Pro-gun rocker Ted Nugent’s bombastic comments on the president and the story of how two members of the Bangor City Council felt they should dis-invite Nugent to a summertime festival in the Queen City prompted vigorous commenting by our online audience this week.

One story from the Bangor Daily News on how Nugent’s show will go on saw 15 comments. Among them were comments by Allisa Milliard of Sabattus, who wrote:

“Maybe they should get Yanni or Kenny G. to play Bangor’s waterfront instead. Perhaps performers should have to apply to play first, with questions concerning their political leanings being their decider. Dixie Chicks would be a sure vote.

“ ‘I am far from a political historian, but I do know music has played a special part in civil disobedience, especially when it pertains to our government,’ concert promoter Alex Gray said.

“The 1960s demonstrated that, and you don’t need to be any type of expert to know that and they are right to be afraid of other performers canceling because a performer was canceled due to political statements. American performers have the right to political speech, no matter who the president is.”

Veronica Child of Mexico reasoned, in part: “Don’t get me wrong, I have definitely rocked out to the great tunes of Ted and I admire him for his devoted stand on the right to bear arms. That said, the man is crazy. I really wish people would do their homework before they take up ‘causes’ and today’s cause is Ted … We are not talking about a man that intelligently made realistic statements that are in any way constructive; please look up the video. … I guess I would say that if he’s being paid to sing, then he should sing. He should definitely leave his archaic, political freak-show rhetoric at home. Rock on!”

News that the U.S. Air Force was studying the airspace over Maine for training by pilots flying the new F-35 fighter jet based in Burlington, Vt., attracted this bit of verbal flak from online reader Zack Lenhert of Lewiston:

“Talk about a waste of taxpayers’ money …”

Douglas Mac antSaior of Auburn shot back, writing in part: “Yeah, you’re right. Spending tax dollars to train our military on cutting-edge equipment to keep our country safe, what a waste. Let’s spend it on worthy causes like morbidly obese derelicts on scooters crying for more MaineCare because they gorged themselves on high-fructose corn syrup the last 20-plus years.”

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Some comments have been edited for length, grammar and spelling.

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