“Antifa” is a shortened form of the term anti-fascism. Fascism is an ideology developed and implemented by Benito Mussolini’s regime in Italy from 1922-1943. Fascism is a centralized, right-wing extremist form of government, dictator-led and paramilitary-backed. Fascist dictators promote racism, violence and genocide and suppress the rights of free speech and free press. In the […]
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the editor of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.
Fossel has a talent for making right-wing policies seem palatable | Letter
In Jim Fossel’s recent column on Question 1, he again shows his talent for making distasteful right-wing policies seem palatable. As he skillfully argues that there is nothing to fear about the upcoming referendum, he pierces his veil of reasonableness when he tells us that a vague “they” could have been more draconian in further […]
Trump drags us into the gutter with fighter jet video | Letter
I’m sure it got no press but go to YouTube and check out the video President Trump posted on No Kings Day of himself wearing a crown, flying a fighter jet and dropping feces on protesters. Before Trump supporters laugh at these kinds of videos, maybe they could please try and imagine how they would feel […]
Stephanie Sienkiewicz is the real deal for Augusta | Letter
Stephanie Sienkiewicz has my vote for at-large city councilor in Augusta. In a time when confusion and negativity dominate politics, Councilor Sienkiewicz brings humanity and a community-first approach into her work. When I’ve reached out to the Augusta City Council in the last year, she has always been the first to respond to my concerns, […]
Maine educators standing up to regulate firearms | Letter
At my school, we train 12-year-olds to throw their laptops at active shooters in order to buy themselves time to run away. There is widespread awareness of school shootings, and schools take measures to address this. My school’s budget includes $99,213 on safety, including purchasing Crisis Alert, a “wearable mobile panic button for rapid incident […]
Saluting another Schooner Fare performance | Letter
I recently attended a performance at the Chocolate Church Arts Center in Brunswick. Schooner Fare staged its 47th appearance at CCAC. I remember the first time they came to CCAC in the early 1970s, when we were working to bring audiences back to the historic Chocolate Church. Schooner Fare represents the best of Maine music, […]
Rita Pello aims to make Augusta schools succeed | Letter
I ask Augusta residents to vote Nov. 4 for Rita Pello as at-large member of the Augusta Board of Education. I serve on the board with Rita and support her for many reasons. As a former public school teacher, her insight as to what students need but also the needs of the staff are first […]
Voting ‘Yes’ on Question 2 makes sense | Letter
Voting “Yes” for referendum Question 2 on this November’s ballot makes good sense. It also promises to save lives. Maine needs every possible legal tool to prevent gun deaths and mayhem. Passing Question 2 will provide just such tools. A person in crisis does not have to be judged mentally ill or in a mental […]
Red flag laws save lives by reducing suicide | Letter
Maine has the highest rate of suicide in the Northeast U.S. In 2022, a total of 87% of Maine firearm deaths were suicides. If someone is in crisis and suicidal, having easy access to a firearm is deadly. A firearm allows no time for reconsideration. Referendum Question 2 supports establishing a red flag law in […]
Has Trump made a border blunder? | Letter
President Trump’s U.S. Border Patrol commander in Chicago, Gregory Bovino, has stated that lakes and rivers are borders by U.S. law. The U.S. Border Patrol has the legal right to operate within 100 miles of our borders. Lake Michigan is surrounded by four states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Lake Michigan is connected to Lake […]