MLK progressive, not conservative
On Jan. 21, the BDN published a letter “ MLK and the NRA” by Peter Alexander of Etna. While I admired the tone of the letter, particularly the final paragraph, I must point out some major failures in the fact-checking department. The idea that Martin Luther King was a Republican is simply not supported by any real evidence. All good information suggests that King resisted party affiliation. It is important to understand that southern state African Americans had good reason to favor the Republican Party. After all, it was the party of Lincoln. There is no doubt that King grew up in this political environment.
King’s mission was to bring justice and equality to the descendants of slaves freed by Lincoln. He modeled Gandhi’s non-violent philosophy, which had proven effective against the dominance of the East India Company, which you will remember was what our original “tea party” was all about. The Republican Party today is nothing like the “party of Lincoln.” Dwight Eisenhower was perhaps the last Republican president that represented the ideals of the type of conservative that I believe Alexander would like to think still exists.
In today’s body politic, King would most certainly be considered a progressive and not a conservative as defined by the Tea Party and Oath Keepers. He was against social injustice, which includes income inequality and what are now defined as progressive causes.
Alexander ended with “today more than ever, we must unite to defend and restore our rightful liberties.” While I do not consider myself a libertarian, I must agree.
Robert Richard
Belfast
Undernourished population
As we enjoy bountiful meals, do we need to remind ourselves that today one in nine people in our world is undernourished and that the population is increasing? It is comforting to know that each day the world’s farmers can produce 2,368 calories per person on the planet. The World Food Organization says we need 2,100 calories.
The good news is that since 1990, world hunger has dropped by 40 percent. The continuing dilemma is distribution. I am not smart enough to suggest a solution, but I beg the young minds of our country to tackle the problem. Our food would taste much better if we did not have the hungry population.
Katherine O. Musgrave
Orono
Keep emotion out of hunting
We have many predators on Earth, animal and human predators. The Humane Society of the United States, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals prey on the emotions of people by using ads showing crying dogs and cats. They only spend a small amount on animal shelters. The remaining money goes to stop all hunting and animal agriculture.
What they should have had in their fundraising ads is nature’s cruelty — a bear walking off with a newborn deer fawn. Do you think they would have received any donations with that? Our biologists and hunters could never stop all of nature’s cruelty, but they can hold it to a
minimum.
If Question 1 had passed, the bear population would have increased big time and, as a result, the deer population would have been destroyed. It is then that the people would realize they voted the wrong way because the bear would migrate in search of food.
What our Maine Legislature must do is pass a constitutional amendment giving our biologists sole authority to regulate hunting and fishing, period, keeping the deceptive lies and emotions out of our voting booth. We the people must authorize our legislators to vote for this amendment and kick the HSUS, ASPCA and PETA out of the state of Maine.
Let’s donate to our local volunteers and animal shelters. This would guarantee that 100 percent of our money would go towards helping dogs, cats and other domestic animals.
Gene A. Trisch
Springfield
In hot water
An old myth relates the story of a frog sitting in water that is gradually getting hotter. Instead of jumping out of the water, the frog sits placidly until killed by the heat. Like the frog, we humans are in an environment that is getting hotter.
The good news is that the heating can be slowed if carbon emissions are sufficiently reduced, and according to a huge number of experts, that can be accomplished by pricing carbon emissions. Some 40 countries are already doing that, and members of Citizens’ Climate Lobby are urging Congress to enact legislation to do likewise. Bill McKibben says that no business except the fossil fuel industry “gets to dump its garbage for free.”
CCL has proposed a bill that would, over 20 years, not only cause emissions to drop 50 percent below 1990 levels but also add 2.8 million jobs. All fees collected would be returned to citizens, thus creating a market-driven conversion to clean energy.
What a grand slam it will be if all four members of Maine’s congressional delegation commit to support legislation such as that proposed by CCL. Then we would hope that “As Maine goes, so goes the nation,” which would help us get out of the hot water we’re in.
Fern Stearns
Orland
Valentine’s Day scam
With Valentine’s Day approaching, a certain scam, commonly known as the “Sweetheart Scam,” will kick into gear as it does each February. Many people who are single like to meet potential dates on dating websites such as E-Harmony, Christian Mingle, and others. As with all social networking, it is best to be very careful about what information you reveal about yourself before getting in touch with your prospective date.
Scam artists love to pose as perfect dates on these sites. They find people who are single and create a profile that they know will be appealing. Once email contact is made, they spin a web of lies and do their best to endear the Valentine hopefuls into believing every word. They will then make an excuse for needing money, and lots of it. Perhaps they will tell you that a friend is in the hospital and cannot afford care. Maybe they will explain that their export business in Dubai needs to pay a big foreign tax to stay afloat. Don’t fall for it.
Fraudsters make their money by pushing our buttons and taking advantage of our trust and good intentions. If you are on a dating site, take extra care and know that if someone asks you for money – and usually money that must be wired or provided by a credit card – then it is likely to be a scam.
Michael Parent
AARP Maine Fraud Watch Network Volunteer
Portland