Quarterback Colin Kaepernick got himself banished from the National Football League in 2016 because he took a knee during the national anthem to call attention to police violence against Black people. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” […]
Forecaster opinion
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Mainewhile: A crisis is a terrible thing to waste
We are so fortunate. Here in our region, and in Maine as a whole, our public schools are amazing. The curricula is strong, the teachers are both dedicated and skilled, and the entire learning environment is focused on meeting the needs of each individual learner. This spring, just as everyone was really hitting their stride […]
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Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: This summer, venture beyond the Maine cliche
At the beginning of each summer, right about the time when the midday sun is highest and the days start getting shorter, I start thinking about Maine’s famously long, still, frigid, weary, dead winters again. They’re so evil they read like the opening line of a Faulkner novel. Late June stirs the worst kind of […]
Posted inCoastal Journal
Over Easy: Virtual graduation speech to the virtual Class of 2020, Part 2
So, where were we? Yes, I had stated my wish for the class of 2020 to stop looking for answers and instead focus on the questions. By questioning everything I mean you should try walking while squinting, the way you do when you’re driving down an open road and can’t quite read the sign coming […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: For equity, be the change we wish to see
Extreme challenges often drive difficult yet productive change. That thought gives me some hope as we all grapple with the outpouring of grief and outrage spurred by the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. I joined city and school officials in standing and kneeling with protesters at a recent peaceful demonstration to decry […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: BLM should demand less government, not more
Everyone reading this newspaper agrees that black lives matter. (I’d be surprised if our readership included racists, which are already few and far between in our tolerant state and probably not diligent newspaper readers.) But I’d venture another guess that fewer readers would as enthusiastically support the group known as Black Lives Matter after visiting […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
The Universal Notebook: Losing track of time
Woke up from a nap Tuesday afternoon and was convinced it was Sunday. At 71, either I have begun to fail or I have found the secret to happiness. I am constantly losing track of time and I no longer give a damn. The pandemic and Carolyn’s retirement have conspired to destroy my temporal orientation. […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Life Unwound: Now what?
Your teenage daughter says, “I’m pregnant.” Your summer cabin floods. Your son gets jailed for OUI. And then stronger stressors. A virus starts; the world stops. The planet shuts down until public killings and passionate protests open it up. How do we manage? One friend who leans toward worst-case scenarios has nightmares. A yogi pal […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Forum: White members of the media can’t take a pass on covering racist police behavior
In the last week, America and Maine experienced seismic changes, from Trump calling out the military to crack down on peaceful protesters to demonstrators demanding a change in the centuries-old practice of how black and brown individuals are policed. I turned to the June 5, 2020, issue of the Southern Forecaster eager to see how the profound […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Forum: Watch out world, here comes the class of 2020
Dear Class of 2020, We are your parents and we have watched over three months as rituals and rites of passage have slipped away on you. We are so sorry this happened and also sorry there was nothing we could do to fix it. It is hard on a parent to watch a child confront […]