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Robert Bakker of Bangor is a health care professional and lifelong ocean racer who draws on his European roots and decades of navigating New England waters to write as A Dutchman in Maine.
Recently, Graham Platner reminded us how quickly frustration can turn into something harmful. During an interview with The Maine Monitor, he used the “R-word” to describe a political situation. It’s a word with a long, painful history for many people.
Intent matters. But impact matters more.
Kim Moody, CEO of Disability Rights Maine, was right to call it out. Words like this aren’t just slips — they reveal who we diminish when we’re at our worst.
Most candidates follow a familiar script after a moment like this: A carefully worded apology, a quick appearance with a nonprofit, and a return to business as usual. That approach manages a crisis. It doesn’t build trust.
If Graham Platner wants to be seen as an authentic leader, I think he needs to do something different — something measurable, sustained, and real.
If Graham Platner wants to earn the trust of the disabled community — and the trust of Maine voters — I believe he needs to pay a price that is real, long-term, and quiet. Quiet is the operative word. Any politician can arrange a photo-op with a nonprofit. The harder thing — and the more meaningful thing — is to show up when no one is watching.
He should look to the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who didn’t build the Special Olympics with press releases, but with a decades-long commitment to the dignity of her sister, Rosemary. Shriver started in her own backyard because she saw that authentic leadership meant showing up for those being left behind.
Here’s the standard: in Special Olympics Maine, a “Class A Volunteer” isn’t someone who just shows up. It requires a background check, Protective Behaviors training, and hands-on practicum hours. It’s a commitment to showing up consistently — and respecting the dignity of every athlete.
That’s the bar.
If Graham Platner wants to rebuild trust, I think he should commit to becoming a Class A Volunteer — for six years. A U.S. Senate term is six years. His accountability should last just as long.
The State Summer Games are coming to the University of Maine in Orono on June 5–7, just days before the primary. While other candidates are on stages and in front of cameras, Platner should be there. Not as a candidate, but as a volunteer.
No press releases. No photo ops. Just work.
Move equipment. Hand out water. Run a stopwatch at the finish line. Show up for athletes whose resilience and determination put politics to shame.
And then come back next year. And the year after that. Win or lose.
That’s what accountability looks like.
This approach doesn’t “cancel” a person for a mistake. It does something harder. It asks them to invest time — real time — with the community they impacted.
If Platner shows up in Orono this June, it’s a start. If he’s still there in 2027, 2028, and beyond — regardless of his political future — that’s when trust begins to take shape.
In Maine, we don’t hand out respect for apologies alone — and we don’t give participation trophies for showing up once. We give respect to those who do the work.
It’s time for Graham Platner to decide if he wants to be just another politician, or if he’s willing to become a Class A Volunteer on the road to becoming a Class A Senator.