Disturbing abortion views

Two articles on the July 12 BDN editorial page, the editorial “ Outlawing abortion will only make it more dangerous” and “ Collins at crossroads of history” by David Farmer, are particularly disturbing in that nowhere will you see the word “child,” “baby” or even “fetus” when discussing the life-taking action.

One time, the BDN piece mentions children as a future possibility (“ability to have children”) where abortions can be helpful in putting family planning within the control of women. It is as though “having children” results from a process differing from “pregnancy,” depending on an individual’s perception of the circumstances.

In terms of ending a human life, both Farmer and the BDN are most cold and clinical in their adherence to a false political narrative. The BDN editorial piece tries to focus on the safety of women, as if abortion is a natural health necessity, conceding only that it is “a deeply personal issue” apparently only for women, considering the “mostly male” comment about lawmakers. No need to wonder about fatherhood and its removal from any central role in the liberal narrative.

Farmer, for his part, sounds like abortion is the great savior of our society and must be defended as if our lives depended on it. This is ironic on a number of levels, as these writers are among the most shrill in pointing out “lies” in the statements of their political opponents. But then, it’s easy to stay truthful within a narrative that does the lying for you.

Donald Mendell

Palmyra

GOP holding Clean Election funds hostage

Money’s influence in politics — buy the campaigns, buy the politicians, buy their vote — is out of control, and this is a concern for people across the political spectrum. If you’re concerned about special, big money interests interfering in our system, you should be paying attention to what’s going on in Augusta, where Maine’s Clean Election funding is being held hostage.

Although the Clean Election funds this season are already accounted for in the budget, a small typo prevents the Maine Ethics Commission from paying out to candidates in this new fiscal year, which started July 1. This kind of error is common, and is routinely fixed by passing a correction bill — but that correction is stalled in the middle of a partisan deadlock.

Incumbent Republican politicians have dug in their heels on this issue. They disagree with the Clean Election system, and in this election cycle they are attempting to use this as a way to handicap their Democratic opponents, the majority of whom are running Clean Election campaigns. This is an ugly assault on the integrity of our election system.

As a candidate for House District 131, the Clean Election system gives me, as a regular working-class person, the ability to run a competitive campaign. Call and write your representatives to demand a fix to this. And more importantly, call and write your local Clean Election candidate to volunteer. We are not allowed to accept private contributions, and need to be especially creative and energetic as we continue working toward November.

Nathalie Arruda

Orland

Look in the mirror, GOP

Desiree Zapata Miller’s July 13 OpEd seems to miss some facts. Democrats are not the lone problem as she describes, but rather Donald Trump has brought out strong feelings and fears from a broad range of people across the country — including from independents and many longtime respected Republicans, who publicly have stated they can no longer sit back and accept what this president is doing to our country. This includes rejecting the Republican Party as it exists today.

Sadly, many people exist in a bubble, and cannot see the forest for the trees. To claim that the Democrats are becoming “the party of personal attacks and perpetual lies” is disingenuous at the least, and belies the fact that she is reflecting what the current “Republican” Party has become. At some point, a look in the mirror becomes necessary.

Marie Ward

Ellsworth