Angus King a voice of moderation
I have watched as Sen. Angus King has received criticism from both the political left and right. Progressives argue that King should do nothing but obstruct the current Republican administration. Hardline conservatives accuse the senator of falling in line with the Democrats.
Nonetheless, King commands the support of the many common-sense Maine voters who sit in the moderate center of the political spectrum. Maine people understand that progress doesn’t come from polarization. Moderates understand that matters of fiscal, social and health care policy cannot be easily resolved if one lives uncompromisingly in the ideological extremes.
King knows that Mainers favor a government that works by consensus, not by a partisan power struggle between competing “tribes.” If only Washington was more moderate, like most of us here in Maine, a lot more would get done.
Join me in voting for the moderate King on Nov. 6.
Julia Adams
Islesboro
Herbig for Maine Senate
These days there’s so much anger and negativity in politics. People on all sides are feeling discouraged and disgusted by what’s happening in our country.
I’ve discovered an antidote to the negativity. Ironically, the solution isn’t to stay out of politics, it’s to get more involved. The trick is to be involved in something you believe in. For me, that’s the campaign of Erin Herbig for Waldo County’s seat in the state Senate.
Herbig is a remarkable person — smart, energetic, caring and determined — who’s inspired hundreds of people like me to be active in her campaign. Volunteers have logged thousands of hours knocking on doors, making phone calls, writing letters, painting and putting up signs, and driving Herbig to thousands of visits with residents all over Waldo County. Their volunteerism shows how deeply they care about our community and how determined they are to make a difference. Just like Herbig herself.
At a time when politics is so negative and full of anger, Herbig has inspired us to be positive and hopeful, and to get involved in finding solutions. That’s the kind of leader she is. I’m voting for Herbig for state Senate, and I hope you will, too.
Sara Salley
Liberty
We refuse to be invisible
As the Trump administration threatens to “define transgender out of existence,” SAGE Maine replies with a tagline that maintains its profound significance: we refuse to be invisible.
A recent New York Times article frames the current state of human rights at the federal level. The report informs readers that the federal Department of Health and Human Services is seeking to define gender based on biology at birth.
This news is unfortunately not surprising; the current administration has persistently taken measures to revoke the deserved rights of LGBTQ individuals. In just the first year of leadership, the federal administration renounced nondiscrimination laws and attempted to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military. This is a mere sampling of the mechanisms employed by the current administration to undermine human rights.
LGBTQ elders are experts in human rights advocacy, having scrupulously fought for equality for decades. However, despite the recent legal and cultural shifts toward equality, regression is palpable to Maine’s LGBTQ older adults now more than ever.
SAGE Maine is dedicated to the visibility and affirmation of transgender older adults, and will continue advocacy efforts in response to this federal movement to undermine justice. Maine has the oldest population in the nation with a higher than average number of LGBTQ individuals. Based on the numbers, transgender older adults will not be “defined out of existence” in our state.
Maine LGBTQ elders refuse to be invisible.
Hilary Thibodeau
Portland
Health literacy matters
Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment confused and unsure about what you heard. Have you filled a prescription but aren’t sure what the instructions meant? You are not alone.
October is health literacy month and a fitting time to talk about what health literacy is and why it matters. Communication of health information — from providers to patients — in ways understandable to the patient, is at the heart of health literacy. Barriers to health literacy include not just reading ability, but also cultural, language and even how emotional one is when hearing information from their provider.
How can providers help? Through empathic listening, using plain language rather than medical jargon, asking questions and encouraging patients to ask to be sure they understand, using infographics to help convey information, and creating an atmosphere where patients feel safe to share if they don’t understand.
How can patients help? By making a list of questions beforehand if possible, asking questions any time they’re confused, and bringing someone with them to an appointment to take notes if possible.
When both providers and patients work together to better health literacy, it’s a win-win for everyone.
Barbara Price
Scarborough
Vote for change
For decades, I have put a few signs on my lawn before every election to show support for candidates of the Democratic Party. Shockingly, this fall, for the first time, they have all been slowly removed at night — stolen — from my property, even after I replaced a couple of them. Signs have also been disappearing from public property where others have placed them legitimately. I see this as a threat to our freedom of speech guaranteed by our Constitution.
This is an uneasy time of questionable behavior of elected representatives and others with influence over our lives. There is only one way to alter this. We must all work for people who will protect our democratic rights. We must vote. We must raise our voices to elect moral and honest representatives who we can trust to do their duty to serve us.
We can vote early, but at the latest, we all must go to the polls on Nov. 6, even register there if needed and vote for change.
Julie Grab
Old Town
Election notice
The BDN has stopped accepting letters and OpEds related to the Nov. 6 election. Not all submissions can be published.