Bangor Daily News

Correcting the Record

Don't Let Heart Rule Wallet

During this active hurricane season, our hearts go out to people who have lost loved ones, homes and property. Before we open our wallets, we should take a hard look at those who solicit funds in the name of helping storm victims - they may be simply helping themselves. Right after a major weather event, fraudulent appeals begin. They often take the form of heart-wrenching e-mails accompanied by photos of storm damage and displaced persons. Clicking on these attachments can subject your compu...

Palin Political Blunder

Unless John McCain is very lucky, his selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate will probably go down as the political blunder of the century. Although we will never see any, I would love to read interviews concerning the pick with Mitt Romney, Joseph Lieberman and Tim Pawlenty, all of whom spent a lot of time, effort and money seeking that position - and any one of whom would have been far more qualified. Mr. McCain, who I respect greatly for his military history, has spent months comp...

Nothing to Laugh About

John McCain's supporters say he has a great sense of humor. But are McCain's jokes, which all too often ridicule, demean and degrade others, really funny? McCain has been quoted as referring to Leisure Village, an Arizona retirement community, as "Seizure Village," and as joking that the best part of having Alzheimer's disease is that "you get to hide your own Easter eggs." Other McCain classics include his Chelsea Clinton ugly joke, his bomb Iran song and his recent quip that he has stopped ...

Filling in the Blanks

The author of the letter to the editor in the Aug. 30-31 edition of the BDN concerning Sen. Obama's vice presidential pick seems to be espousing a deeply felt certitude: "Sen. Obama did not select his running mate last week. He selected his running mate 20 years ago. Her name is Michelle." While the statement resounds with a certain definitiveness, the author's true intentions remain unclear. Those of us who are cynics feel the author must have been burned by some of Michelle Obama's comments...

Allen a Better Choice

I've heard Susan Collins' political advertisements frequently in the past weeks. These ads contain feel-good messages but do not reflect the kind of representation Maine needs and deserves. Sen. Collins says she is proud to have brought a large number of defibrillators to Maine, but what is her record on pushing for real improvements in health care? She advertises tax credits for teachers to pay for school supplies, but does not mention that her bill (S.1727) is a credit for "an amount equal ...

On Animal Testing

Carolyn McKinnon's letter "Animal terror" (BDN, Sept. 3) reeks with childish emotionalism. More importantly, it illustrates the dangerously convoluted value system of so-called animal rights extremists who elevate animal life above human life. McKinnon objects to Frankie Trull's condemnation of domestic terrorists who firebomb buildings and threaten people's lives. She also laments animals used for research, "crying in fear and pain, never seeing the light of day, never being able to run or p...

Collins the Right Choice

Why is Tom Allen bringing a Congressman from California to Maine to try and tell us how to vote? Do they think they know Sen. Collins better than we do? I know Sen. Collins and I know she is a hard-working senator who always puts Maine first. She has fought for better health care, better education, and better security for our nation. As one of the leaders of the Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Collins is one of the most powerful and influential members of the Senate. It's too bad that Tom A...

'We Want Our Hospital Back' Internal Tension at Dech in Machias Awakens the Community

MACHIAS - Walk into any restaurant, coffee shop or gathering place in the Machias area these days and talk is the same: What is going on at Down East Community Hospital? As with most things controversial, the answer depends on whom you ask.

After Labor Day

The Labor Day weekend is an end and a beginning. For many summer folks, it is time to leave for jobs and school. One might get a sense that Maine is closing down for the year. For the rest of us - and for the visitors who have experienced the beauty of fall and can stay a while longer - it is the start of a lovely season that lacks the noise and traffic of summer and offers plenty to do in the crisp, cool weeks that lie ahead.

Prisoner Rights, Wrongs

A federal lawsuit filed by a Maine state prisoner raises difficult questions about constitutional rights and the nature of incarceration. The prisoner, Deane Brown, was serving a 58-year sentence in the Maine State Prison in Warren for a series of burglaries, thefts and robberies. For nine months in 2006 he regularly telephoned the host of a Saturday morning program on Rockland's low-frequency radio station, WRFR-FM. The host put him on the air to report on problems, as perceived from the pri...