There is only one word for the travel ban on seven selected Muslim countries — appalling. This is an embarrassment to the United States of America and a cruel immoral act. It is dividing families, further destabilizing an already unstable region, denying American businesses talented workers, and confirming the worse thoughts about our country in the eyes of the world. What about doctors who serve in our most vulnerable hospitals? What about students in our colleges and universities? Will I start to see my students “disappear” in my classes at the University of Maine at Augusta? And who is next?

Please channel your inner Margaret Chase Smith and stand up to Trump now. Be loud and proud to be a compassionate American.

Linda Buckmaster

Belfast