As the fascination with assault rifles seem to dominate our collective imagination as “needed” weapons for whatever purpose, be it mass shootings or just “fun,” might we find compromise in a temporary solution to the too-easy access to these weapons? If one buys one of these weapons, it will be registered (after a full background […]

“Oh, that would never happen in Maine.” How many times have we heard that now obviously ridiculous statement? Now that no one can any longer make such a statement, what will it take for our state – and our country – to wake up and realize that we must enact sensible gun control laws, starting […]

In his commentary published last Sunday, Marc Champion painted a bucolic picture of Gaza that he visited two months ago, writing that “when an attack on Israel resulted in unimaginable grief for Gazans,” life as he knew it in Gaza was destroyed. (“Amid Israel-Hamas war, some still see a path to coexistence,” Nov. 5) He […]

As someone who, beginning in the winter of 1971-72, with friends, slept atop some 25 Maine mountains over January and February holiday weekends through the ‘90s, I enjoyed Carey Kish’s column, “Annual trek with friends grows into special outing,” Nov. 5. Some things never change: Bring friends together in the magnificent Maine woods, and it’s […]

We, along with USM vice chair Dean Murray, write to commend Chancellor Dannel Malloy for his recent opinion piece stressing the need to invest in Maine’s public university infrastructure (Oct. 20). We applaud the Chancellor’s commitment, and wish to highlight the remarkable recent successes of the University of Southern Maine (USM) in this regard. As […]

Perusing the front page of the Press Herald’s Local and State section, Oct. 24, I was reminded of all the state of Maine has to offer the nation, from technological innovation in forest bioproducts, to the L.L. Bean Nutmobile, to pioneering astronaut Jessica Meir. Another such offering is Rep. Chellie Pingree’s proposed Asylum Seeker Work […]

Why can’t our lawmakers do what the vast majority of Americans want in gun control legislation? How many more lives must be lost? Why are these weapons still being made available when their only purpose is so obvious? I also wonder how much longer gun control advocates must be accused of “politicizing.” I might also […]

My buddy Gordon and I spent many a delightful hour in a vacant lot, drilling each other with ever-loaded cap pistols until our mothers called us for dinner. At a popular summer camp, we fired 22s at targets in hopes of winning sharpshooter badges. The dinner summons always won, and besides, we were hungry. We […]

Regarding two-bit actor and one-trick pony, Gianni Russo, being given the VIP treatment in your newspaper, we quote one of our Roman ancestors: “Et tu?” (“‘Godfather’ actor doesn’t refuse offers from new Maine friends,” Nov. 6). However, we are not surprised. Mario Puzo’s pulp novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s allegedly “classier” adaptation created one of […]