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Sexual assault should not be trivialized
I am a nurse with specialized training to care for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. This past week, Sen. Susan Collins’ Republican allies backed an attack ad against Sara Gideon that weaponized sexual assault allegations to reap political points. This attempt to distort the truth about Gideon’s track record of supporting survivors of sexual assault is shocking.
These actions do a disservice to survivors of sexual assault. The ad is false. Gideon called for Dillon Bates to step down immediately after the allegations against him were published. I haven’t heard Collins say anything about this ad; sexual assault should not be trivialized.
Vanessa Shields-Haas, RN
Rockland
Proud to support Crafts
I am proud to call Dale Crafts a friend and know that he will serve Maine’s 2nd Congressional District well in Washington.
As a businessman, Crafts knows how to take a hard look at the numbers, cut spending and prioritize to maximize every dollar. As a lifelong sportsman, he has and will continue to fight for our Second Amendment rights and protect Maine’s great outdoors. As a former legislator, he has the experience to bring folks together to accomplish important policy goals without wavering from his principles. As a father of six and grandfather of 14, he understands the sanctity of life, and will always defend the unborn.
As a former state senator, I spent eight years working alongside Crafts in the Legislature. I can say with full certainty that he will always put the people of Maine first, listen to our concerns and work harder than anyone else in Washington. Please join me in voting for Dale Crafts for Congress on July 14.
David Burns
Whiting
The destiny of democracy
Fifty-six years later this battle is not over! We see videos of black people being killed by police and have knowledge of numerous injustices. Citizens are marching, speaking up, demanding change now. We pledge “liberty and justice for all;” we sing “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Yet there is not liberty and justice for all, not freedom for all.
Are we the home of the brave? Each of us answers both collectively and individually. Each decides how to respond to this American problem, this human rights problem, this crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. Know that with your choice, you are impacting the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.
Susan Gross
Winthrop
Searching my heart
I am a white supremacist.
I come from a liberal family. I thought of myself as liberal. I love the black culture. But, I grew up believing in a white Santa Claus, we prayed to a white Jesus, we celebrated Columbus Day and Thanksgiving, our Midwest football team was named the Chiefs, we thought of this as a free country. Me and the white people around me thought only of ourselves.
I identify as a woman, but don’t think of myself as white, and this is a problem. My sister writes that she is sad about the plight of black people in America, that she is upset. I cannot stop the swelling waves of fury; sad doesn’t say it.
Martin Luther King, Jr. died when I was a senior in high school. I was buying a house in Belfast when Rodney King was brutally beaten by police. I am retired now, watching the murder of George Floyd on the internet. Throughout my life, I have lived with the knowledge that black people are the scapegoats. Yet, I rarely speak out and even less frequently do I march.
I went to Belfast last Sunday and knelt with my mostly white friends for eight minutes while the First Church bell tolls for George Floyd. I expressed my feelings of disgust for our unfair criminal justice system among the freely associated whites congregated there. I will continue to search my heart for the ways I am complicit in keeping racism intact.
Jennifer Hill
Waldo
Yes on 1
Maine voters should Vote Yes on Question 1 on July 14. This $15 million bond, at record low interest rates, will assist Maine match significant federal and private dollars to bring more fiber to communities in need.
The coronavirus crisis has hammered the point: lack of access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband internet service is a wake up call to arms. We need broadband to every home in Maine now, not 10 years down the line. Kids can’t do their homework at home, Mom’s internet store doesn’t work right, Dad can’t telecommute for school or apply for work, and Gram’s medical device can’t send data to her doctor. Reliable internet service is 6 miles away at a library or library parking lot.
The Town of Penobscot is a wonderful community of farmers, builders, fishermen, small business owners, retirees, etc. that ranks high on school tests, is underserved by the internet, and has the lowest property valuation on the Blue Hill peninsula. How might this town, and so many more like it, realize a future backed by reasonable, reliable, yet world class, internet service enjoyed by most of America?
Young families won’t buy houses here, business won’t start up, and as the population ages, the town is likely to die. Vote yes July 14. Let’s set an aggressive goal to get there in five years.
Other states are moving fast. It is our hope that the state of Maine will provide leadership, relaxed pole-attachment regulation, and funding for all of Maine’s broadband needs. Maine needs a statewide plan that takes into account what individual towns have been realizing. The proposed funds are a major step in the right direction but, hopefully, not the last.
Joel Katz
Penobscot
Vote absentee
This voting season, the safest way to vote is to vote absentee. You can avoid lines and possible exposure to the coronavirus by requesting an absentee ballot be sent to your home. On the internet, go to the State of Maine Online Absentee Ballot Request Service.
Some town offices may be open for voting absentee in person early; however due to the constraints caused by possible exposure to COVID-19, not all town clerks offices may be open. Stay safe and vote from home.
Lisa Buck
Orono