Warfare weapons
The responsibility for the tragic shooting in the gay bar in Orlando, Florida, lives not only with the perpetrator who was shot by police. The blame also lies with the factory that built the gun and sold it to the shopkeeper on Main Street, USA. The factory and the store earned money — conscience money that contributed to the death of 50 people, including the gunman, in Orlando, Florida.
This is a gun that was designed and built to be used in armed warfare, presumably against a designated enemy, a weapon for attack or defense, as defined in the dictionary. It has no other purpose. It is unconscionable that the shopkeeper stocks such guns and sells them to private citizens. And it is unbelievable that our government allows such weapons of war to be available on Main Street, USA. Therefore, the responsibility for these deaths lies also with the federal government. Congress must act to control the availability of such weapons in our society.
Mary Harlan
Bangor
Endorsing dishonesty
I really have an issue with Ananur Forma’s saying “how dare they ask for food stamp recipients to pay that back?” (that being money they were erroneously given by the state of Maine) in a July 8 letter to the editor.
The money isn’t theirs, that’s how. It was probably one keystroke on a computer or even a malfunction in the program that sent the extra money.
Let me ask a question: If you were paying for an item, say $60, and by some chance, two of the $20 bills had others stuck to it. You didn’t notice, so in reality, you were paying $100 rather than $60. So, the recipient notices and says thanks for the extra. Are you going to let them keep it?
I’m guessing no. Well, how dare you ask for that back?
The state made a mistake, yes, but the recipients know what they get for benefits. If they are honest, they will call and get it corrected. If not, and it is discovered, they will be required to pay it back or have the “extra” taken out of future benefits. The money the state doles out for its programs doesn’t grow on trees, but is paid for by taxpayers.
Stop endorsing dishonesty.
Judy Arbia-Colgan
Carmel
Re-elect Cushing
I am someone who looks at the world in a pretty straightforward way. This includes politics. I want someone who works hard to do the right thing, who is available to hear the concerns of those they serve and will put aside politics and partisanship to get something done to address the issues they are faced with.
That is why I have and will continue to support state Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport. He is a hardworking, thoughtful and respectful representative, and I am proud to have him serving in the Maine Senate.
I have watched as he worked as a state representative, town councilor and now as a senator to find sensible solutions to the issues that affect our towns and our state. We could use a few more like him in Augusta (and maybe a lot more in Washington, too). For these reasons, I ask voters to join me in voting to re-elect him this November.
Mark Pierce
Hampden
Bangor buses’ economic engine
We can’t afford to keep any economic engine from realizing its full potential. But this is the case of the Community Connector, the Bangor-area’s bus system.
A thriving economy doesn’t just operate 9 to 5, yet the last bus runs begin at 5:15 or 5:45. As a regular rider, I know that many people work evening hours. Not all have cars. They can get to work on the bus. To get home, they can beg for rides from friends or co-workers. This isn’t reliable. Most can’t afford regular taxi fares. For them the price of a paycheck is a long walk home in the dark.
People may stick with low-wage jobs because they can’t reliably get home from better-paid alternatives. If they have to do anything after work, they may settle for part-time work when they’d rather work full time. They don’t apply for evening classes that could help them get ahead.
Lack of evening bus runs is tough on employers, too. Their applicant pool is reduced. Turnover increases.
Thanks to area towns, colleges, and universities who have kept buses running when money was tight. Special thanks to the Bangor City Council for voting to fund major repairs and improved cleaning for aged buses, and for upgraded software, staffing and space for the connector’s dedicated workforce.
These improvements are an essential first step. Let’s continue to support our Community Connector as it moves to extend evening hours. Let’s keep the area economy moving forward.
Lisa Feldman
Orono
Intolerable situation
As described in the July 6 edition of the BDN, Maine is without a permanent education commissioner: an intolerable situation indeed. Currently, William Beardsley is a temporary employee, non-functional because he cannot authorize important decisions. In addition, Beardsley is under the shadow of potentially not having obeyed the law when, as president of Husson University, he did not come forward and call authorities about his employee, the Rev. Bob Carlson, an impostor and serial sex predator who hurt multiple children for three decades and “caused a lot of trauma to many people.”
Carlson, who later committed suicide, had worked at Husson for 12 years. At the time, Beardsley was a mandated reporter and he had been warned about Carlson’s suspicious behaviors. Without naming anyone, the police report suggests that a number of people knew Carlson abused multiple children but did not come forward to report it.
The police report is a key document as it regards the safety of children in Maine, in particular the protection from sexual predators. I recommend that parents and others read it. It is available at bit.ly/mspcarlson.
Robert Gossart
Salisbury Cove
Silence on international justice
International Justice Day is July 17. It is also the birthday of the International Criminal Court. The court hears cases about crimes committed all over the world — crimes such as genocide, recruitment of child soldiers, using rape as a weapon of war and deliberate destruction of historic sites. The ICC is a shining example of international action for justice, and we should celebrate its existence.
So far, I haven’t heard anything from our politicians or the presidential campaigns on the subject of the ICC. We the voters need the candidates to step forward and let us know whether they support this work.
Eloise Kleban
Maine Chapter of Citizens for Global Solutions
Orono