Golden for Congress

Recently, Bruce Poliquin lauded the fact that Jared Golden had received a D rating from the NRA and an F from the Gun Owners of Maine. Does this mean that Golden is anti-guns? Absolutely not.

Golden enthusiastically endorses the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. He is a gun owner himself, though not a hunter. He does support some restrictions on guns and gun ownership, as do I. He favors the elimination of bump stocks and keeping firearms out of the hands of people convicted of domestic violence as well as some individuals with mental disabilities. He also favors universal background checks for anyone procuring a firearm. I could not agree with him more on these actions.

The NRA, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and the Gun Owners of Maine do not represent the majority of sportsmen in the 2nd Congressional District. We should all support Golden’s carefully thought out views on gun ownership.

Sportsmen also should applaud his strong position on climate change, by far the most serious environmental challenge that our children and grandchildren will encounter. Warmer springs and falls are causing increased numbers of ticks, which are killing moose calves throughout Maine. Warming waters are reducing the range of our trout and salmon and supporting increasing numbers of warm water competitors, such as small mouth bass. The movement north of tree diseases and pests and the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine all have wildlife and fisheries implications.

Golden is a breath of fresh air when it comes to these issues. For these reasons, as a gun owner, sportsman and environmentally concerned citizen, Golden will have my vote in November.

Ray “Bucky” Owen

Orono

Huhn for Bangor School Committee

Ken Huhn is the kind of quiet, thoughtful person we need on the Bangor School Committee. He is someone who thinks before he speaks, who listens, and who considers all the options before he makes a decision.

Huhn is a successful executive and leader who gets the best out of the groups and people with whom he works. Bangor’s excellent schools need similar excellence on the school committee. Huhn fits the bill.

Geoff Gratwick

Bangor

Moody for governor

As a former teacher, I have known Shawn Moody since he was one of my students at Gorham High School. Having grown my own company in Gorham over the past 30 years, I have also worked with Moody as a peer in our close-knit business community, where he is known for his positivity, leadership and commitment to giving back.

Nowhere has his commitment been more visible than in Gorham’s schools. For the past seven years, Moody and I have served together on Gorham Schools’ Business Roundtable, where he has rallied local businesses to support our students and their needs.

Moody led the charge to create a new position working with local businesses to cultivate career opportunities for students. He was the chief advocate, presenting the case not only to the school committee, but also to the town’s Economic Development Committee and Town Council.

Moody felt so passionately about this opportunity to create positive impact for students, he sought commitments from local businesses to pitch in to help fund it. Through his advocacy, the new role was established and is now connecting students to career opportunities.

Having spoken alongside Moody in school assemblies, I have seen firsthand how his example inspires students. He connects with them and they can sense how much he cares about their success.

Moody has always put students first, and I know he will continue to do so as governor.

Demetria Chadbourne

Gorham

Hayes for governor

As a former member of the Maine State Senate, I’m often asked who I am supporting for governor this year. My choice is clear: Terry Hayes.

I served with Hayes in the Legislature. She is pleasant, has common sense and is committed to serving the Maine people. She is the governor Maine needs — someone who is not primarily accountable to a political party, who will bring all sides together to make informed, thoughtful decisions for Maine.

The current political climate in Augusta has become polarized and extremely negative. The divisive dysfunction in the executive and legislative branches in Maine kept the Legislature in session five months beyond the statutory adjournment date resulting in inefficiency, waste and paralysis. This is a huge problem. It must stop.

Hayes and I served when we treated others with respect and civility, two things that need to be brought back to our government, elected officials and leadership. With Hayes at the helm, our ship will be on a better course and Maine will benefit.

Hayes is committed to addressing our health care concerns, fixing the ongoing deterioration of our transportation infrastructure, bringing broadband access to businesses throughout Maine, and as a former teacher, fighting for our educators to spend more time in their classrooms teaching so our kids can spend more time learning.

Maine deserves to have strong, independent leadership. For Maine government to change, we must change. I urge you to cast off your party label this one time and cast your vote for Hayes.

Dennis S. Damon

Trenton

Incivil hunting practices

It’s that time of year, when we not only have to bear the heightened incivility of lying politicians leading up to an election, but also the incivility of the hunting practices against bears and the disturbing headlines and photos touting “brave” hunters, for example, shooting a moose from 10 feet. Wow. That’s impressive?

Go ahead and have your killing day in the woods, but don’t subject the rest of us to it as though it were something sportsmanlike, laudable and newsworthy. At least let it be a day of “fair chase,” with a measure of true skill and reverence for a sentient life taken.

Earth, and its non-human inhabitants could use a little more sentience from Homo sapiens, and a lot more truth from our politicians.

Kathy VanGorder

West Tremont

Election notice

The BDN will stop accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 6 election on Oct. 26. Not all submissions can be published.