We stand in solidarity with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization) in calling for Leroy Walker to resign as a council representative of Auburn. As lifelong citizens of Auburn, we agree with City Councilor Tim Macleod, that “Racism has no place in Auburn or any community.” It is our […]
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
Alfreda Fournier: Auburn councilor made ‘honest error,’ deserves support
I watched in horror as Councilor Leroy Walker’s story went from 0 to 100 in a heartbeat. The sensationalizing news report was way out of proportion, was taken totally out of context and did not reflect his honest intentions. Leroy worked as councilor under Mayor John Jenkins. They were good friends. It was not his […]
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Posted inLetters, Opinion
Steven Goulet: County employee bonus wastes taxpayers’ money
It is amazing that Androscoggin officials are giving employees at the county building a $5,000 bonus from federal monies for doing their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic (“Budget Committee wants say in how Androscoggin County spends federal relief money,” Sept. 9). The monies could have been used to help curb the increase that every town […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
In rebuttal: Lucien Wabanonik: Hydro-Quebec has mistreated First Nations tribes
A Sept. 2 letter by Serge Abergel, an employee of Hydro-Quebec, made false claims about the government-owned company’s historical and continued mistreatment of First Nations tribes in Canada. As a member of the Anishnabeg tribe, which is one of three tribes which has had our land and resources stolen from us, I feel compelled to […]
Posted inLetters, Opinion
Austin Conrad Jr.: Auburn councilor’s comments were shameful
I’m a 60-year citizen of Auburn disgusted with the conduct of Auburn Councilor Leroy Walker, based on the disturbing headline and story published in the Sun Journal Sept. 9 (“Racist comments from Auburn city councilor tarnish agreement to name footbridge after John Jenkins“). Let me begin by stating that Walker represents the community at large, […]
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Leonard Pitts Jr.: America has always run from the truth of itself
Consider that Virginia used to celebrate not Martin Luther King Day, but a monstrosity it called Lee-Jackson-King day, pairing King with [Robert E.] Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, as if a moral ocean did not yawn between a Black civil-rights icon and two slave-holding Confederate generals. America, you see, has always run from the truth of itself. That’s what made Lee’s last retreat so satisfying.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Cal Thomas: The next terrorist attack
With their win in Afghanistan, terrorists by whatever name can only be further motivated to conduct new attacks. What might those look like? From experience we know they prefer the big event, such as crashing airliners into buildings and blowing up high value targets. There are other options when big targets are not vulnerable.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Rich Lowry: When a Western society goes insane
The coronavirus is a serious illness, and no country has gotten everything right. Australia has proven, though, that dispensing with key elements of advanced liberal society in the hopes of total victory over the virus is foolhardy and wrong.
Posted inOp-Eds, Opinion
Bob Neal: The Countryman: How did 9/11 shape us 20 years later?
Sad to say, it seems to take monstrous misfortune to unite us. The Great Depression. Pearl Harbor. 9/11. The COVID-19 pandemic, not so much. Something has happened in the past 20 years to pull us apart. Had we united against the coronavirus as we did against the Axis powers or al-Qaeda, we might have beat the virus by now.