A president without compassion
At the time of year when the profoundly compassionate example of Jesus Christ inspires many of us of various faiths, having to confront the reality that millions of Americans who identify as Christians strongly support our anything but compassionate president is mystifying and deeply disturbing to me.
Only his attacks on people of color, non-Christians, abortions (despite his past boasts of what amounts to sexually abusing women), taxation and government (other than his federal actions including separating infants and children and depriving them of the basic necessities of life) can begin to explain why so many so-called God-loving Americans have blind faith in him.
This non-Christian U.S. veteran sincerely prays that the compassionate spirit of Jesus inspires your thoughts and choices this coming year.
Thomas Rusk
Dresden
Keep drug courts open
How well do Maine drug court’s work? In my view, many of the Maine people struggling with addiction are young adults who generally live casual lives, including casual sex, so they have many babies and young children living in households with addiction where the children can have unsafe and neglected lives. Look at the statistics that show the number of children in foster care from such households.
When one or both of the parents of these young children get into a recovery program — including drug court, Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, counseling, Department of Health and Human Services supervision, probation, etc. — there is a multiplier effect that saves many of these children when the parent gets sober.
I have cheered on many of these young adults in AA and NA and during weekly drug court sessions. It is so heartwarming to see families come back together or actually become a family by the power of recovery that results from the role of the drug courts. Keep them open!
Peter Duston
Cherryfield
Being fair to Maine on climate issues
Beyond Sen. Susan Collins’ questionable support of a nominee for the Supreme Court who didn’t take a lie detector test relevant to the major issue under debate, one asks whether she can support a candidate for president who has chosen to ignore the problem of global warming.
This warming of the Earth’s surface has severe effects on the Maine economy as part of the devastating global effects. According to the Natural Resources Council of Maine, rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine is inflicting major harm to the Maine fish population whose management underlies one of Maine’s largest industries, valued at approximately $600 million per year. The harm is specifically reflected in devastation of the shrimp fishery and loss of lobster population due to death and migration to the northern Canadian waters. Would it be fair to Maine to blindly follow President Donald Trump on this issue?
William A. Cramer
Oquossoc