LePage’s racist critics
Gov. Paul LePage makes a rash comment about drug dealers and white girls and everyone gets a hair across their you know what. It immediately goes viral nationally and he’s denigrated for making a racist slur. Heck, even Hillary Clinton throws in her two cents.
Wait a minute. The governor didn’t mention any races in his remark except white girls. He was talking about drug dealers from New York and Connecticut. Yet, his critics presumed he was talking about blacks. So, according to his critics, drug dealers from New York and Connecticut are black or at least they presume they are. Otherwise, why would they accuse LePage of making a racist remark?
So, who really are the racists? The governor who makes a crude remark or his critics who jump to bigoted judgment because of their own guilt? A person who sees racism in everything is a racist.
David Smith
Newport
Drug dealer math
At a recent town hall meeting, the governor said of out-of-state drug dealers that “incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave.” So, knowing that the governor is sincere and taking him at his word, if a dozen drug dealers bring their drugs to the state every week, then six young white girls get pregnant every week.
Assuming that young, white girls are fertile for about six days out of every 30, or 20 percent of the time, then, to make the fertility odds work out, the drug dealers as a group must have “relations” with about 30 young white girls every trip. This is amazing. It is even more amazing when you consider that there are likely many dozens of drug dealers traveling to Maine every week.
I can understand why the governor is so concerned.
Duane Hanselman
Holden
Patriots should love America
Recent events have generated a maximum of rhetoric and a minimum of understanding about being a patriot.
The Oxford English Dictionary says a patriot is: 1) a fellow countryman; 2) one who disinterestedly or self-sacrificingly exerts himself to promote the well-being of the country; 3) one whose ruling passion is the love of his country; 4) one who maintains and defends his country’s freedoms and rights.
So, a patriot is a citizen. But usages 2, 3 and 4 also say patriots love their country, help it live up to its best intentions and defend its rights and freedoms. Waving a flag feels grand, but great rights and freedoms carry great responsibilities and without serious commitment to supporting them they disappear.
Many calling themselves patriots deny rights and freedoms to those that act, look and think differently. Others believe in historical myths and work to mesh church and state. Some believe firearms make patriots and deny the gun violence that ends all rights. These activities do not constitute patriotism .
Patriots defend the greatness of our country by reading responsibly, knowing our real history, appreciating the genesis and genius of our Constitution and how it informs our laws. Patriots support policy that works for everyone. They fight for economic fairness and give a voice to the powerless. They defend against those who exclude and deny and discriminate. Being a real patriot is not a glamorous job, but many must do it if we want a strong, vibrant, equitable country.
Janet M. Alexander
Old Town
Obama’s gun red tape
President Barack Obama’s executive action to reduce gun violence and make our communities safer has been all over the news. While not a gun enthusiast, I’m concerned for our constitutional rights. We, U.S. citizens, are guaranteed these rights. No one person should have the ability to sign their name and strip us of these rights.
Heretofore, we may not have the right to sell any gun without being licensed as a business dealing in firearms. We’re talking red tape and time here, perhaps a year to gain such a license. Why should my husband have to gain said license to sell his deer-hunting rifle to our son? Why should the son have to wait a year if he wants to go hunting next month?
If my husband does not first go through the licensing process, according to the White House Office of the Press Secretary, he can be prosecuted and “be sentenced up to five years in prison and fined up to $250,000. Dealers are also subject to penalties for failing to conduct background checks before completing a sale.”
Isn’t this only making it more difficult for good guys to own guns? Bad guys don’t care about the law. They will obtain guns, and become increasingly emboldened by the lack of armed good guys out there.
Further, say my husband dies, willing his weapons to beneficiaries. Isn’t it entirely possible those beneficiaries will simply will the weapons to the next generation, without ever touching or seeing them?
Susanne Thibodeau Baumgardner
Prospect