Two years ago, the two of us, a Muslim-American woman, and a Jewish-American man, wrote a book together, arguing that American Muslims and Jews cannot afford to allow the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to divide our faith communities here at home. We believe in that principle today as much as we did then; but as we watch […]
Ben Bragdon
Staff Writer
Ben Bragdon is managing editor of the Sun Journal. Prior to that, he was deputy managing editor for news at the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Ben was previously editorial page editor for those newspapers and Central Maine Sunday for more than 10 years. Before that, he was managing editor for weekly newspapers at Current Publishing in Westbrook. He began his career as a reporter at the Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft and editor at the Moosehead Messenger in Greenville. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Boston University.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Rise in infant mortality shows US needs to take better care of moms
New provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer a horrible statistic: The infant death rate in the U.S. rose by 3% in 2022 to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, the first significant increase in about 20 years. It’s too soon to know if this is the start of a terrible […]
advertisement
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Gun case forces Supreme Court to confront its own illogic
The good news is that the U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to reverse a Fifth Circuit decision that said police can’t confiscate guns from domestic abusers. The bad news is that the high court’s 2022 Bruen decision, which guided the lower court’s ruling, remains firmly in place. Bruen is among the worst-reasoned Supreme Court decisions […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Metal mining has no place in future of Katahdin region
There is too much of a chance of something going wrong if Maine allows a mine in such an environmentally sensitive place.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Sen. Brad Farrin: Important decisions on electric cars should be made by Legislature
You’ve likely heard that several Maine environmental groups petitioned the Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) to adopt California’s aggressive Advanced Clean Car and Truck rules for Maine. The goal of the groups Natural Resources Council of Maine, Sierra Club and Conservation Law Foundation is to bypass the Maine Legislature and force their own climate […]
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: In the absence of gun reform, police have no room for error
Without basic checks and balances, the onus is on law enforcement agents and agencies. Too often, they are simply not up to the task.
Posted inEditorials, Opinion
Our View: Money in politics is a problem, but Question 2 won’t solve it
Question 2 would likely keep some Maine-based companies from participating in elections, and it is a threat to the freedom of the press.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Maine Compass: Rep. Jared Golden makes courageous stand on guns
It’s the kind of message that has the potential to break the national logjam on gun safety.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Our failed immigration policy is causing a child labor epidemic in the US
Children are now mainstays in migration policy debates and news, with unaccompanied minors at the border drawing much attention over the past decade. The systemic violence and poverty that displace thousands of children from Central and South America have a long history. While these factors have only worsened in recent years because of climate change, […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Commentary: Don’t grow all the way up, it’s a trap!
The other night, after a long family dinner, my 13-year-old niece disappeared into our downstairs closet and soon reemerged with a box of toys I’d saved from my daughter Chloe’s childhood. Chloe, who is now 31, was surprisingly happy. “I want that,” she said, reaching for a Furby. “That one too,” she said, looking at […]