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A badge of honor for Collins
Sen. Susan Collins should wear her censure from the Piscataquis County Republican party as a badge of honor.
It indicates she can still think for herself, has some common sense and is not merely a Trumpism robot.
Jerry Stelmok
Atkinson
Inidgenous contributions cannot be overstated
Thank you to Maulian Dana for her recent column (BDN May 1-2) on the invisibility of Indigenous People in Maine. It is spot on!
The importance of their contributions to the United States and the world cannot be overestimated.
For one thing, when the first colonists came to North America, they lacked completely the knowledge that was necessary for their survival here. They gained that knowledge from the Indigenous inhabitants. Another quick example: four of the most important crops in modern agriculture are corn, potatoes, rice and wheat. Of these, wheat was domesticated in southwest Asia, rice in east Asia, but the other two in the Americas by American Indians. For that matter: where would Italian cuisine be without tomatoes ( developed in Mexico) or Thai cooking without peanuts (developed in the Andes)?
One could go on. This is but the tip of the iceberg.
William A. Haviland
Deer Isle
Fact and fantasy
Eliminating stereotypic images and characterizations is part of our reckoning with white supremacy and ingrained racist thought. Depicting a Trader Sam in Disney theme parks and elsewhere is demeaning and perpetuates the hierarchy of caste and racism.
It’s not political as the author states in the recent column in the BDN, “Wokeness is Ruining Disney World” — it’s being aware that these stereotypes are false and hurtful. If an adult wants to preserve and justify this as “fantasy” — that people of color are characters or objects to be laughed at — then they are teaching and modeling this to their children. Children, for whom Disney is promoted, will learn to perpetuate the racist narrative and belief as they may have difficulty distinguishing between fact and fantasy (think Santa Claus).
One’s long experience of vacationing at Disney World that includes the old narrative and characters doesn’t justify the harm it causes. We need to call out this attitude for what it is: Racism.
Rosa Livonius
Etna
Thinking for ourselves
The seeds of faith choke out the weeds of fear. Faith and confidence in God and our heavenly home alleviate fears of earthly existence and death, deepen understanding of the redemptive nature of suffering, enable us to both make choices and take responsibility for their consequences. Have faith in neighbors, be they next door, the next town or the next state; their efforts to secure Constitutional rights and civil liberties are crucial in abolishing the slavery inherent in the tyranny of fear and the fear of tyranny.
The seeds of truth choke out the weeds of “wokeism.” The truth of our inheritance as children of God through the Sonship of Christ Jesus and the truths of history — of America, Western civilization and of mankind — unite all of us far stronger than any cause manufactured by woke warriors can divide and conquer us. Faith in God endows life with meaning and purpose; woke causes divide persons, promote fear and stoke resentment where none need exist.
The seeds of civility choke out the weeds of cancel culture. Conversation, debate and the ability to “agree to disagree,” long-taught and highly prized skills, are being replaced with the “oppression of the offended.” The “silence is violence” agenda requires a recital of woke values only, regardless of a person’s own beliefs or opinions.
To speak is to think, and to deny persons the ability to think for themselves is true violence indeed.
Mary Comstock
Macwahoc Plantation