Letters submitted by BDN readers are verified by BDN Opinion Page staff. Send your letters to letters@bangordailynews.com
Putting the pieces back together
Jan. 6, 2021 will forever be remembered as the date an angry mob stormed the halls of democracy in Washington, D.C. in an act of insurrection. They were leaderless energy, bent on mindless mayhem and violence. They lost. Our country was scarred, but not destroyed.
I remembered Kintsugi in the aftermath. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.
America has its flaws, but its enduring beauty continues to shine as a beacon for the world. We are made stronger from our scars. We value something we cherish and no longer take for granted. May God Bless America again and again.
James Weathersby
Augusta
Gagnon’s timing
Matt Gagnon probably wishes his latest column wasn’t in Thursday’s paper. I heard a European friend joke that what happened in Washington yesterday wouldn’t have happened if there had been an American Embassy there. Based on the following Gagnon epic passage, worth republishing to rub it in, I nominate him for two (new) annual BDN awards: Worst Timing and Most Ironic.
“It is, rather, a source of pride in me that the right does not throw the same kind of temper tantrums that the left does. Throwing hissy fits, saying your opponent isn’t your president, and cloaking yourself in revolutionary (borderline seditious) behavior is not ever something I want to see us do just because the other guy’s in charge.” Yeah, right.
Larry Butler
Thomaston
Healing in our souls
I was glad to see Martin Chartrand’s commentary in the Jan. 3 BDN on white “settler” privilege. I believe he is right that we need to fully face the great trauma caused by racism in America so that we can all heal.
This is the year when perhaps we will collectively realize that it is time to recognize that our health (physically and spiritually) is linked to the health and well-being of all of us. We must not forget the pain we felt seeing George Floyd’s killing. We must not forget the sacrifices made by so many low-paid essential workers, many of whom are people of color. We must learn from our collective grief and have the courage to face our own deep-rooted attitudes that resulted from centuries of dehumanizing Blacks and indigenous people.
When we can fully acknowlege our history of genocide and slavery, we will be able to build a more just, peaceful nation. To deny the necessity of this would diminish all of us. May we see healing in our social fabric and our souls, as well as in our bodies in 2021.
Linda Sisson
Bangor
The Unity College dream is alive
Regarding the story, “The death of the Unity College dream,” in the BDN on Aug. 7, 2020: As a proud alum of Unity College, Class of 1973, I’m happy to say that to my way of thinking is that the dream of Unity College is thriving and not dead at all. Current enrollment is approaching 1,500 students in a hybrid learning environment. There are colleges closing their doors permanently. Unity College is not one of them.
The dream is alive, and that is to change the world one student at a time.
Bob Portner
Unity
A shameful day
The disgusting mob that assaulted the Capitol, which drove Sen. Susan Collins and all our other elected representatives into hiding, is a clear Trump-inspired breakdown of our democratic process.
In my opinion, Donald Trump is nothing less than a would-be autocrat. I believe the spineless failure by her — and what used to be thinking, conservative, Republicans — to support the impeachment process that could have removed Trump from power before he was able to create this kind of chaos, is to blame.
The U.S. now looks less like a republic than a banana republic. I am ashamed, and others should be, too. The 25th Amendment needs to be used now.
Donald Holmes
Sedgwick