Pornography is often tasteless. It can debase women and cheapen sexual intimacy. But should it be one of the U.S. attorney general’s top priorities?According to a story in The Washington Post on Tuesday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is launching a new FBI squad to go after the “manufacturers and purveyors” of pornography.The new squad, which […]

It’s hard to turn down federal money, but Maine made the correct decision in refusing $161,000 in funding for abstinence-only education.The money comes with mountains of strings attached, and the limitations on its use undermine the state’s already effective sexual education programs.According to the 2005 Kids Count Data Book, Maine ranks fourth best in the […]

Simon Wiesenthal, a famed Nazi hunter and Holocaust survivor, died Tuesday. He was 96.Wiesenthal doggedly pursued war criminals involved in German atrocities which claimed the lives of 6 million European Jews during World War II. He may be best remembered for his sometimes-disputed role in the pursuit of Adolph Eichmann, one of the architects of […]

Constraining North Korea’s nuclear ambitions will require much more than the written agreement released Monday by the six nations taking part in disarmament negotiations.Essentially, after three years of sharp rhetoric focusing on the “axis of evil” and regime change, the United States has returned to the broad outlines of a deal adopted by the Clinton […]

The presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 have shaken confidence in the country’s electoral system. A bipartisan commission has come up with recommendations to restore faith in the system.Combining elements that would increase ballot access while also protecting against fraud, the commission has presented Congress with a list of workable ideas. The question now is […]

With the tragic consequences of the government’s inaction still so fresh, it’s hard to believe that New Orleans’ mayor is prepared to throw caution to the wind by allowing the city’s residents a premature return.The danger has not passed in New Orleans. The toxic floodwaters that ravaged an estimated 80 percent of the city have […]

L.L. Bean has built its successful business, in part, by capitalizing on the reputation and allure of Maine.In return, the retailer has been generous in giving back to the state, with its philanthropy and community activism. The state has also benefited from the carefully crafted image that L.L. Bean has helped to create – the […]

While President Bush was standing among the ruins of New Orleans on Thursday night and promising to rebuild the drowned city, his allies in the Senate were introducing legislation that would suspend environmental laws for projects involved in the Katrina recovery.The bill would give the Bush administration the ability to change or disregard laws regarding […]

Starting this weekend, it’s going to be a little harder for convicted sexual offenders to keep their past crimes a secret.On Saturday, a new state law went into effect requiring anyone sentenced for sex crimes as far back as 1982 to register on the state’s Web-based Sex Offender Registry. Until now, only convictions back to […]

Lewiston remains a top destination for sex offenders in the state.It’s not the kind of No. 1 ranking a community puts on its economic development posters.Eighty-five registered sex offenders live in Lewiston, more than in Portland, Bangor or Augusta.An investigation by the Sun Journal in 2002 showed similar results and prompted a great deal of […]