If I may be so bold in exercising my free speech rights in my letter today, the following issues speak to truths that concern me.

• The economy. Food prices are out of control.  One example is the same brand of coffee I’ve been buying for many years. A 12-ounce jar nine months ago was $8.99. Today the price is $11.99. This is a 25% percent increase! Medicare, Social Security, educational and health care funding and costs are affecting every single citizen in this country.
• Free speech. Apparently it’s really not free. Our current administration is taking an ax to anyone who has the audacity to express discontent on political figures or bemoan their undemocratic mob boss behavior, calling it “bad publicity.”  So much for our constitutional First Amendment rights.
• Censorship. Where is the outrage over TV ads that depict scantily dressed women promoting male enhancing drugs that boost dysfunctional sexual activity? Does anyone besides myself find these ads offensive and disgusting? That’s not to mention the effect it has on young children watching these ads. Where is the FCC on this?  It appears that it is more concerned about targeting late-night TV comic hosts’ monologues that offend some other audience.

Claire Gravel
Lewiston