Exactly 50 years ago, a senator from Maine stood before the cameras on election eve, and told the American people that the president’s “law and order” campaign was a danger to the country’s freedoms. The senator was Ed Muskie, and the president was Richard Nixon, and the fight for congressional control in 1970 bears strong […]

GOP can’t win with ranked-choice voting. That’s why they oppose it. I can’t help but wonder why there is another referendum drive about ranked-choice voting. Twice, a majority of Maine citizens have voted for a new election system that would honor the will of a majority of voters. The Maine legislature refused to enact the […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we are constantly learning new ways to function in a socially distant world. Last weekend, I learned that keeping distance and practicing public health does not need to be a barrier to standing up to injustice. Just as our state is adjusting to reopening, we as a society are adjusting […]

On Monday night, the President of the United States plowed away peaceful protestors using tear gas, rubber bullets and officers on horses in order to walk to the St. John’s Episcopal Church and get a photo of himself holding a Bible. The narcissist-in-chief outdid himself this time. Every patriotic American who cares about this country […]

In this space last week, I wrote about the importance of really listening to what black and brown Americans are trying to tell us as they’ve taken to the streets – propelled by generations of anger and sadness – to call for the same treatment and access to opportunity white Americans take for granted. This […]

The U.S. now stands at an historic moment. Three major issues, cutting to the core of the country, are at stake. From the arrival of the first African slaves four centuries ago, Americans have grappled unsuccessfully with relations between the black and white races. Neither the Civil War nor the civil rights movement produced a […]

Forget the St. John, Allagash or Moose Rivers. As far as I’m concerned, the Machias River is the best canoe trip in Maine. A free-flowing river with a large watershed, it begins in the lakes region of northern Washington County and then tumbles for eighty miles to the sea in the coastal community of Machias. Meaning […]

In 2018 Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment ending the disenfranchisement of ex-convicts. Though it excluded people convicted of murder or sexual offenses, Amendment 4 restored voting rights to felons “after they complete all the terms of their sentence including parole or probation.” Civil rights groups and prisoner rights groups celebrated the election result. In […]

Around this time, college graduates should be marching together to receive their hard-earned diplomas. High school seniors should be winding up classes, studying for finals, and preparing for their own graduation ceremonies. Neighbors should be gathering to celebrate these remarkable young adults as they move to the next stage of their lives. This year, however, […]

The protests in reaction to the death of George Floyd were inevitable and understandable. Some consider racism as the original sin of our country, but others consider racism as the very origin of our country. As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of those Europeans who set foot here, we must memorialize the genocide of indigenous peoples, as […]