Celebrate the Hello Kitty tree
We all choose to symbolize this joyus time of year in a different way, but sometimes this expression can be clouded by political red tape. Unfortunately, that was the case last week at Bangor High School. A teacher’s attempt to bring joy to her students was censored in the drive for political correctness. In this culture of equality, we have overlooked the meaning of the season.
By putting up a pink Hello Kitty tree, Catherine Gordon was attempting to bring her students joy during the tough mid-year period of the school year. Unfortunately, the stigma of the symbol overtook her good intentions.
The tree was called into question because school administrators believed it favored one religion over another, producing religious inequality. This, however, is simply not the case. If we truly want to strive for equality for all, then all symbols of the season should be welcomed.
The way in which the school department handled the fallout of this event must also be called into question. In her press release, Superintendent of Schools Betsy Webb said, “Our focus is educating students to become global citizens with the necessary 21st century skills for college and career readiness for their future success.”
If this truly is the mission of this school department, then religious tolerance is what should be emphasized. As students, a time will come in our lives when we will work with someone who has views different than our own. If the school department strives to teach us to succeed in the future, then tolerance for all beliefs must be emphasized over political correctness.
Cavan Hagerty
President
Bangor High School Student Council
Bangor
A living wage for Maine
So a national report says the living wage in Maine is $15.77. Doesn’t surprise me. Perhaps we need to look at why owners of businesses need to make so much more than the people who actually make them the money.
Brian Fisk
Bangor
Clean the Penobscot River
The Dec. 17 Bangor Daily News article on the ruling on Penobscot Nation’s lawsuit over its rights to the Penobscot River posed more questions than answers. I found federal Judge George Singal’s interpretation of the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act confusing and even conflicting, so I read the whole decision and found instead of the ruling being contradictory, it was instead the law that made no sense. As I understand it, the law restricts tribal territory to the land on the islands but provides sustenance fishing rights in the Penobscot River. The judge provided clarification and interpretation of the wording of the law and in the process has pointed out some of its weaknesses.
Separate but related to this ruling is the issue of the clean water standards of the Penobscot River. The Environmental Protection Agency has set two different standards for Maine’s waters — one for sustenance fishing practiced by tribal peoples and one for standard consumption expected for most Maine residents. These standards involve safe levels of arsenic, mercury and several other toxins. Maine is suing the EPA over this issue.
Why would it be a bad thing to rid the waters of the Penobscot River of these toxins and keep them at levels below what is considered safe for sustenance fishing? Is it possible that it is because of the money it would cost the industries and municipalities further up the river to clean the water? Perhaps we should consider spending our tax dollars on cleaning up the river instead of fighting not to.
Fran Bodell
Milbridge
True Maine spirit
After reading the Dec. 21 BDN article about the Springfield Community Chapel donating a house to the Dare-Hill family, I am proud of what I think the true Maine spirit is all about. This is the feeling I grew up with and think Mainers still have. People are good everywhere, but it’s a few bad people who make a lot of good people look bad.
Money, greed and apathy are not the norm but sometimes seem that way. Everyone has it good, maybe not as good as the Dare-Hill family.
I am proud to be a native Mainer. I just wish I could read more articles like this one.
Gary King
Howland