Clinton’s nomination matters
It’s easy to understand why Matthew Gagnon is upset at the exultation many Democrats feel over the imminent nomination and possible election of Hillary Clinton to the presidency. He wants us to believe that the nomination and election of the first woman to the American presidency is no big deal. After all, he says, women have been elected to high office in other democracies for many years.
Gagnon is a talented writer who deserves some sympathy in his unhappiness. He’s confronted with the prospect of the nomination by his own party of a self-centered, xenophobic blowhard who threatens his party’s future. It is only human that he take out his frustration on Democrats rather than his fellow Republicans.
But the sympathy can only extend so far. Clinton’s nomination is a big deal. It was a big deal when the first Roman Catholic was elected president in 1960. It was a big deal when the first African-American was elected in 2008. And it will be a big deal when the first woman is elected in 2016. That each of these breakthroughs came by means of the Democratic Party must only add to Gagnon’s unhappiness.
But that does not justify his raining on the Democratic parade.
Lynn Parsons
Castine
Orrington residents need answers
When a beaver dam in Meadow Brook wetland broke and washed out a section of Orrington’s Swetts Pond Road in 2012, did the town’s lawsuit against landowners fail? Yes. Can landowners be held responsible for what beavers do? No. Was the case dismissed? Yes.
Did the 2014 dismissal document stipulate that town officials “shall hold a public hearing and invite comment and opinions from the public”? Yes. Was the public hearing ever held? No.
Does Orrington’s land use ordinance describe two of the purposes of this area as conservation of natural resources and the protection of bird and other wildlife habitat? Yes. Is the area one of Orrington’s resource protection wildlife areas and a stream protection area? Yes.
Have experts been consulted to determine an ideal water level — one that is high enough to bring back loons, blue herons and white egrets, yet is low enough to ensure no further washouts (an action described as “the next step” by town officials on Oct. 14, 2014)?
It is now June 2016. Will the questions of Orrington residents be answered at the next selectmen’s meeting on June 27?
Donna Bennett Golding
Orrington
Gun restrictions ineffective
What do we provide, as the public, for programs on safe firearm use? With a few exceptions, such as the National Rifle Association, local gun clubs, hunter safety courses or responsible parents, none. No direction or instructions for safe handling and use of firearms is offered.
And while it’s true most anybody can buy a gun even with background checks in place, how much do they understand about what they have in hand? For an example, even with driver’s education, automobile deaths in 2014 totalled 32,675, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. We don’t allow a person to operate an automobile without some basic understanding of the equipment in hand, so why should firearms be different?
For an example of how gun restrictions are ineffective, just look at Chicago, which has some of the most stringent gun laws in the country as well as a high rate of shootings. Do the regulations help? No. But education would.
Tom Franklin in a June 2 BDN letter to the editor said he supported background checks at gun shows. I am a member of a gun club, and when the club sponsors a gun show, the vendors are required to do background checks, which are done on-site. Several other gun shows that I have attended also provide and require this service. Even in Uncle Henry’s, some of the gun ads require the buyer to show a state ID and to do the transfer at a federally licensed firearm dealer.
It seems that many people and organizations are already doing the job.
Alvin McDonald
Guilford
Husson serves Maine
As we reach the conclusion of graduation season, we should reflect on the importance of Husson University to our community. Each year, this educational jewel graduates a class of students who become successful professionals in a wide variety of fields. Almost 80 percent of our students remain in the Pine Tree State.
The university’s economic impact is significant. With an annual budget of more than $50 million, traditional economic impact multipliers indicate that Husson generates an impact of more than $100 million. Since 2012, Husson has invested more than $20 million in new and renovated facilities here in Bangor. In addition, Husson employs more than 650 full- and part-time employees.
Beyond the financial benefits, Husson offers a diverse mix of cultural, athletic and educational opportunities to members of our community, including many at no cost.
Going forward, Husson will continue to invest in our campus and community. In October 2015, we launched a $30 million comprehensive fundraising campaign. One of our goals is to construct a $13.5 million state-of-the-art building for our innovative College of Business — the largest school of its kind in the state.
This will stand as a testament to our belief in the future of Greater Bangor. As I see it, Husson is much more than a university. It is a vital part of what makes Bangor great and I am proud to be a part of it.
Carol Kanar
Chair
Husson University board of trustees
Bangor
National park history
In his recent documentary on America’s national parks, Ken Burns pointed out that when John D. Rockefeller gave the U.S. government the land to create Grand Teton National Park, there was much controversy and resistance. Local ranchers protested that their way of life would be ruined.
Now, some 50 years later, Burns actually interviewed a few of those ranchers, now elderly men, who acknowledged that they had been wrong and that the Grand Teton National Park is one of our national treasures.
Beth Brand
Orono
Election notice
The Bangor Daily News has stopped accepting commentary related to the June 14 primary election. Not all submissions can be published.