Gov. Paul LePage made a statement about individuals coming into Maine from other states and selling heroin. He offered information he had gathered from arrests made since the first of the year.

He absolutely did not say these individuals were responsible for methamphetamine or any other illegal drug. Those members of the other political party, and persons who dislike LePage for whatever reason, have dragged out information about a larger number of white individuals dealing in drugs besides heroin. This information was merely to discredit Le Page by introducing facts that were irrelevant to what Le Page had said.

He was criticized for saying Rep. Drew Gattine had called him a racist. Gattine said he used “racist terminology.” That means he only inferred he was a racist. It didn’t fool me.

Anyone asking police about catching criminals will be told how important it is for honest citizens to report suspicious individuals to the police. Normally, citizens would find it hard to identify criminals.

However, because LePage made his statement the way he did, he told honest citizens that the heroin dealers are likely (1) persons of color and (2) may likely have out-of-state license plates on their cars. These two facts together eliminate most persons of color from suspicion.

If police were instructed to look for culprits with these two “flags,” would that make them racists?

I don’t defend LePage’s email language and aggressive behavior. I do believe that his political opponents and other enemies are seizing on this situation to replace him with one of their own. Their motives are not pure. I believe that the voters put him in office and they are the ones who should decide if he should leave.

Jack Murphy

Rome


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