Letter to Bangor (Maine) Daily News
October 29, 2022

I write in response to Senator Susan Collins' statement concerning the attack on Paul Pelosi: “I am horrified by this vicious attack on Paul Pelosi at his home.  My prayers are with him, Speaker Pelosi, and their family.”

That's it? Almost sounds like what horrifies our Senator is not so much the attack itself but that it was "at his home". And no mention of the self-evident political motive?

Of course Collins knows, as you know and all your readers know, the target of this attack was not Paul Pelosi. It was Nancy Pelosi, and the motive was political. This was not an ordinary attack by a criminal breaking into someone's home to steal stuff. It was a vicious attack on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on America itself, like the January 6 coup attempt. And like the January 6 coup attempt, it was motivated by noise from Donald Trump and the "new" Republican Party whose number includes, regrettably but effectively, the silence of others.

This morning, Heather Cox Richardson writes, "Today, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and U.S. Capitol Police warned of violent extremism surrounding the upcoming midterm elections, including attacks on 'candidates running for public office, elected officials, election workers, political rallies, political party representatives, racial and religious minorities, or perceived ideological opponents.'”

And so I ask you, I beg you, please write something about this BEFORE November 8.

If Mainers, if Americans anywhere, cannot go to polling places without fear of politically motivated violence, then many will stay home. And then, God help us, trump will have made his lie true: Elections in America are rigged ... by him.

Your statement need not be political. Simply forcefully urge Mainers not to be afraid to vote, and, in the same breath, quoting the Department of Homeland Security, powerfully urge local and state law enforcement in Maine to protect polling places on November 8 ... as opposed to waiting to collect forensic evidence after violence has occurred.

In the name of God?

I am flabbergasted by the varied news stories, left and right, reporting the ease with which America’s Christian community is embracing the values of the “new” Republican Party which, by its own disguised admission, is discarding many of the principles taught in the Sermon on the Mount.

And pastors are telling their flocks this is all okay because King David was forgiven of adultery. So, not to worry; we’ll be forgiven, too. I wonder if that’s the lesson of the King David story? Besides, if we are doing God’s Will, why will we need forgiveness? And if we know we are not doing God’s Will (and so will need forgiveness), why are we doing it?

I am 83. An old man. When my time comes, and St Peter asks me about this stuff, how should I respond? “Well, you see, it’s like this. We knew God wanted us to take control of the White House and the Senate and the House, right? And so we tried to do it. To please Him, of course. Not for us; oh, no, we have no ambitions. Sure, we strayed a bit, well, a lot, but it was for a sainted cause. Right? And that makes it okay. Right? So You’ll let me in, right?”

I don’t know. Seems like a long shot.