Are we “expendable”? John Wayne made a movie about the sacrifices PT boats made to secure victory. I was reminded of that movie recently while attending the wind energy debate in Dixfield.

Dr. Richard Jennings made a powerful impression (much like Eli Wallace, state psychiatrist, in Barbara Streisand’s movie “Nuts”). Jennings said he wanted to end global warming for the sake of his nine grandchildren. He then dismissed the reports of people in Mars Hill leaving their homes because of the wind farm noise and vibrations. The unstable Mars Hill people were “exaggerating” the problem.

Dismissing their concerns, Jennings said they should sacrifice their health to the greater good of stopping global warming.

But we are not expendable.

A company that brings a major new facility into a town carries the burden of proving that facility will do no harm. The residents of the town are not required to prove that the facility will do harm.

Where was Jennings’ peer-reviewed science that showed that no harm would come to the residents of Dixfield?

Maine’s future is in its quality of place — the small towns, the forests, mountains and coastline. Where is the “quality of place” in small towns no one can live in because the forests have been clear-cut for wind turbines on the mountains?

Jonathan Albrecht, Dixfield

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