Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
Worried about the election
I am quite worried about this election. Of course, I want my candidate to win. I want that a lot. But what I want more than that, is for our powerful American democracy to be preserved and not trampled.
I know every American, regardless of party, wants this as well. We all hold deep in our hearts three long ingrained values. One, votes are the lifeblood of our democracy and every vote must be counted. Two, incidents of fraud or election irregularities must be investigated and remedied. Three, the true election results must be respected.
If my candidate does not win, I will not be happy. But I am committed foremost to preserving our democracy. Because if our democracy remains intact, then we can vote again in the next election for our favorite candidates.
Sharon Dean
East Machias
Future generations depend on climate action
Fires are raging in the west with great intensity destroying lives, and more than 5 million acres of land. My daughter in California had to stay inside first for COVID-19 and now because of the smoke from the fires. And incredibly, that smoke has made it all the way to Maine. These fires represent just one of many signs that climate change is happening at a rapid pace.
Policies to deal with climate change by reducing greenhouse gases need to be adopted sooner rather than later. A crucial policy that the Citizens’ Climate Lobby advocates for is putting a price on carbon. The bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763, currently in the U.S. House of Representatives would put a price on fossil fuels that increases annually. The fee on carbon provides incentives for corporations and all individuals to use less fossil fuels and instead clean renewable energy sources. The money obtained from the price on fossil fuels would be returned to individuals, adults and children, in the form of a monthly dividend (cash back). Economists and climate scientists alike have endorsed this as a first best step for dealing with climate change in an equitable way.
In order to meet the internationally agreed on goal of less than a 1.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature and avert the worst effects of climate change, action must be taken now. The lives of our young people and future generations will depend on the steps we take now.
Steve Ouillette
Morrill
Grade Trump by his own standard
“The most basic duty of government is to defend the lives of its own citizens,” President Donald Trump said in his 2016 convention speech. “Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.”
More than 200,000 deaths later, I think this government has proven itself unworthy. Comparing our results to those of other similarly situated nations — Britain, Germany, France, Japan, and so on through the rich nations of the world — it seems that our people have suffered far more. Not to mention the economic disaster that will be with us for years to come.
By Trump’s own standard, this administration is unworthy to lead. Let’s turn them out and give our nation a chance to recover what it has lost. Please vote for Joe Biden; I believe he is the one who will fight for the soul of this nation.
Carolyn Bower
Surry
Reelect Davitt
As a Bangor resident, I am proud to be casting my vote to reelect Clare Davitt to the Bangor City Council. Davitt’s long record of volunteerism and public service demonstrate her commitment to working for a better Bangor and a better world for everyone.
In her first term on the council, Davitt worked to improve access to affordable housing, make improvements to our bus system, and hire an outreach coordinator to assist in the process of securing housing for people experiencing homelessness in Bangor. This program has been a big success, finding homes for dozens of people in the last year. In her second term, Davitt will continue her work to expand broadband service in Bangor, which is needed now more than ever as many people like me continue to work from home.
As a diversity and inclusion professional, I’m also very proud of Davitt’s advocacy in adding gender identity to the city’s non-discrimination policies, in the leadership she has shown in addressing issues of racial discrimination, and her continued public leadership as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
I hope Bangor voters will join me in reelecting Clare on Nov. 3!
Cara Pelletier
Bangor
Draconian church restrictions
According to The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Maine is one of only six states to impose restrictions on religious worship that are more onerous than other restrictions touching upon our lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Janet Mills is, of course, to blame for the imposition of what I believe is a draconian and unconstitutional order.
Still, my ire is not directed principally at her. No, my anger is directed first and foremost at Bishop Robert Deeley, shepherd of Maine Catholics. Maine Catholics are hungry for true pastoral leadership that challenges the politicians that impose unjust restrictions on worship, but sadly here in Maine we wait in vain.
I attend Mass at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Lewiston, an architecturally beautiful church that can hold many hundreds of worshipers, and yet the rigid requirement that only 50 people may attend no matter the size of the church is imposed from Augusta. Bishop Deeley has refused to challenge this unjust and unconstitutional mandate with any sustained courage.
I urge all concerned Catholics who read this to contact the Diocesan office in Portland and demand the Bishop publicly challenge the unjust status quo imposed upon us by Mills. Tell Bishop Deeley to man up and lead his people like the apostles he is heir to and our great Catholic tradition he is responsible for!
Timothy McFadden
Edgecomb