A Falmouth writer recently questioned the commitment of Portland’s leaders to solving our city’s homelessness crisis, suggesting summer’s malaise has given way to election-season posturing (“Are city officials really focused on solving homelessness?” Oct. 25). Portland, its residents – both housed and unhoused – its workers, business owners, and leaders are all deeply focused on […]

On the current trajectory, we will all experience the horrors of gun violence. How many people have to die before the American people say that the right to live is more important than the right to own a gun? This is about money and power: gun manufacturers making lots of money and the NRA keeping […]

How often can one simple policy contribute decisively to solving two of our nation’s greatest challenges? Our national goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions over the decade and achieving net zero by 2050 can be accomplished most cheaply, and most surely, if we tax the use of fossil fuels. The benefits of this policy – […]

“Where have all the flowers gone?” American icon Pete Seeger sang. “When will we ever learn?” This question stands. Our children, family, friends and neighbors die at the hands of angry, violent men (mostly) and boys shooting legal assault weapons at innocent, peaceful citizens trying to live freely. We increasingly use firearms to kill ourselves […]

After the tragedy in Lewiston on Wednesday, assault rifles should be outlawed in Maine. Assault rifles are used in warfare, on the front lines, to kill as many people as possible at the same time in self-defense. We need to outlaw assault rifles in Maine and ignore those who blame human beings; the guns are […]

As the complexities of Wednesday’s deadly mass shootings unfold in our backyard, I am reminded that our lawmakers have continuously rejected opportunities to address violence at its root cause. I have spent the past few months lobbying and organizing for federal funding of community violence interruption programs. If funding were passed, it would allow organizations […]

Around 2 a.m. Thursday, our daughter called from the West Coast, concerned for our safety after hearing about the Lewiston mass shootings and the fugitive status of the gunman. While I have not yet heard Sen. Susan Collins’ statement on this latest tragic violence, I suspect she’ll also be “concerned.” Unlike my daughter’s genuine concern, […]

The single most important task for the long-term survival of the human race is peacemaking. Regional wars involving nuclear powers are now raging in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Escalation risks are high and containment efforts are essential. The U.S. has a critical role to play in this work. Gone are the days when […]