Over the past year, Lewiston’s tragic massacre and subsequent events have rightfully been reported in many newspapers. Various people and groups have been examined about their roles in what happened and how it may have been prevented. May we address two items?

First, our United States Army, which has valiantly defended Americans for centuries, has been questioned and their processes about evaluating this murderer have been reviewed thoroughly it seems. Reporters have offered us from our Army the following words: “We did nothing wrong.” Perhaps a question to them should be: “What did you do right?” If everything was done “right,” would 18 sacred people be dead and 13 people be living with AR-15 wounds? Would families and friends be living with emotional scars never to be fully healed? What could have been done right? Would it be right and honorable to admit what wasn’t done right? Would such a statement restore, in many hearts and minds, our Army’s honor?

Press Herald editors should follow a precedent, set by many media and print press organizations after mass shootings in our country: Stop printing this murderer’s name. Not only is his name receiving much more visibility than those who died and were wounded, his name resurfaces untold pain within victims’ families, but also likely within his relatives. From someone who lost a brother to gun violence, stop printing his name. Refer to him as the shooter, murderer or something else. Mainers know his name and need not be reminded of it over and over.

June and Roy Smoot
Kennebunk