto and others are trying to get a federal law passed forbidding states from requiring that genetically-modified “food” products be labeled as GMO. If not labeled, people eat those GMO “foods,” without knowing they contain toxic bacteria, viruses, pesticides and antibiotics, which cause multiple health problems, as recent studies expose. Only organically grown corn, soy, canola, sugar beets, and more are free from GMOs these days.

A congressional hearing on this proposed law will be held on Dec. 10 at 9 a.m. at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Organic Consumers Association (OCA) www.organicconsumers.org, is organizing a free bus from Maine to Washington so we can tell Congress: “No, we want to decide for ourselves whether GMO products should be labeled. Maine wants to make its own laws.”

The bus is scheduled to leave Dysart’s in Hermon at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Augusta Civic Center at 6:30 p.m., and South Portland’s Best Western at 7:45 p.m. Best get there about ½ hour early to ensure we leave on time.

This is a fully legal, peaceful rally approved by the Capitol Police. There is Oh, a free organic luncheon, too, while we’re in Washington.

We’ll leave after the hearing and arrive back in Maine early Thursday morning. You’d only miss one full work day.

Email charlotte@organicconsumers.org or call her at 207-441-9116 to save your seat, and to answer your questions. Ask your Maine legislator to join us, or at least show up to wish us well. This is for all of us — for now and the future.

Nancy Oden

Jonesport