This is in response to Scott Roberts’ letter (July 30) in which he wrote about my response (July 23) to Dwight Murphy’s objection to the extensive burdening of taxpayers in order to give immigrants “everything they want” (July 21).

Roberts said that I was apparently confusing logic with literalism in describing my samplings of Maine humor that were used to support my political views.

In view of the fact that Maine humor is, without a doubt, a prime example of being “literal,” this surely would have been an excellent word to add to my text.

However, I deliberately chose “logical” because the Collins English Dictionary defines “logical” as “capable of or characterized by clear or valid reasoning.”

In my opinion, there aren’t that many standout illustrations for that definition that can beat Maine humor and, in particular, its responses to the questions, “Have you lived here all your life?” and those who ask about that enigmatic “road to Bangor.”

That particular form of wit has a quirky capability to segue a familiar interpretation process into instantly thinking outside of the box while still making perfect sense — a good example of “tickling the funny bone.”

I just wanted to thank Murphy for his view on this particular tax-and-spend issue because that was actually my primary example of someone being highly “capable of or characterized by clear or valid reasoning.” I would probably vote for someone who sees the issue in the same way.

David Theriault, Rumford


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.