http://www.sunjournal.com/news/4131 en http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/medicare-affordable-care-and-kabuki-theater-legisl/1365810 Every legislative session comes to a point where Kabuki drama enters – the stylized theatrical moments where speakers feign surprise, express outrage, and then do what they knew that had to do all along. That seems to be the position of legislative Republicans, caught between Gov. Pa... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/medicare-affordable-care-and-kabuki-theater-legisl/1365810#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-19 00:00:28 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:06 +0000 Douglas Rooks 1365810 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/washington-doing-its-job-will-help-maine-families/1365900 The individuals we elect to serve us in federal, state, and local government have a big influence over our lives. They set the rules by which we live and under which our businesses operate. Those regulations impact the success of the companies that employ us. “We, The People” h... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/washington-doing-its-job-will-help-maine-families/1365900#comments Columns & Analysis Bruce Poliquin federal reserve Maine spending Print - all Approved false 2013-05-19 00:00:29 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:06 +0000 Bruce Poliquin 1365900 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/municipal-health-and-safety-codes-not-being-enforc/1363695 The horrific downtown fires have once again put the spotlight on the housing situation in downtown Lewiston. As an attorney who has represented tenants in Lewiston for 19 years, I am very concerned about both the health and safety of Lewiston's housing stock and the rights of low income tenants i... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/municipal-health-and-safety-codes-not-being-enforc/1363695#comments Columns & Analysis C09 Print - all Approved Matthew Dyer false 2013-05-18 23:11:39 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Matthew Dyer 1363695 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/let-light-day-shine/1364425 As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King now are faced with a particularly important opportunity — the chance to finally publicize this country’s use of torture since 9/11. In December, the Intelligence Committee approved a 6,000... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/let-light-day-shine/1364425#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-18 23:11:50 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Marc Mutty 1364425 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/us-military-policy-cannot-be-maintained/1360750 Current United States policy promotes a belief so flawed that it rises to the level of a fatal error. The belief that military power confers safety upon a nation is dead wrong and, unless corrected, will inevitably destroy the economy, the infrastructure and the moral code of any nation that hold... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/us-military-policy-cannot-be-maintained/1360750#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-18 23:11:27 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Hubert Kauffman 1360750 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/role-mental-health-current-public-discussion-gun-c/1360766 It is true that, sometimes, a mentally ill person, usually a paranoid schizophrenic or a bipolar disordered person who suffers from psychotic symptoms, will become violent and even kill another person. What most people may not know is that, of all the fatal shootings in the United States, ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/19/role-mental-health-current-public-discussion-gun-c/1360766#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-18 23:12:02 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Ronald Melendy 1360766 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/18/froma-harrop-significant-differences-insurance-mod/1365179 For years, conservatives have pushed for a health-insurance model emphasizing catastrophic coverage. It works as follows: Consumers pay the cost of ordinary care, such as a checkup, a blood test or an eye exam. Insurance kicks in only for major crises — a heart attack, cancer requiri... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/18/froma-harrop-significant-differences-insurance-mod/1365179#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-18 00:00:15 Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:09 +0000 Froma Harrop 1365179 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1364986 In a column written in September, 2012, I argued that verified tactical military details of the engagement, the iconic date itself, and subsequent, very explicit statements by Libyan government authorities, left no doubt that on 9-11-2012 the U.S. consulate in Benghazi suffered a planned attack b... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1364986#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-17 00:00:17 Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:07 +0000 Austin Bay 1364986 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1364066 Well, this is a fine mess. After years of moaning about various “conspiracies” against them, conservative activists finally have a real (i.e., not manufactured by Fox or inflated by Limbaugh) piece of evidence to take before the court of public opinion. Meaning, of cours... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1364066#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-16 00:00:21 Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:11 +0000 Leonard Pitts Jr. 1364066 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1363915 In his defense of President Obama, Press Secretary Jay Carney is beginning to sound a lot like Ronald Zeigler, Richard Nixon's spokesman. Carney only has to use the word "inoperative," as Ziegler did when incriminating evidence surfaced that proved his previous statements untrue. Following... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/array/array/array/array/1363915#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-15 00:00:16 Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:08 +0000 Cal Thomas 1363915 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/14/david-sirota-americans-disconnected-pains-war/1363097 Few probably recall the name Dwight Elliott Stone. But even if that name has faded from the national memory, the man remains historically significant. That's because on June 30, 1973, the 24-year-old plumber's apprentice became the last American forced into the armed services before the military ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/14/david-sirota-americans-disconnected-pains-war/1363097#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-14 00:00:23 Tue, 14 May 2013 04:00:17 +0000 David Sirota 1363097 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/13/rich-lowryfirst-amendment-rights-apply-everyone/1361769 Nakoula Basseley Nakoula deserves a place in American history. He is the first person in this country jailed for violating Islamic anti-blasphemy laws. You won't find that anywhere in the charges against him, of course. As a practical matter, though, everyone knows that Nakoula wouldn't be... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/13/rich-lowryfirst-amendment-rights-apply-everyone/1361769#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-13 00:00:21 Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:12 +0000 Rich Lowry 1361769 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/lepage-actions-show-pattern-lack-empathy/1362276 When disaster strikes in the television-video era, presidents and governors go to the scene to inspect the damage, to reassure, and to offer help. Gov. Paul LePage didn’t remember that before he went to Lewiston on Tuesday, days after devastating downtown fires left 200people homeless. ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/lepage-actions-show-pattern-lack-empathy/1362276#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-12 00:00:20 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:07 +0000 1362276 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/joe-knowles-and-legacy-wilderness-adventures/1362289 My last column featured Joe Knowles’ famous adventure into the Maine woods. It’s one that just a century ago ignited the imagination of millions of Americans who were riveted by Knowles’ vow to spend two naked months alone in the wilderness in an attempt to prove that 20th centu... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/joe-knowles-and-legacy-wilderness-adventures/1362289#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-12 00:00:21 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:07 +0000 Paul Mills 1362289 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/richard-jennings-health-effects-wind-towers-hyped/1359621 Slate Magazine is not generally thought of as a medical journal, but in its recent issue it seems to have confronted, and clarified, a massive medical myth about wind power, conceived in northern New York by a pediatrician and nurtured in Maine by a radiologist, with potentially negative worldwid... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/richard-jennings-health-effects-wind-towers-hyped/1359621#comments Columns & Analysis C09 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-12 00:00:14 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:07 +0000 Richard Jennings M.D. 1359621 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/accepting-federal-health-care-dollars-good-deal-ma/1358608 Maine has an opportunity to finish paying back the hospital debt and accept federal health care dollars to cover more uninsured Maine people right now. Thousands of people in Maine are unemployed or underemployed. Many of them do not have health insurance. We now have an opportunity to ens... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/accepting-federal-health-care-dollars-good-deal-ma/1358608#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-11 22:04:28 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Rep. Michel Lajoie 1358608 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/lets-make-workplace-safe-place-work/1358634 Workers, union officials and state representatives gathered at the Franco-American Heritage Center on April 28, just before Workers’ Memorial Day, to honor those who died on the job in Maine this year. It is important to gather and reflect on the tragedies workers have suffered as a ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/lets-make-workplace-safe-place-work/1358634#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-11 22:04:45 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Karen Bilodeau 1358634 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/we-live-ghetto-ghetto-doesnt-live-us/1360717 I write this with great sadness in my heart. In all of my 18 years in ministry through the vehicle of the inner-city children’s church The Jesus Party, my heart has never been as grieved for my neighborhood as it is now. I have had a very rewarding life experience working with youth ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/12/we-live-ghetto-ghetto-doesnt-live-us/1360717#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-11 22:05:00 Sun, 12 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 The Rev. Douglas Taylor 1360717 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/11/froma-harrop-three-arent-first-wont-be-last/1361254 The story of three girls grabbed from the streets of Cleveland and caged in their neighborhood for some 10 years demands scrutiny beyond expressions of shock. We can't let this gruesome tale of three brothers imprisoning, impregnating and tormenting young women simply pass into the annals of true... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/11/froma-harrop-three-arent-first-wont-be-last/1361254#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-11 00:00:12 Sat, 11 May 2013 04:00:06 +0000 Froma Harrop 1361254 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/10/austin-bay-little-hope-resolution-china-india-land/1361242 This past Sunday, China and India agreed to avoid turning the world's most dangerous border dispute into the world's most dangerous war — at least temporarily. According to Indian sources, Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian Army combat units will simultaneously withdraw... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/10/austin-bay-little-hope-resolution-china-india-land/1361242#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-10 00:00:27 Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:20 +0000 Austin Bay 1361242 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/09/leonard-pitts-she-could-not-run-away-life/1360615 Brenda Heist wanted to run away from life. Naturally, she went to Key West, Fla. The first time I was down there, I saw a highway sign that, for me, perfectly captured the meaning of that place. North, it said, with an arrow pointing the way. No South, you understand. Just the one o... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/09/leonard-pitts-she-could-not-run-away-life/1360615#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-09 00:00:21 Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:10 +0000 Leonard Pitts Jr. 1360615 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/08/cal-thomas-print-media-need-shot-balanced-reportin/1360129 "Mainstream media" are alarmed by reports that billionaires Charles and David Koch are considering the purchase of Tribune Company's eight daily newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. When Warren Buffett spent $344 million to purchase 28 newspapers, there were mostly sighs of relief ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/08/cal-thomas-print-media-need-shot-balanced-reportin/1360129#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-08 00:00:28 Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:09 +0000 Cal Thomas 1360129 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/07/david-sirota-real-obstacle-halting-climate-change/1359566 In case you missed the news, humanity just spent the Earth Day week reaching another sad milestone in the history of catastrophic climate change: For the first time, measurements of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surpassed 400 parts per million — way above what our current ecosystem can h... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/07/david-sirota-real-obstacle-halting-climate-change/1359566#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-07 00:00:38 Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:19 +0000 David Sirota 1359566 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/06/rich-lowry-ultimate-government-boondoggle/1357909 Abraham Carpenter Jr., a farmer in Grady, Ark., has more insight into human nature than the average sociologist. "Anytime you are going to throw money up in the air," he told The New York Times, "you are going to have people acting crazy." Carpenter is quoted in an astonishing 5,000-word T... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/06/rich-lowry-ultimate-government-boondoggle/1357909#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-06 00:00:18 Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:10 +0000 Rich Lowry 1357909 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/leonard-pitts-texas-being-black-means-you-are-dang/1358425 If the state of Texas executes Duane Buck, it’ll be because he is black. Well, mainly it will be because in 1995, he shot his ex-girlfriend, Debra Gardner, and her friend, Kenneth Butler, to death at Gardner’s Houston home, and also wounded his own stepsister, Phyllis Taylor. B... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/leonard-pitts-texas-being-black-means-you-are-dang/1358425#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-05 00:00:27 Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:15 +0000 Leonard Pitts Jr. 1358425 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/connie-schultz-we-can-make-difference-we-have-care/1358555 For many years, the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society held an annual fair that sold only goods that weren't made by slaves. Starting in 1835, the fair was a popular weeklong event stocked with items sewed by society members and donated by anti-slavery women in the U.S. and England. ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/connie-schultz-we-can-make-difference-we-have-care/1358555#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-05 00:00:28 Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:15 +0000 Connie Schultz 1358555 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/cal-thomas-immigration-reform-bill-doesnt-cut-it/1357809 There's the story of a woman with five kids who was asked if she had to do it all over again would she have five children? "Yes," she said, "just not these five." That's the way I feel about the immigration "reform" bill introduced by the Senate's bipartisan "Gang of 8." I'm all for... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/cal-thomas-immigration-reform-bill-doesnt-cut-it/1357809#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-05 00:00:25 Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:15 +0000 Cal Thomas 1357809 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/enticing-families-and-seniors-stay-maine/1358220 For nearly 20 years, I coached Maine baseball and softball players in Little League, high school and college. I stay in touch with many of my former players. I follow their careers and celebrate their weddings. Sadly, many of these young adults are now outside of Maine and looking in. They... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/enticing-families-and-seniors-stay-maine/1358220#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-04 22:44:11 Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Bruce Poliquin 1358220 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/tax-reform-plan-deserves-serious-consideration/1358299 For policy wonks, this was their week at the State House. A bipartisan coalition billing itself as the “Gang of 11” presented a tax reform plan that’s bold, sweeping and comprehensive. And that’s not just hype. The plan would rearrange just about every aspect of how... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/05/tax-reform-plan-deserves-serious-consideration/1358299#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-04 22:43:53 Sun, 05 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Douglas Rooks 1358299 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/04/froma-harrop-how-get-fit-without-really-trying/1357786 We may not have time for exercise, but there's always time to read about exercising. And while the motivation to exercise may not be tops, the motivation to shop for "aids" to exercise seems forever strong. Both activities offer the gratifying sense that we're getting somewhere, fitness-wi... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/04/froma-harrop-how-get-fit-without-really-trying/1357786#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-04 00:00:27 Sat, 04 May 2013 04:00:16 +0000 Froma Harrop 1357786 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/03/austin-bay-cybercrime-morphs-cyberwar/1356995 On April 25, Spanish police, at the request of Holland's national prosecutor's office, arrested Dutch citizen Sven Olaf Kamphuis. Kamphuis will likely face charges in Holland related to what Dutch officials describe as the most extensive criminal cyberattacks in the history of the Internet... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/03/austin-bay-cybercrime-morphs-cyberwar/1356995#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-03 00:01:12 Fri, 03 May 2013 04:01:04 +0000 Austin Bay 1356995 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/02/bil-webster-school-grading-initiative-has-become-p/1356237 Gov. Paul LePage and Commissioner of Education Stephen Bowen just released the new, well-publicized A-F school grading system for Maine public schools. Last year, the governor was impressed with the impact of this type of educational initiative in Florida, and he announced in February&rsqu... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/02/bil-webster-school-grading-initiative-has-become-p/1356237#comments Columns & Analysis A06 Print - all Approved false 2013-05-02 08:07:25 Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:13 +0000 Bill Webster 1356237 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/02/leonard-pitts-what-collins-has-done-brave-irreduci/1356888 Boom. And just like that, history is made. Just that quickly, a barrier becomes rubble. Just that fast, everything changes. “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center,” writes Jason Collins in the May 6 edition of Sports Illustrated. “I’m black. And I’m gay.&r... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/02/leonard-pitts-what-collins-has-done-brave-irreduci/1356888#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-02 00:00:22 Thu, 02 May 2013 04:00:13 +0000 Leonard Pitts Jr. 1356888 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/01/cal-thomas-abortions-contribute-societys-downfall/1356311 Addressing a meeting of Planned Parenthood last Friday, President Obama accused pro-lifers of wanting to "turn back the clock to policies more suited to the 1950s than the 21st century." Like any decade, the '50s had its problems — racism, discrimination, sexism — but I'll defe... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/05/01/cal-thomas-abortions-contribute-societys-downfall/1356311#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-05-01 00:00:40 Wed, 01 May 2013 04:00:26 +0000 Cal Thomas 1356311 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/30/david-sirota-brokaw-speaks-will-america-listen/1355564 "The stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost." — Reverend Jeremiah Wright In 2008, the hysterical backlash to the above comment by Barack Obama's minister became a high-profile example of one of the most in... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/30/david-sirota-brokaw-speaks-will-america-listen/1355564#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-30 00:00:24 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:00:16 +0000 David Sirota 1355564 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/29/woody-hanstein-john-hutson-sequestration-things-we/1354292 As veterans, we are grateful that U.S. senators from New Hampshire and Maine are working together, across party lines, to protect the jobs of hardworking women and men in the defense sector. The statement recently issued by the senators demonstrates a keen understanding of how important the Ports... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/29/woody-hanstein-john-hutson-sequestration-things-we/1354292#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-28 21:21:29 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Woody Hanstein, John Hutson 1354292 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/bill-allowing-doctor-assisted-suicide-has-troublin/1353323 More than a decade ago, the people of Maine soundly defeated a referendum regarding assisted suicide. Last year, the residents of Massachusetts also defeated legislation that would have legalized assisted suicide. Bills in Connecticut and Vermont were killed earlier in the year in those state leg... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/bill-allowing-doctor-assisted-suicide-has-troublin/1353323#comments Columns & Analysis C09 Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:50:28 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Michael Reynolds 1353323 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/responsibility-community-keep-children-safe/1353997 I walk into a first-grade classroom with an armload of 30 makeshift hula hoops shaped like a raindrop rather than a circle. They are blue and have a mass of silver duct tape at the point of the raindrop shape. The students in the class are smiling and quietly say to each other and to me &l... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/responsibility-community-keep-children-safe/1353997#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:49:29 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Bridget McAlonan 1353997 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/nras-absolutist-victory-could-backfire-end/1354101 After Newtown, and after the election of 2012, the political environment has changed. It seemed possible, for the first time in 20 years, that some reasonable restrictions on the use of firearms might pass Congress. So it was a shock when the Senate refused to do anything, killing the Manc... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/nras-absolutist-victory-could-backfire-end/1354101#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:49:13 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Douglas Rooks 1354101 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/whats-collegiate-got-do-intercollegiate-athletics/1354132 Would someone please explain to me why the term “intercollegiate athletics” contains the word “collegiate”? I don’t pretend to be a sports writer. I’m treading on this unfamiliar turf only because certain aspects of sports have societal implications that... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/whats-collegiate-got-do-intercollegiate-athletics/1354132#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:49:03 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Elliott Epstein 1354132 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/time-act-hospital-payment-plan/1350612 With talk of tanning beds, selling the Blaine House and other topics dominating the conversation in Augusta these days, I am concerned we are taking our eye off the ball. We are about halfway through the legislative session and are yet to take substantive action on Gov. Paul LePage’s... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/time-act-hospital-payment-plan/1350612#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:49:41 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Sen. Garrett Mason 1350612 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/k-cottingham-h-ewing-k-weathers-climate-change-and/1351016 Spring is finally here. Days are warmer, flowers are blooming and winter ice has melted on Lake Auburn. Many of us eagerly anticipate summer, when fishing, boating and swimming can happen at a favorite lake. This year, though, there may also be a bit of trepidation —  what lies ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/28/k-cottingham-h-ewing-k-weathers-climate-change-and/1351016#comments Columns & Analysis C08 Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 22:50:06 Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Kathryn Cottingham, Holly Ewing, Kathleen Weathers 1351016 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/27/froma-harrop-disability-benefits-morph-welfare-pro/1354320 We who work through colds, bad backs and low moods — however liberal we might be — have permission to resent those who could hold a job but don't, preferring to collect disability checks unto the decades. You see them at the coffee shop, refilling their cups in leisure, or even pumpin... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/27/froma-harrop-disability-benefits-morph-welfare-pro/1354320#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-27 00:00:24 Sat, 27 Apr 2013 04:00:12 +0000 Froma Harrop 1354320 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/26/austin-bay-congo-complexity-will-test-un-peacekeep/1353362 On March 28, the U.N. Security Council approved the creation of a war-making-peacekeeping unit, a "specialized intervention brigade" designed to destroy the vicious rogue militias that plague the Democratic Republic of Congo's chaotic eastern provinces. You won't find the oxymoron "war-mak... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/26/austin-bay-congo-complexity-will-test-un-peacekeep/1353362#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-26 00:00:19 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:13 +0000 Austin Bay 1353362 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/25/leonard-pitts-hatred-has-become-true-state-union/1353097 Ordinarily, I’d thank you for writing. But truth is, I am not grateful you wrote; your note last week was one of the more troubling things I have read. I do not blame you for leaving it unsigned. “We stand together,” I had written. “We stand defiant. And we s... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/25/leonard-pitts-hatred-has-become-true-state-union/1353097#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-25 00:00:23 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:11 +0000 Leonard Pitts Jr. 1353097 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/25/bombing-scene-walk-sobering-event/1353295 I didn't think it would get to me. Yes, I run, but I'm not what you would call a runner. Yes, I lived part of my life in Boston, but I have not called the Hub home in nearly 12 years. And yes, of course I empathized with my former, adopted home last week --- anyone with a sem... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/25/bombing-scene-walk-sobering-event/1353295#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved This makeshift memorial in Copley Square, at the intersection of Boylston and Dartmouth Streets. false 2013-04-25 00:13:47 Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:11 +0000 Justin Pelletier Sun Journal Sports Editor 1353295 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/24/cal-thomas-osama-bin-laden-would-be-pleased/1352493 The last time there was a terrorist attack on America, we got the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. Each entity has spent billions to keep us safe, but neither could stop two brothers, Tamerlan, a permanent resident, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a newly min... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/24/cal-thomas-osama-bin-laden-would-be-pleased/1352493#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-24 00:00:38 Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:15 +0000 Cal Thomas 1352493 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/22/w-whitcomb-growing-maines-natural-resources-econom/1350607 Maine’s image is built around our natural resources. These resources offer outstanding, self-renewing, economic and recreation opportunities. Every day across Maine, we benefit from unmatched outdoor visitor destinations, New England’s largest, most diversified food production and for... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/22/w-whitcomb-growing-maines-natural-resources-econom/1350607#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-22 00:00:17 Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:00:13 +0000 Commissioner Walter Whitcomb 1350607 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/keri-myrick-impact-child-abuse-and-neglect/1347760 While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral and so... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/keri-myrick-impact-child-abuse-and-neglect/1347760#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:07 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Keri Myrick 1347760 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/republicans-are-committed-protecting-maines-most-v/1350203 As a freshman legislator, I have been hired by the voters in my district to be their voice at the State House in Augusta. One of my responsibilities is to hear public testimony on legislative proposals that come before the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee. Recen... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/republicans-are-committed-protecting-maines-most-v/1350203#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:10 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Rep. Lawrence E. Lockman, R-Amherst 1350203 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/andrea-summers-immigration-reform-womens-issue/1350207 Immigration reform is not often considered to be a women’s issue but in fact is a critical part of the fight for women’s equality. The recent momentum behind Comprehensive Immigration Reform is exciting but has been missing a focus on the issues that directly affect women, girls and f... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/andrea-summers-immigration-reform-womens-issue/1350207#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:10 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Andrea Summers 1350207 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/james-odlin-maine-has-chance-land-big-catch/1350211 Once a working waterfront is gone, there’s little chance of getting it back. Maine has made a tremendous public effort to protect its working waterfront, investing taxpayer dollars and adopting new public policies to make sure that we can continue to benefit from our state’s cl... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/james-odlin-maine-has-chance-land-big-catch/1350211#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:10 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 James Odlin 1350211 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/media-so-fast-and-often-so-wrong/1351000 It's good to be first with a story, but it's more important to be right, and any news editor will tell you that. But the tragic drama in Boston last week shows just how difficult it has become to maintain that standard in the era of instant news. Perhaps the most egregious mist... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/media-so-fast-and-often-so-wrong/1351000#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:13 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Rex Rhoades, Executive Editor 1351000 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/addressing-nations-fiscal-problems-help-keep-us-sa/1351320 Like many of you, on Monday, I watched in horror and then anger as the Boston Marathon explosions filled the TV screen. Horror because of the unthinkable carnage aimed at peaceful American families celebrating a fun-filled event on a beautiful spring after... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/addressing-nations-fiscal-problems-help-keep-us-sa/1351320#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:15 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Bruce Poliquin 1351320 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/vice-and-sales-tax-increases-should-be-horizon/1351340 At the State House, the talk has turned to taxes, as inevitably it would. Gov. LePage, whose budget proposal cut $425 million from municipal funding and property tax relief, insists towns and cities must work harder at saving money. But cuts on this scale won’t work – not when ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/vice-and-sales-tax-increases-should-be-horizon/1351340#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-21 00:00:15 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:02 +0000 Douglas Rooks 1351340 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/haymarket-copley-square-extremist-bombings-prove-s/1351378 Sadly the planting of bombs to kill and maim innocent civilians isn’t a new form of political extremism. Last Monday, Patriot’s Day, two bombs exploded near the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon, killing three and sending over 170 to the hospital, 17 of them with critic... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/21/haymarket-copley-square-extremist-bombings-prove-s/1351378#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-20 22:14:58 Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000 Elliott Epstein 1351378 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/19/2013-boston-terrors-19th-century-roots/1350628 I have no idea who committed the terror attack in Boston and for what onerous reason. However, I do know that the technological and political dynamics extant in this week's massacre afflicted the late 19th century and that for some 140 years, the world has yet to balance the benefits and threats ... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/19/2013-boston-terrors-19th-century-roots/1350628#comments Columns & Analysis Print - all Approved false 2013-04-19 00:00:27 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:00:08 +0000 Austin Bay 1350628 at http://www.sunjournal.com http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/18/j-young-unemployment-hearing-officers-hold-scales/1349719 As Americans we often talk — and argue — about our rights. Our First Amendment right to free speech and right to privacy. Our Second Amendment right to bear arms. Our Fourth Amendment right to be free from unlawful searches and seizures. Many of us don’t even... http://www.sunjournal.com/news/columns-analysis/2013/04/18/j-young-unemployment-hearing-officers-hold-scales/1349719#comments Columns & Analysis Jeff Young Lepage unemployment Print - all Approved false 2013-04-18 07:18:16 Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:06 +0000 Jeff Young 1349719 at http://www.sunjournal.com