Promises to keep
This was a Christmas like no other, distanced from my brothers. I joined my family via cell phone, singing Christmas carols while standing in the snowy wood alone. Reminded of a poem by Frost invoked by another Robert long lost, this one possessing the last name Kennedy, to remind us of our duty to each other:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” These words of poetry echoed with the caroling of a good King whose footsteps we should tread in boldly. “Ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.”
Just last week, Cullen Ryan of Community Housing of Maine spoke to me of a man who came to him asking for help, living in his car while waiting for his disability check to come. “The night is darker now and the wind blows stronger, fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer.” In our journeys we find what shelter we can, a car or a manger.
I ask myself today, how can we allow anyone to lack shelter? In many ways these are the darkest days. But it is also a season of promise — every day will be a little bit lighter. And we will hold our promises to each other, let no one of us be left out in the cold.
Orion Breen
Pownal
Don’t give the bomber what he wanted
The front-page article regarding the recent bombing in Nashville (BDN, Dec. 29) featured the perpetrator’s name, image, and a quote, in which he stated “the world is never going to forget me.”
It appears the BDN, along with the rest of the media, has seen to it that his ultimate goal was achieved.
Larry Balchen
Jonesport
Media should not repeat Trump mistakes
Two items took my attention in the Wednesday, Dec. 23 issue of the BDN. One, a letter to the editor written by Mac Herrling, addressed 126 Republican Senators’ attempt to, “subvert the will of the people” after the election, stated, “It is not the ‘news media’ that create the election outcome …”
The other item, Amy Fried’s always well-written column titled, “Recovering from the Trump era,” ended with this statement: “… Trump’s statements as a former president will just become part of the background noise.” We can only hope!
In my view, the news media — newspapers, TV, radio, internet — played a huge part in President Donald Trump’s success in the last election. You could not access any of the media choices without seeing extended footage from his rallies, listening to or reading long stories about his latest outrageous claims, or comedy shows poking fun. His campaign enjoyed free advertising over and over again.
We will not find Trump relegated to the “background noise” if this kind of attention to the self-serving antics of the soon to be former president is not dampened by the media. I know that true news must be covered, but not every single foolish thing needs to be repeated ad nauseum.
Please, I beg the responsible media sources that I and apparently a majority of Americans rely upon, do not repeat the above normal coverage of a “me and me only” president!
Mary Gilman
Belfast