I was deeply shamed when I read that someone had thrown a pig’s head into the mosque in Lewiston on July 4. I was shamed as a citizen of this community and as a long-time teacher of history at Lewiston High School.

July Fourth celebrates the date when the Constitution was finally ratified. This ratification had been delayed until 10 amendments, now known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects specific freedoms for all people living within this nation.

It is not happenstance that the first freedom protected was religion. Our founding fathers understood that these were fundamental to the country they were trying to create. It is the responsibility of all of us to uphold these freedoms at all times. Throwing a pig’s head into a Muslim mosque is the same as burning a cross or painting a swastika on a synagogue – acts which we must vehemently condemn.

We need to show our Muslim neighbors that we support them as we did in the winter of 2002. We don’t need a rally to do so. Simply nod at your Muslim neighbors, express your sympathies to your Muslim friends, and speak out to condemn the actions of those who have yet to learn what makes a true American: a person who supports and defends the Bill of Rights and our Constitution.

Joan M. Macri, Auburn