January 6 was indeed, as many people have remarked, a banana republic-worthy event, but the same would be true of a prosecution of a former president.
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.
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Posted inLetters, Opinion
William Phillips: U.S. needs leaders who embrace sensible gun control
Once again we are confronted with the stark reality of violence in America. In Maine we have seen “leaders” proclaiming things like “it can’t happen here because our students feel a sense of belonging.” Wishful thinking. Our “leaders” boast about making access to firearms easier. More guns are not the solution, they are the problem. […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Pamela Larouche: Auburn planning needs more input from residents
The Auburn Planning Board met on June 21 and assured citizens present that it would not put a McDonald’s or Dunkin Donuts on neighborhood street corners. What a relief. Then the board debated where residents’ stores should be placed … underneath living quarters, attached or in a separate building to the side. Not settling that, […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Richard Gouette: ‘Brakey proved that regular people can make a difference’
Many Mainers feel powerless to affect decisions in Augusta. That used to be me. However, after getting involved in grassroots efforts in recent years, I learned what a big difference people can make. For our family, it started when our teenage son volunteered to help Eric Brakey on his first campaign for Maine Senate in […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Froma Harrop: The conversation about guns could be smarter
A bipartisan proposal in the Senate would at least limit access by the mentally ill. What it wouldn’t do is prevent the not-yet-certified insane from buying these guns. The worst mass shooter in U.S. history — the monster who killed 58 and wounded over 500 in Las Vegas — was just your average loner with low self-esteem.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: How Joe Biden torched his credibility
The president’s handling of events has been poor, and the same with his policies. But nothing has been quite as bad as his snakebit, maladroit, poorly informed, dishonest attempts to spin away the miserable results of his governance, especially on the economy.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Republicans are the threat
Truth is, violence — the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump — is the only reason many of us even know Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s name. The Illinois congressman is one of just two Republicans — Rep. Liz Cheney is the other — who had the moral fortitude to serve on the House committee investigating that attempted coup. Hence, the threats from fellow Republicans.
