Elliot Epstein’s column (“When are just rewards just to be expected?,” Aug. 1) cited another incident of GOP hypocrisy in regard to COVID-19. Maine Rep. Chris Johansen, R-Monticello, an anti masker and anti vaxxer, came down with COVID-19 and was hospitalized. Such hypocrisy is not limited to Johansen; Paul LePage opposed Medicaid expansion, which would […]

Here’s a response to two recent letters. On July 30, Clem Bechard voiced the tiresome complaint that the CDC keeps changing its mind about masking and vaccinations. Of course it does. The virus and its variants keep mutating. The CDC responds with updated guidance. That’s what scientists do. They study the data (facts, not opinions) […]

I’m responding to Stephen Carnahan’s July 17 letter on Trooper John Darcy’s traffic stop on someone who looked like a “thug.” Carnahan apparently never in his life saw individuals who were up to no good. Fortunately for him, there are guardians out there like Darcy, who are always looking. Spotting a thug takes some time […]

Finally I see someone who is standing up to the government and saying, our children are going to be in a classroom and not at home (“Langlais: Leave Masks, Vaccine to Families,” July 31). Superintendent Jake Langlais is taking the stance that all parents should be taking for their children. Children need to be with […]

This week I heard a commentator on a news network say, “If you’re not vaccinated, go to a mirror to see an image of the only person you care about.” It was striking, but I don’t believe it’s true. I think there are unvaccinated people who simply have health-related issues, or a crisis-fear of needles, […]

A recent article (“Lewiston Democrats in turmoil as election season begins,” July 28) cited the allegations of three former Lewiston Democratic Committee officers that Vice Chair Safiya Khalid was the target of racial abuse at the committee’s July 22 meeting. I attended that meeting. I can attest that at no time did attendees engage in such […]

The good news is that the state of Maine has done quite well in surviving these difficult times. At this time, it appears our continued recovery looks positive. The not-so-good news is that Paul LePage has decided to run for governor again. Apparently he has been upset about Gov. Janet Mills’ decision making, and in […]

Republican lawmakers and conservative media gaslight Americans about the pandemic, the election results, and the uprising. For whatever reason Republican voters believe their politicians ad infinitum. Republican lawmakers and conservative media tell the same lies repeatedly and have gotten excellent mileage from them with their electorate. They see something that has gone wrong and immediately […]

I was disheartened to read Kevin Landry’s column from July 11th,”Time to move on from a cancerous past.” As a Franco-American myself, it is frustrating to hear members of our community use our history of discrimination to minimize the ongoing issue of systemic racism. Mr. Landry argues that just as Franco-Americans have suffered historical hardships […]

To mask or not to mask, that is the question. Q. To the maskers: Can you give me a good reason to wear a mask? A.: To protect your loved ones and the people around you from COVID-19. Q. To the anti-maskers: Can you give me a good reason not to wear a mask? A.: […]