Election season is upon us again, and that means perennial candidate Eric Brakey is on the ballot. A self-described lover of “small government,” Brakey apparently thinks that a government-issued paycheck beats dancing in videos and sharing his thoughts about the writings of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius on podcasts. If he’s elected, we can expect more […]
Alex Lear
Staff Writer
Alex Lear is a lifelong Mainer who has spent 25 years in journalism -- the first 20 as a reporter for newspapers in Damariscotta and Falmouth, then as Opinions section editor for the Sun Journal and now a digital producer with the Maine Trust for Local News. His long-running “Learics” column won first place in the Maine Press Association’s 2023 Better Newspaper Contest. He and his wife Lauren are kept young by their 9-year-old daughter Alaina. Send feedback and suggestions to Alex.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Gary McGrane: Hoke ‘has her finger on the pulse’ of House District 76
Our state representative, Sheila Lyman, voted against issues most important to Jay, Livermore Falls and Livermore. I am deeply disappointed. She is a retired teacher and claims to support education, but voted against laws that would have benefited students, parents and teachers. A dismal record. Other issues most important to her constituents besides education are […]
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Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Austin Bay: Xi Jinping’s face assassination of Hu Jintao is a strategic warning for America
Revving China’s economy isn’t Xi’s game. War is Xi’s aim, a war to seize Taiwan that leads to a big one with the U.S. As Xi calculates, given the Biden administration’s haplessness, the war ends in a stalemate. With American weakness exposed, America’s Asian allies kowtow to Beijing and Xi’s China reigns preeminent in east Asia.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Froma Harrop: The witch trials were really not funny
Salem is famous for the 1692 witch trials, which has made “Halloween in Salem” a bucket list item. That’s good for the Halloween-themed businesses, which have taken over downtown. Not so good for locals wanting to pick up groceries or do early voting at the City Hall Annex. And certainly not good for an understanding of the tragedy behind the merrymaking.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Leonard Pitts Jr.: The caucacity of nope
The word is a new coinage, a portmanteau of “Caucasian” and “audacity” denoting a brand of white arrogance and entitlement that has become tiresomely familiar in recent years. It often plays out in episodes — sometimes fatal — wherein some white person takes it upon themselves to police people of color who are just trying to live their lives.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: Diplomacy in Ukraine shouldn’t be politically incorrect
Although it’s possible that the Russia war machine, if it can be called that, simply collapses in Ukraine, it is more likely that war will end in some messy compromise involving a negotiated settlement. Acknowledging this — and that the continuation of the conflict is a humanitarian catastrophe with enormous costs for the West and the world — shouldn’t be a quasi-thought crime.
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Mark Cayer: House 96 candidate Lajoie ‘a true public servant’
I write this letter in support of Mike Lajoie’s bid to be elected to the State House, representing District 96. I have worked with Mike many times, over the years. During my time as mayor, Mike was elected council president by his peers. On a weekly basis, Mike and I would meet to discuss policies […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Don Berry: Bishop ‘the real deal’ for House District 77
Bonny Bishop would make a good representative in House District 77. Everything Bonny has done in her life from her education, employment, military service — as well as her love of the Maine woods, lakes and mountains — qualifies her as a good steward. She has a passion for small business and for volunteering at […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Michael Boom: ‘Good will always prevail against evil men’
Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, a disgrace to humanity, a demagogue, an insecure leader, a supreme bully, the closest thing to Adolf Hitler since the word Holocaust was invented, the architect of the newest form of another Holocaust. Pure evil for which we must all be delivered from. The reason good will always prevail […]