Can a creepy racist weirdo be elected to high public office?
Well, obviously.
But I’m not talking about THAT creepy racist weirdo. No need to search so far afield to find repulsive political mutants, when we have a sizable septic-tank clog of them right here in Maine.
The local variety is easy to spot, not attempting to hide all that hate behind catchphrases like “Build That Wall” or “Send Her Back.” The native scum come right out and say whatever’s on their diseased little brains.
Prime example: Republican state Rep. Larry Lockman of Bradley.
Earlier this month, Lockman, who is term-limited out of his House seat, announced he’s running for the state Senate district including Bucksport, Brewer, Holden, Castine and numerous other towns and unorganized territories. This is rock-solid GOP territory, so if Lockman wins next June’s primary, he’s virtually assured of taking the seat.
He is not, however, virtually assured of winning the primary. Republican state Sen. Kim Rosen of Bucksport is the incumbent, and she’s seeking another term. Rosen is rarely in the limelight, tending to concentrate on local issues, but two years ago, she did manage to make the enemies list of (speaking of racists) former GOP Gov. Paul LePage for the heinous crime of voting to keep state government open, even though LePage preferred to shut it down.
Naturally, the ex-governor is endorsing Lockman.
Some slimy baggage comes with that. In announcing his candidacy, Lockman was uncharacteristically restrained, merely accusing Democrats of being more concerned with helping “new Mainers” than “old Mainers.” But to put that in context, he had previously characterized a proposed state office to aid immigrants as part of a “war on whites.” In letters to newspapers, he’s described homosexuality as “a perverted and depraved crime against humanity” and argued that if abortion is legal, rape should be, too. In 2016, he mailed a campaign flier (without required information on who paid for it) that called Portland an “ISIS incubator.” This year, he tried to pass a bill making it illegal for public-school teachers to discuss instances of racial discrimination or oppression. As reported in The Bollard, his Maine First Media website has run stories headlined “EXPOSED: Open Border Leftists Plot to Invade Rural Maine with Muslim Refugees.” Lockman told the magazine, “It’s called civilizational jihad. I mean, some of them brag about it. ‘We will outbreed the infidels.’ And when you look at birthrates among those Somali women, it won’t take long in Lewiston. One or two generations and boom! We need extreme vetting.” According to a 2016 op-ed, that vetting would require “a minimum five-year moratorium on all immigration into the United States.”
Lockman insists none of this is racist. In an op-ed last year, he said he’d welcome immigrants, so long as they’re “English speaking U.S. citizens from other states.”
Lest you think Lockman is a one issue candidate, know that back in the 1980s, he embraced the cause of so-called sovereign citizens, filing a lawsuit against the federal government claiming he was exempt from paying income tax. And lest you think his ideology is consistent, know that in 2013, he published an op-ed chastising Democrats for failing to compromise, followed less than two months later by one criticizing Republicans for even considering making a deal.
He’s correct about not compromising, at least when it comes to Larry Lockman holding high public office.
No way.
I hate to appear racist, but I prefer emails to aldiamon@herniahill.net be in English.
Paul and his wife had planned to adopt a toddler from Jamaica (their regular vacation spot) but found the bureaucratic/legalistic barriers exhausting. A woman working at the Jamaican agency suggested her son. So they adopted (de facto) an adolescent, brought him up in their home and say him through college.
Al calls him a racist, because his actions are meaningless, but he says things that violate the political correctness code,. Al, as far as I know, has never done anything significant for any POC but he has never written anything that violates the PC code so he get to call anyone he likes a racist.
I like Larry, he enjoys igniting Al and other guardians of the prevailing pieties. He enjoys being the object of hatred and he enjoys raising political hell. He serves as a one-man antidote to the sticky blob of sensitivity that engulfs our declining Republic.
Catholic Charities of Maine has aided 12000 Muslim refugees since 2011, while helping a mere 3000 Mainers during the same time frame. Currently there are around 20,000 Muslim refugees living between Portland and Lewiston and all points in between. And with Mills wanting to allow more and has granted them full state benefit eligible, that is 20,000 benefit packages that Mainers aren’t going to get. So if an elected official has a colorful way of saying they support Maine and Maine citizens over an influx of Muslim refugees, I can say that is not a real big turn off for me. If an elected official CAN’T put Maine and her native population FIRST, that is a major turn off for me. Maine is 95% white, so by majority rules if you are not in favor of helping Mainers you are by definition anti-white when looked at by race, so if by helping Maine citizens whose largest group is white and the other racial groups that make up Maine’s native population as well is racist, well then so be it. Hey here is a thing to get your racial justice funny bone, the Maine state prison system has a larger population of whites than blacks, go figure.
Well Thanks Al,,
I know who I am voting for now..
“Anyone” is better than a PC Hypocritcal Liberal.
If the Libs are howling,,,Vote for that person.
Its often the case that the person yelling the loudest is often the person hiding their own racism.
I have to agree with Hrtlss….
I am not surprised at the people here defending Lockman and LePage. Accuse them of being racists, some of them will object with vigor, but their words condemn them.
Governor LePage did right by Maine. Paul wasn’t a big fan of welfare handouts and he would tell you exactly that without sugar coating. The recent wave of illegals arriving in Maine are here for the free taxpayer welfare ride promised by our gov. Ironically, all this fawning over these illegal folks is wasted because, most if not all will never qualify for asylum. They would have a better chance in Canada and it’s a short drive.
Just an observation from a simple man. If the words racist, nazi, homophobe, neocon, islamaphobe, sexist,
Xenophobe, bigoted, and white supremacists never existed in the English language there wouldn’t be a single
Democrat holding public office today.
Larry’s House district was redrawn by the Dems to include Bradley, a town they thought was blue enough to result in his ouster. Turns out they like Larry, and last year he moved there from Amherst.
So his challenge to Senator Rosen is a consequence of Democratic gerrymandering. Gotta love it.
Many people (seems Wayne, too) seriously confuse statements of fact with ‘racism’. Discussing facts is NOT racist…such as the recent “what human being would want to live there?” (Trump re. a section of Baltimore that is hell on earth)….NOT RACIST.
It really appears that the more ‘educated’ some folks in a ‘college town’ become, the more they cannot grasp the most simple of concepts. I think people really ARE becoming unable to think for themselves.
“Hrtlss” nailed it.
Words like racist and racism should be in quotation marks when in print these days.
I’m surprised Al hasn’t moved to Portland yet!
I’m going to let my hair go white, wear ridiculous hats put Bernie stickers all over the back of my car and only shop at Renys. Funny how most liberals are all old hippies who may have ingested too much LSD back in the day, Al you included .
Hope this isn’t considered racist because you don’t agree with me.
By the way I love Renys.
Once a Muslim refugee takes residence in Maine, that person is a Mainer. Helping them means helping Mainers. America is all about diversity. Once it was the Irish, the French, the Chinese who were hated for being dfiferent. Now it’s the Muslims. But they are becoming part of the state and the country, and will be part of the rich tapestry that America is all about.
It’s amazing how triggered and sensitive the above commenters get and swing blindly to defend Lockman or just throw red herrings to distract the social responsibility of the party. It’s like you have nothing real to say in his defense so you just start name calling based on what your social media memes told you to think Liberals are. Here’s a fun game. Google the things lockman has said that get him media attention and you will find that he is no stranger to using controversy to excite his base but then google what he has done for his district and you will find virtual crickets. Why? My take is that the guy uses the media to promote his personal brand and ideas instead of representing his constituents. Why does he get elected? Last election he or some dark money group sent out door to door flyers saying his opponent gave food stamps to terrorists… humm, far stretch of non facts because of how someone voted but under that same rationalization Lepage would have also been guilty of feeding a terrorist. This leads to my next comment.
@I Am “IN”, !!: You sum up all that is wrong with our county right now. I understand that you are just releasing your hounds in anger but seriously, your comment is exactly why we can’t have nice things in this country. Your simple method of “Anyone” being better sure explains the candidates the GOP has put forth lately? Even the angriest of people can see the danger in blind faith mentality.
it takes all kinds to make the world go round
Scott, you may have consumed too much of the liberal kook aid for your own good. Other people’s money is a terrible addiction that has consumed our political elites and cost Mainers dearly. Americas success isn’t based on diversity, rather, on ones individual aspirations to work and prosper on their own merits. Do the math on the welfare costs and understand that supporting all illegals that flock to Maine is a bad idea. Mainers need the help first not illegals. You may want to do a little research on the muslims, their history doesent exactly support peace, equality or any virtues currently in vogue in the circles of your elites.
Scott Erb, 9/11, Paris, Brussels, Boston, San Bernardino, Tenta, Fort Hood, and countless other instances, tell me everything about Muslims I need to know. If you have a stock portfolio that you want to diversify, you don’t do it with companies whose stock has nearly bottomed out. and continues to fall. But I do agree with the Dalai Lama, “All refugees must go home.” of course he was including himself in reference to his now 60 year exile in India, but still, once these refugees come they never leave unless forced out, like the Haitians were. Refugees are a cancer to any country and they are running from a country that they themselves screwed up, to a country that they want to screw up, ours. They refuse to assimilate, I’m all in favor of helping them since they want us to give them everything, they can live anywhere in the country, so why not build them a town or give them one of the Marshall Islands where they can live with their own kind and still be safe, oh wait, it’s because they lived with their own kind in their home country that they destroyed, ok so maybe they should just stay in their home country and enjoy the thing they created.
Slow Lane objects to name calling,,, unless it’s directed at someone else. I noticed he didn’t mind these “labels” from Al,
creepy racist weirdo
repulsive political mutants
The native scum
diseased little brains
Where’s the outage??
Slow Lane,, you provided the standard liberal scolding.
I know you can’t see it but YES, the vast majority of our citizens reject your stance…
Nothing original. You just marched out the same old liberal drab that caused Trump to be elected.,,,
So,,, who’s blind??
And who represents “what’s wrong with the country”???
DO “BLINDS” REALLY HAVE MORE FUN ??
Scott
I don’t think the French or Irish are trying to kill us. The Muslims hate us
Wally, you are so wrong. Almost all Muslims in America are peaceful. Fear of a whole religion makes no sense, just because there are extremists. Muslims fear Muslim extremists too, that’s why so many fled Syria when ISIS was threatening them and their children. I have studied Islam, and it is truly a religion built on the same kind of strong values as Christianity and Judaism. Forced conversions and killing anyone who does not want to fight are forbidden by Muhammad. Muslims in the West are in fact an important group for trying to fight extremism in the Mideast. The extremists are a tiny minority, and time is against them.
Back in the year 1000 the Christian world was backwards, and the Muslim world was for advanced. Cordoba in Muslim Spain had 43 libraries, each had more books than all of France at the time. When the Ottomans took over they altered the theology by replacing Islamic rationalism (tolerant, open to science, etc.) with a very conservative form of Islam. That stopped Islam’s progress, though the West benefited as Islamic philosophers helped inspire the renaissance and theologians like Thomas Aquinas. Now Islam is in a transition away from that conservative past, and the worst thing we can do is have irrational policies based on fear. Islam is a good religion, it’s good to have Muslims in America. In fact, I donate monthly to Ilhan Omar (who represents a district in Minnesota I used to live in) as she works to try to help all Americans.
So put aside your fear. It’s not based on reality. There are Muslim students in Farmington who are kind, generous, and work well with all groups, including Christian and Jewish students. The future will be grand if we don’t let irrational fear cause hate, prejudice and bigotry. I know I’ll work hard to defeat fear and in particular Islamophobia.
Hrtless, you’re not being rational. You cherry pick a few cases of crazies and extremists and try to pretend that it applies to the entire religion. I could pick out lots of western crazies and extremists – Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh (a libertarian and veteran), the Westboro Baptist Church, etc. – and if I claimed that described everyone in the West it would be just as irrational. So I’ll continue to donate to help bring refugees in and care of them. I have friends who volunteer. Love defeats hate, fear is a bad path to take. Fear destroys.
Scott Erb, I didn’t cherry pick anything. Ok, here, in last 18 years Muslim terrorists have killed more Americans on US soil than school shooters have in the last 100, yet every time a school shooting happens, people call for gun bans and other restrictions on the second amendment that would affect millions of gun owners even though the shootings are committed by one or two people. What if there were calls for Muslims to be stripped of the first amendment every time a “peaceful” practitioner of Islam killed Americans on US soil? How do you think that would go over? And they come to the US and form groups like CAIR whose intentions are to undermine the rights of any non-Muslims, and that have been linked to known terrorist groups.
Why shouldn’t WE cherry-pick too, Scott? Gun control advocates certainly do, and I hear nobody on the Left complaining. Left-wing violence vastly dwarfs that of the right…but, media cherry-picking is the norm – it’s the narrative, in fact. You’re just engaging in the routine Liberal ‘gas-lighting’ of people who don’t agree with them…try to minimize the facts the other party is describing, say they’re not rational, etc. I mean, “if it can save just ONE child”, RIGHT?
Sorry, but ALL the facts suggest that such different cultures with polar opposite values are NOT compatible with each other, and simply having 2 eyes in your head backs this up. Cultures which do not assimilate create friction and chaos. Many of the ppl we’re talking about dislike OUR culture just as much! Europe learned the very hard way (and it’s really only just begun), and we will, too. What is not rational is engaging in the systematic violation of our immigration laws under the guise of ‘we need diversity’ – yet another self-proclaimed Leftist idea where it’s OK to do anything you like since you have some ideological self-justification. By this measure, the Right should mandate public prayer (like Islam does…) and engage in “Handmaid’s Tale” treatment of women; after all, if we ‘feel it is right’…..correct? I mean, “I FEEL…” and all – let’s go make some public policy.
Unless ALL parties, globally, are self-destructing their culture and playing “the love game”, all you’re doing is assuring that your culture recedes and eventually becomes minority – at which point it gets swept into the dustbin. Winners don’t worry about your has-been history. Those you admire would LOVE to climb on top, and they aren’t as accepting as we have been. Looking at the entire planet, the “West” is the minority, not the other way around. Russia, China, Iran, could not do a better job than we are of rotting our nation from inside. Where’s the rationality in that?? How many will be helped when we are Third World?
Don’t whine when it’s YOUR children going without. They already are, and will have to more and more if we keep allowing the Left to run rampant.
There it is again!!! Dr. Erb, who is more Educated than allllll of us simple minded conservative folks, is telling
Hrtlss Bstrd that he is not “being rational”. The smartest man in the room (?) Is telling the rest of us that we
Are foolish and irrational if we don’t agree with him. I don’t always agree with Hrtlss, but he is spot on with
This one as is OverRegulated and some of the others.
Muslim terrorism is very rare. Timothy McVeigh was a good libertarian veteran terrorist who killed a lot of people. There are extremists everywhere, and the only reason there have been more Muslim extremists (but still very few) is that the culture is modernization. That process is very difficult, look at how violent we’ve been in our modernization. Fear of Islam is not rational – hence the term Islamophobia.
If you want a violent civilization, look at the West – communism, the holocaust, fascism, WWI, WWII, nuclear weapons, colonialism destroying cultures and stealing resources. That said, we in the West have gotten better, but it’s always when we avoid fear and bigotry, embrace freedom and diversity, and work together. Fear is what drives us to our worst behaviors. The modernization process is difficult, but the extremists are going against history, and 99.99% or more of Muslims want peace and a better life. If we work with them rather than letting the terrorists bring out fear – which is weakness – things will be good. There are about 10 million Muslims in America, and that number is growing. In fact, western Muslims are the ones leading to change and modernization in the Arab world. But you can choose fear if you want. That says more about you than it says about Muslims.
Mike, you seem to be taking disagreement far too personally. I appreciate your comments, Hrtless’s comments (I often agree with him) and others. Disagreement is good, I really never take it personally even if I sometimes craft a comment that annoys. Disagreement is what makes democracy work!
Yes, Scott – they DO need to modernize (in my opinion; it’s THEIR culture, not MINE to mess with. FIRST rule of sociology is to NOT judge a culture by the standards of your own, or your own TIME! Libs might take note).
This is why us and them really don’t mix well. Unless, of course, WE are willing to accomodate and put our own culture in the background. You (you people; the Left) are far more interested in imaginary racism from US, other Americans, than the real issues of lack of respect for basic human rights and so on, which others here are pointing out. You welcome the Trojan horse into the city, essentially. You guys seem VERY uninformed about these troubling issues! They are cultural, embedded, and not ‘outliers’.
You admit this, basically. And that is the crux of the Conservative angle on things…if you want to APPLY to come here, for merit or some for asylum…and you are APPROVED entry (unlike a huge batch of people, ones we just got here and must support now)…and you will ASSIMILATE into OUR culture to be a productive part of our society – we WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS. I’m not singling out Muslims…Congolese, Vietnamese, Nigerians, Norwegians…ANYONE. If you want to keep your home country’s culture as dominant, then you probably should stay there and make it great again for yourselves rather than come try to change mine. Love ya if you want to be us and join us, but if you want to gain from us with no assimilation…SEE YA!
Not too many (illegals) go on to assimilate, having NO skin in the game by not investing in application and so on. Asylum requests are made OUTSIDE the USA, not by jumping the fence to get at the lovely benefits. The whole world talks about how non-citizens are treated far better than US citizens, BY the US citizen taxpayers’ earnings, and WITHOUT our consent!! The 2nd generation is even worse; it’s where the real america-haters come from, since their parents didn’t join in and do things right, to instill a sense of pride in their kids about being Americans.
This is a crisis of a magnitude this nation has never seen. Guess we’ve become so used to the drug-addicted, shiftless non-workers and fake disabled that we’re having trouble seeing that we’re being pushed down the ladder, with its attendant loss of citizenship ‘value’ and rights. It’s ironic, we are FAR down the road to serfdom already, and nobody is smart enough to compare say, life NOW and life in the 60s, 70s, 80s (when racism was minimal, people got along, and politics stayed the h3ll in its place, OUTSIDE our homes). It’s an old Leftist tactic to sow chaos, and that’s exactly what most of this is all about.
Scott,you sound like a good,decent and earnest guy who is usually set upon by the local chapter of “Cult 45” but I’m with H.B. on this one. I have seen firsthand, before and after what they have done to my beloved Germany as well as the Scandinavian countries,one of which was the location of my first marriage. Angela Merkel should be deported.
OverRegulated – thanks for a thoughtful comment. I disagree with a lot of it, but it’s well thought out and has a logic to it. I guess my response is that we have no choice but to figure out how to mix cultures because globalization makes that inevitable. Migrations are going to continue, especially as the world is in such transition. I have faith in modernism – I think people, Muslims included, want freedom and are basically decent. Every Muslim I know personally is very kind and caring. My grandparents came from Germany, and my grandfather was a German Luthern pastor who gave sermons in German in a German community. Like so many immigrants, the first generation didn’t assimilate, but the children did.
I don’t think Muslims here hate America. I think that children will assimilate, even if they stay Muslim (like my family stayed Lutheran – though there were cultural differences when my dad’s German family had to accept my mom’s Norwegian family). I do think that there are Islamic fascists who want to fight modernization and hate the West, and I agree that we need to eliminate them. But I think the best strategy is to support Muslim moderates and modernizers – the fascists want it to be “us vs. them.” The Islamic fascists want to have Muslims hated by the west because that will make it easier for them to peddle their “westophobia” (the Islamic extremist version of Islamophobia, but directed against the West). So I’m all for fighting against Islamic fascists – but I think it’s defeating to lump all Muslims into that small group.
I can’t disagree, Scott…I think MOST people who wish to come to the US, and most people in general, are basically harmless and have dreams of their own they want to pursue. I see very few moderates, but then again, I see very few “normal” black families on TV as well (extend that to any group, issue, etc)…I see what the media WANTS us to see. A huge problem is the minority media which forces lifestyles on others, makes people change to accomodate those who you just said are not the majority, but who may be the ‘favored sons and daughters’ of that religion (extend to all issues, gender, sexual preference etc). Media is nothing but propaganda, from Fox to CNN. This really isn’t about the people, it’s about those using them as pawns.
All the average conservative that I know wants is for the process to be respected. Apply for a visa or asylum – wait your turn. Demonstrate a love for this country, do what is required, and perhaps become a citizen. Glad to have you. It is the media BS all around people who enter illegally that has us (most of the country?) up in arms. Ex:, the people illegally brought to the Portland Expo – called here by the Left, who demand that the rest of us provide for them instead of our own families. Ideas that the future holds promise and unity like on Star Trek fall flat when you realize that people don’t WANT to see their own go without while bringing the entire world here, at our expense.
I said it 20 yrs ago, nobody listened: “Wealth Redistribution” is GLOBAL, not just LOCAL. WE here don’t benefit a BIT from it – it is designed to drain the standard of living from the USA, spread it around globally, and put the elites in control. Look around you – believe me NOW? Give it ANOTHER 20 years, and I bet you will…
Overregulated – yeah, there has been a massive shift of wealth from the middle class and working class to the wealthier, starting around 1980. The US has also become less dominant in economics. But I guess I’d just ask you to think about who really is at fault. Is it immigrants or poor people? Or maybe it’s the wealthy corporations who dominate in both parties and who seek profit above all else. Maybe both Trump and ‘the squad’ have a point. Maybe those with the wealth and power are securing their hold, and getting us to fight over emotional issues, thereby letting them continue.
There is a HUGE difference between “asking” versus “demanding” …….
People are not racist if they object to having what’s theirs forcefully taken from them.
I’d like to thank the liberals for changing the definition of Racist.
Based on their recent “Howling” , Racist now means “I don’t like you”.
They don’t like anybody.
Ditto…..
Scott,
Have you been in a refugee camp? Have you worked with the children? Not here, but let’s say in Greece?
Scott, I believe there is a lot of truth in both of our positions. Maybe the difference is that I think gov’t is part of the problem, makes things worse, and cannot find its rear with both hands even if it WANTED to solve a problem! At least corp’s don’t have armies…
I don’t blame ‘big corporations’ per se, but those certainly are an ingredient the elite are using to get ever more control. Once you have all the money, I suppose you want to shut the door on others and play God. There’s not a thing wrong with profit, the more the better (!), the problem is really in what you USE it for (from my perspective).
The next decade is going to be very rough, I believe.
If you were not born in Maine …you are not a ‘Mainer’
While everything else is changing in our beautiful state let us not loose that fact to ‘diversity’
All the Immigrants in Europe have formed ‘Ghettos and have NOT assimilated into the Anglo society.
The reason the Irish, Italians, French, and Asians did assimilate was because there were no free benefits handed to them and they had to find work in the American Anglo culture so they assimilated. Not so today. Stand in line…like so many did at Ellis Island and Angel Island in San Francisco for over 30 years.
Get vetted and a health check. Learn English and read the Constitution as entering the greatest country in the world….Born Mainer who ‘Served.
And another day goes by with a white supremacist ideology based shooting on American soil and the above commenters supporting misinformation about the “Other” people. Great job far right commenters, you are a part of of the ideology that activates this home grown xenophobic terrorism. Terrorism against Americans is by the very definition an anti American based ideology whether you live her or not. Try facing your fears and the unknown by going out and learning first hand about people rather than sitting at home listening to the rally cry of fearmongers paining an imaginary picture of people you actually know nothing about. History is laced with hate movements that merely generalize and create fear based lies about groups of people rather than highlight the good of individuals. Once you believe these lies you can justify your hate. Above all publicly elected representatives need to choose their words and social media messages carefully or they are complaint with the actions of the terrorist they activate.
“Since 9/11, white right-wing terrorists have killed almost twice as many Americans in homegrown attacks than radical Islamists have, according to research by the New America Foundation.” -https://time.com/3934980/right-wing-extremists-white-terrorism-islamist-jihadi-dangerous/
Too far you may want to read this article before you spread anymore misinformation aka LIES. https://auburnpub.com/blogs/eye_on_ny/fact-check-rep-claudia-tenney-claims-many-mass-murderers-are/article_d05e42e0-190f-11e8-b151-77660385e39f.html
I’d love to know how many of the asylum supporters offer space in their OWN homes for the “seekers”…
The “plan” seems to be for everybody else to do that…
Btw,, Being White or Male or Christian or Conservative or a Real Mainer is not a crime.
Sorry for you.
“Too Far”, in your comment you do the same hate mongering you are preaching about! Your side dehumanizes normal patriotic Americans, glorifies your Antifa terror group, paints any opposition to your ideas as “hate”. You guys literally attack people in public because they don’t agree with you, you violently silence people – your side brings in illegals, forces citizens to support them and their offspring…and so very much more. I don’t reveal my name because of this.
This is the gist of most of my posts and is the only reason I ever post here…the total hypocrisy of the Left.
As society continues to break down, these events will sadly become more and more common. A nation that casts off its foundational values will reap the results. But you folks simply won’t see that. You act like all is normal and ‘progressing’, LOL. Nope.
Overregulated – since the dawn of the enlightenment the watchword of the West has been progress – ending slavery, expanding worker protection, allowing women to vote, allowing women to work, equal rights, allowing gay marriage, etc. It’s all about expanding human liberty, and diminishing tradition, religion, and anything deemed irrational. That is what western civilization is at its core. It is opposition to racism, bigotry, and embraces the notion of common humanity. I think you have a point, though, when you mention values. The enlightenment embraces rational thought, but that in and of itself does not yield “values.” Values come from someplace else. Some turn to religion or tradition (a more conservative approach), others try to use philosophy or choice.(usually a more liberal approach). I think that is the real debate – what values do we embrace. We can’t simply embrace the founders because, well, they had slaves, women couldn’t vote, and they believed a lot of things we now reject. They were also a mix of Christians and Deists. My own personal belief is that values matter, and I focus on kindness as a main good, and fear as the main path to evil. I try to see other humans as like myself, probably reflecting the fact I was brought up as a Christian and those core teaching (love your enemies as yourself, be kind to those who would hurt you) were internalized. But values are what matter, and neither the left nor the right can claim they can prove their values – or how they get interpreted into action – are correct.
Dear, Awww. Thank you for backing me up with that article from the Auburn pub, a NY based online news and entertainment source? I am confused but not surprised that you go to the “misinformation aka LIES” statement then link me to an article that literally says that Republican lawmaker made up a lie and couldn’t support it with facts. So the gist of the Article you source is about a Republican Lawmaker claiming that Democrats are the real mass murderers? But even in the article it stated that she had no proof other than just saying it made sense and that multiple fact checking sources have proven the statement false.Then we have the El Paso mass murderer who like many other domestic terrorists in the past two years have written hate filled manifestos mimicking far right platform and thanked the President for his support. Do some research from multiple sites before making commenting please. Personally I check Maine papers, other State papers, and Fox news for the same subject then uses reading comprehension skills to separate unified facts and the papers personal political agenda so I can then use the old school critical thinking skills to pull together an informed opinion from multiple perspectives. Sorry, that was a lot to say in one sentence. Now, I used to be a moderate conservative but it seems impossible to have this part of my political values becasue of the reactionary anger towards anyone who calls out the present conditions of the far right and holds them accountable for the things they say in public speeches and forums. The second you do you are called names and labels as if you know me, but you don’t know me any better than I know you. Now you can try to spin it, mask it, paint it over and over but there is the other problem of someone like me now being grouped into the “far left liberal” category becasue I refuse to ignore the problems plaguing the Party. And yes, the Dems have issues too but I’ll let them try to fix it themselves rather than projecting my feelings about it. Thank you for you post and I missed your point with the link then please elaborate, I’m listening.
@OR: Wow, something is very obvious in your statement but I don’t think you would like to know what it is. I will send peace of mind, sound thoughts, and prayers your way.
Trump 2020
Too Far….. how many have been killed in Chicago since 9/11 and were they killed by white right wing terrorists? While you are checking that out… tell us how many were killed on the past weekend and where it was reported…
Too Far,,,(Left)…
Didn’t sense much Peace of Mind, Sound Thoughts or Prayers in your comments but… Who cares.
Sooooo,, what about them “issues” every you say the Dems also have..???
They get a pass huh..
Sorry,. no they don’t get a pass.
Notice who’s in the White House as proof that they don’t.
Trump 2020.
Too far you did miss the point of the article. The article concludes that your assumption that since 9/11 right wingers are doing the shooting. Most shooters are unregistered perhaps you didn’t read the whole article after you see democrats weren’t at fault. As for the shooting in El Paso. The shooters manifesto pointed at a number of things not just what the msm reports on. He was very disturbed over immigration, climate change, income inequality, big corporations. Do any of those things sound vaguely familiar? Not to mention the guy in Dayton was a Bernie and Warren supporter. Have a great night.
“@OR: Wow, something is very obvious in your statement but I don’t think you would like to know what it is. I will send peace of mind, sound thoughts, and prayers your way.”
What – I’m a racist? LOL Or are you just doing the ‘I feel sorry for you’ so you can win thing? I didn’t virtue signal, that I do recognize. Done with that BS.
Real progress is great. Conservatives love real progress…womens’ rights, workers safety, environmental protection, ending slavery in the Islamic nations that practice it – that stuff. You operate from info given you by a biased and fake media that slanders people. I am implying that what the Left calls “progress” is actually regression. Ours is a culture now full of snake oil salesmen.
Millennials addicted to to video games and the 4:20 obsession at 30 yrs old in their parents’ basements, shooting up malls and schools etc, the normalization of hard drugs and loose sex, open borders and feeling ok with ignoring any law you want, and more…symptoms of something degrading in society. And no, I’m not an active religious person simply putting my dogma out front; I’m non-practicing. Just calling what I see – a large bunch of people justifying any behavior under the sun if it fits their agenda.
My sweet lord! I had no idea that xenophobia was so well supported in Maine!!
Awww
Okay, I see what you are saying there are people capable of violence and obtaining guns to carry out that violence on both sides due to the polarized and aggressive political rhetoric of our times but that doesn’t remove responsibility of the far right since the majority of shooters in the past couple years are motivated by far right support and promotion of radical white Supremacist ideology. It’s just a simple and indisputable fact. Remember the Republican Mayor of Lew Auburn who resigned amidst a dirty scandal ? Even he claimed that the GOP meetings were comparable to a Klan meeting. Are you so defensive and in denial becasue you are trying to protect this secret image? So as other commenters have stated, “Sorry,. no they don’t get a pass.” And as the article is actually talking about Larry Lockman and his open commentary I would go back and say he is a part of the problem with the far right republican party that’s too extreme for me. Maybe your real point is access to guns since that’s another common thread between increased mass shootings? Didn’t peg you for a gun regulation supporter but I see your point now.
Other commenters berating me: You are the reason so many of us have left the R party. That’s on you and the obsessive nature of your fears but don’t think we will be silent.
(Anyone with sincere integrity 2020) And that excludes you know who.
Over – I actually think part of the problem is that the left and right demonize each other, when really they have far more in common than they realize (they look to the extremes on each side and then see people as caricatures of the extremes). If people communicated and understood people on the left and right both want what’s best, and have good reasons for their views, then more could get done. Olympia Snowe was an example of someone who tried to do that, I think. I try to avoid labeling or criticizing either side as a group – I don’t think we’re truly a nation of two rival gangs.
Wow – amazing cherry picking ……. it is now in the aftermath of El Paso and Dayton …… perhaps we need to look at why we have so many immigrants coming to the US. Perhaps it’s because we have destabilized most of the world or that we have insinuated ourselves where we weren’t wanted but stayed anyway. Those of you who cite a particular incident but fail to understand the root cause need to take a few steps back. I might also state that we ought to look at the overall record of mass shootings and let’s go back to Tim McVeigh, not just stop at 9/11. (perhaps one ought to read more about 9/11 as well – there’s too many unanswered questions about many things, but who is counting?).
Maybe I’m an active religious person,, or not.
Call it whatever.
The answer to every question is Jesus Christ.
Not the “world’s version”,, but the version as taught in His Word (Yes, the Bible).
This works.
Let’s take a look at the “mass shooters of 2019” so far, shall we? Keep on believing this is a ‘young white man’ issue, yup…
https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/picture-of-2019-mass-shooters/
Nah Scott, more like a nation of mostly centrists who lean L or R, with gangs on either side, ha ha.
Big problem for me is the inability to agree on some foundational points that would be ‘sacred’. Our Constitution, for one. Some call these ‘wedge issues’…not me….things like absolute free speech, right to keep & bear for all lawful citizens, are sacrosanct to ppl like me. No negotiating – we did that in 1787 :) I have trouble believing we can remain a united nation when we are in fact 2 peoples with different foundational values now. That is odd, and historically a very bad thing.
If we could return to first principles, you might find that most conservatives aren’t quite as ‘hateful’ and exclusive as we have been painted. We are simply not willing to abandon our core beliefs, though.
Too far you keep spinning what I’m saying. I simply pointed out that you were wrong claiming on republicans have been doing all the mass shootings. I’m far from far right I’m an independent. I made the mistake of voting for Obama his first term as many people did. I voted in favor of gay marriage and their rights they felt were being excluded them. I didn’t sit by last election cycle like many did because they didn’t like either candidate, I voted for Trump because I could see the evil in Clinton. I don’t know Lockman and don’t care to. Feel free to stop spinning my comments to make you look right when you obviously can’t admit it.
Overregulated it won’t do any good pointing out the false accusations from some in this comment thread they are to filled with misinformation from the msm to listen to facts.
OverRegulated,
Hold on man!!! I am confused?? I have been reading and watching the news for years and lately i have noticed
(In endless news reports) that older white men like me are the biggest threats to humanity. You know, we are
Racists and xenophobic and abuse women, etc. But, i looked at the pictures in your link of mass shooters in
The USA and there are only 2 old white guys in there (i counted 98 men in the article). That would put us old
white guys at about 2% of the mass shooter population??? What the heck???? Am i getting “fake news”.
Awww, and Mike – I know. It won’t do any good (facts don’t matter), but it seems important to keep on trying to put the truth out there! At least conservatives are now coming out of the closet! Make this a 1 term problem for Maine…
It’s pretty scary when you realize just how effective the propaganda is, isn’t it??
Overregulated – I think you hit on a point that has to be necessary for any semblance of unity – a belief in the sanctity of the American Constitution. It does provide a core set of values, and the ability to amend provides the possibility of change, but only when there is a strong consensus to do so. There are still issues to interpret – the Constitution is a nice balance of core principles and a capacity to interpret in different contexts (such as shifting on the notion of ‘separate but equal’). It’s those values that ultimately prevent any “side” from imposing their will.
Anybody have a suggestion on how to solve the “trust” issue?
We are polarized wayyyy farrrrrr apart.
It’s being fueled by “Payed For and Partisan” Media.
The Media needs to be taken being the woodshed.
Well,, except for the news source that tells ME what I want to hear…
The rest of you are being lied to…..
+1, Scott, I agree totally. The constitution means what it says, says what it means, and the only ‘living, breathing’ aspect is the amendment process. There are millions who actually WILL stand on this concept, no matter the consequences.
Information – yes!!! Exactly. Politicians and media are working together to fragment the nation, to enhance the power of the elite class. They are also trying to run right over our Constitutional rights. Not your $400,000 per year people…your 40 billion per year types. Sadly, Republics become corrupt. Hence, my conservative “give gov’t the least power you can” viewpoint.
The corrupt pols in places like Augusta and the media that support them only further divide our nation. This is the plan folks. Papers in Maine, like the BD and Porkland press are suppressing the voices of real Mainers through censorship. Try expressing your thoughts about supporting illegal immigrant law breakers or wasting our tax dollars supporting them and the liberal censorship hammet comes down. Can’t talk about that, it’s not part of our agenda. Free speech is just that, and when you actively work to suppress the right the liberals cheer and the conservatives vote for President Trump. Maybe a bumper crop of out of state college voters will help you folks out robbing Maine taxpayers.
Al really struck a nerve this time, didn’t he?
I think the root cause of this continuing strife is that humans are territorial creatures. There’s no amount of forced diversity or cultural indoctrination that will change that. History shows people are prone to forming groups with those of their own race or nationality and creating their own communities within communities. The extreme of this territorial mentality is why the African American gangs, the Mexican cartels, the Italian Mafia, the Irish mob, the Russian mob, the Chinese triads, the Japanese yakuza, Twitter, and your neighbor who has ‘trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again’ signs posted all over his property exists. It’s an instinctual facet of humanity that can bring out the worst in people. Most wars in the past, present, and future are and will be due to territory disputes.
What’s happening now is the Democrats are having their usual squabble with Trump and are trying to make themselves look morally superior to him by inviting migrants (generally a media term for illegal immigrants) into their jurisdictions with promises of all sorts of freebies.
The thing is, taking Maine as an example, resources are thinly stretched as it is due to poor long-term management and there are a lot of natives to the state who could use what little there is (even Maine has a growing tent city population), however Governor Mills recently decided to open up the state checkbook and invite even more people into a stressed environment, and those people who are of a different culture will likely have all their needs taken care of by the state while natives who the state’s priority should be continue to struggle. I can see where the old strive to defend one’s territory might spring up from that.
America was built upon immigrants of different races and nationalities who came here to build themselves and the country up from the bottom, there’s no denying that, but now so many of them come here because the government says they will take care of them. I imagine if non-natives came in (legally) as equals rather than being raised up on a pedestal above the natives for political reasons there wouldn’t be so much toxicity.
Cheers,
Shamus
Shamus, I for one am not arguing for giving a lot of freebies or even letting lots of people into the country. I’m saying when they are here, they should be treated humanely, and people should have basic empathy for them, rather than justifying separating families, creating concentration camp like conditions and denying basic care. I’m also very upset that so much money is being thrown at private companies providing “care” for migrants, often at a price of $350,000 per person per year – yet conditions are bad. Who is making money on this?
No one is putting anyone above “natives,” and the argument against Trump is not that everyone should be let in and given things, but that we should treat people with basic human dignity. Even if they all are sent back, while they are here they should be treated humanely.
They ARE treated humanely, Scott. Just like American parents who break the law and are detained – their kids are taken into State custody. And yes, US citizens are WAITING while illegals are given ‘all the good things’. Sorry, that’s a fact, sir. In my values system, you don’t reward law breakers, tho you do give them HUMAN (not citizen) rights. That they are receiving; they are not being shot, they are awaiting a hearing to unwind their claims. And if anyone opposes their crime of entering illegally – well, they are simply racist, less than human. I’m not too comfortable with this attitude, esp. when this began under OBAMA.
I’m with Shamus. But what do we expect?? We have pulled stones from the foundation of our society in order to give the political (and $$) elites more and more power…people eat it up! Family, community, judeo-christian values…all on the chopping block. What replaces it, well – you can see that in the Third World. We were beginning to BECOME the 3rd world prior to importing it, BTW. We’d never have tolerated all this just 10 yrs ago.
We should have NEVER faltered, and should have remained merit-based, like a sane nation would do. We have become severely dysfunctional, in case you hadn’t noticed. It is Trump’s fault (read: 1/2 the country opposed to Lib Progressive rule) the El Paso ‘white supremacist’ shooter did his deed. It is also Trump’s fault the Ohio Antifa member did HIS mass shooting; he was driven to it. Yup – we are a certifiably nuts nation now, with no clear way to get back. These are just the symptoms, these issues that drive the wedge deeper and deeper, with the media’s hammer. In the end, the only way to maintain law and order is usually with MRAPs and riot police. Congrats, Liberals.
Over – right now the US is being ridiculed and mocked on the world stage for our weakness, our increasing debt, and our relative impotence on the world stage. One reason is that we are seen as a human rights violator due to how we treat people who come into our country. European states also have this issue, but they don’t treat people as crassly as we do. We are seen as a has-been country, once a super power, now relatively impotent. You may have your eyes closed to what is happening, but I’m confident that in 2020 most Americans will choose to get us on a path towards not only respecting human rights, but getting our budget in order, ending trade wars that are hurting us (China is winning big time in that) and regaining respectability on the world stage.
The whole world is actually worthy of mocking, Scott, LOL. There isn’t ONE place in it that is worth idolizing. “Human Rights” are on the run EVERYWHERE, bud! Those pesky elites – they bought the poor off with free stuff, and now they call all the shots. Esp. the UN.
Again, it was Obama who started the child separation thing – a Liberal judge mandated it. I support that, actually. Once again – you commit a crime as parents in the US, you lose your kids. You should not be rewarded for trespassing into a sovereign nation – this is a CRIME…no other land rewards you for this action. Those kids are reunited if the parents are deported or granted visas to stay…not so for the US couple who loses THEIR kid, LOL! DHHS puts them in foster care.
Europe is gone – they have been so culturally watered down, <20 yrs, there will no longer be a France or Germany as known before, a "western' culture. It will be an Eastern one….muezzin's calling, better get to mosque! The West is doing it to themselves by not insisting that they have a firm right to be themselves – we/they kowtow to anyone who cries 'racist!' etc. Wait til it gets bad here, and it will.
China's economy is falling apart due to our no longer being willing to suffer the imbalances of a policy that favors them at our expense, the expense of the American worker. NO politicians at all now care about budget, and the fact we can NEVER, EVER pay back the 22 trillion we now own, 10 of which occurred under Obama, but that is now irrelevant as, again…none of them care. They'll run us into the ground until even our property is on the block. Most people are now so ignorant, tho, that they don't even care. They say "debt doesn't matter"…wow.
"Eyes closed"? I believe my eyes are quite open – we have evolved, become enlightened, peaked, and culturally we are now declining, much like the Roman Empire. As our morality circles the drain, we're seeing more and more psycho crimes, fragmentation of the nation, 'tribalism'. We accept all KINDS of destructive behaviors and promote them, such as IV drug use. Family, church and so on, the pillars…are nearly gone. There is no longer ANY 'enlightenment' here, bud. What is now called 'progress' is regression to a state of nature. Before that can happen completely, the historical "strong man" intervenes, forces people to work, gets you in line…without any rights. That is typically how it goes, and no nation has ever come back from it once on the path. We are far more divided today than even during the Civil War. Wait til 9 meals are missed.
The fact that both parties see each new president as THAT guy, kind of proves it, no? All things you say about Trump I can show you about Obama…you think a nation going deeper down that hole is going to survive? Have fun with that. One half of a nation cannot be forced to give up their values, no matter which half we're talking about. I get that as a conservative…but it REALLY looks like the Left does NOT get it.
Excellent commentaries Shamus and Over-regulated. It is what is happening and it must be stopped.Some of the stuff I’m reading here is unbelievable, such as a reference to America’s impotency and no longer a super-power.It can’t be something you drank, it must be pills or smoke or powder?!! Maybe the brainwashing some got.It sure is a reflection from one’s environment and education.
I think it’s funny that some get all riled up about the term “Native”….
Of course Native “Mainer” really gets them squeeky!!
It’s their “globalism” getting them down.
As Bill Green always says at the end of every show “Now don’t go bragging just because you’re from Maine”.
Can’t help it though cause I Love It !!
Very Blessed we are..
Yup.
I am with Overly Regurgitated. Curse that Obama! He did not repair the disaster we left the country in fast enough. We were due for another Great Depression and he deprived us of that and ended the war that we don’t have the guts or patriotism to fight in, That damned Hindu,Muslin Socialite!
Overregulated couldn’t have said it better myself. I often have a hard time articulating what I want to say so I leave a short comment.
Neo nutzis ??? Really ??? Which war did he end ? He got my vote the first time because he said he would bring our troops home and all he did was swap out some for the tired and got us into Syria. Heaas a failure for that and his joke of a healthcare plan. It’s not healthcare when the IRS fines you for not “buying” it. That is called a tax and if just put a lot of people deeper in the hole being forced to buy something they didn’t want just to be paying for the same old people that our new guvna is now forcing us to pay for.
Yes I agree ,
OBama was confused and confusing about who he was.
He is irrelevant now though,,,
He could have done so much more,,,
Just think,,,, if he could have self “identified” as a woman for only one day,, we could have had our Very First Female President too !!
But,, he messed that up too.
Poor Man.
I think some of you are living in the past. You don’t see what has happened to the US, you only have fantasies that show you aren’t in touch with how the world works today. Oh well, I’m very confident that young people get it and will create a much better future. I’m also confident that in 2020 the US will choose a more enlightened path.
To say “Europe is gone” is just ignorant. I go to Europe at least once a year, and follow numerous European media sources. Europe is the future, they’re solving energy problems and building partnerships. But in the myopic world view that some have, you just want to pretend that everyone else is bad. I mean, to say China’s economy is falling apart? Balderdash, the US economy relies on China to buy US bonds to finance our debt. The US is losing the trade war because due to tariffs the Chinese are being goods from other markets, but Americans are still buying Chinese goods. We have both a record budget deficit and a record trade deficit – including a record trade deficit with China. Wake up. Smug nationalist thoughts that reflect the 20th Century are obsolete. If you don’t realize that America is seen as in decline, relying primarily on consumer spending with consumers in massive debt, with a government that is increasingly ignored on the world stage, well, you’re choosing to close your eyes.
Or don’t. Stay snoozing. Leave it to the young people, they’ll take care of it. They’ve been handed a mess – climate change, massive debt (both public and private), and anyone who dares criticize them as “entitled” after they’re being handed the mess my generation (and that of many readers) made of this country, doesn’t get it. I’m very impressed by those young people who will lead us out of the current malaise.
With the help of older socialists and indoctrination in the schools, they’ll be leading us right into the total loss of our freedom and standard of living. Given the rabidity of the Left, I wouldn’t discount a holocaust or civil war here, eventually…since we’ve destroyed our foundations, there is no reason to think we’d back off in time. This is exactly what the global elites want – chaos to take the US out of the picture, is all. And you STILL are forgetting that even if you do get into power, half the nation doesn’t want to be forced down your path…what will you do about THEM? Again…no reason to think we wouldn’t ‘go there’.
There are a FEW motivated, intelligent and rational young people around, but far far fewer than in days past, Scott. Most are iPhone drones that couldn’t jump start a vehicle with a manual and some photos…they’re going to ‘lead us’??? They haven’t done a lick of work in their lives, yet feel entitled to a free living with all its luxuries. Nobody has taught them common sense. If that’s the future, we’re doomed! Gullible, too…they’ve been told the world will end in 12 (now 10) years, and they eat it up, with NO data to support such conclusions…that sort of critical thinking belongs in a circus. The children of the ELITES is who will have power, in reality. Average kids aren’t self-thinkers, they are simply spinning what they’ve been told by your generation!
Scott, China holds something like $1.2 Trillion of the USA’s debt (2018). You should look into some economics and how this works. Europe is in the same boat. While egregious (thanks, Obama!), it is not enough to tank us – we’re doing that to ourselves. Ask the same kids to suck it up, do without, cut ALL programs from military to welfare and stop taking in foreign border-jumpers…out come the antifa rioters. Sorry, the trajectory leads to only one place. And when the USA is gone, the same idiots who ‘look down on us’ now will be crying because an entity like Russia and/or China will utterly own them, and THEY will also lose their (now-limited) freedoms. This is a war against the WEST, all of us. The majority of the world is not ‘typical white people’ – it is of hispanic and asian descent.
Gotta admit, China, Russia & their allies are pretty clever and those millennia-old strategies really DO work! But please, do keep worrying yourself over how Europe views us…nice. You are obsessed with some ‘big mess you have handed people’. Yes, you did – should’ve left the economy alone in 2008 to correct itself, rather than spend TEN TRILLION in one pop on NOTHING AT ALL!!! Scott, you’re an example of how negative programming can make a huge chunk of a nation engage in self-hate and self-destruct, to bring down its own team. Congratulations. Keep that in mind when ‘the kids’ with their red books decide you eat too much, so they cut you off.