It is disappointing to witness the politicization of COVID-19 in Maine.
The state should ease restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so and allow our businesses and workers to salvage what they can of the tourist season.
The billion-dollar question is, when is it safe?
It is a complex question without an easy answer.
State officials should strive to answer it with cooperation and compromise, not partisan attacks.
The state should seek to balance economic concerns with safety concerns, understanding it is impossible to eliminate all risk.
And yes, we still need more testing. It is hard to believe it is May and most people still cannot access testing.
Rather than accuse the governor of a willful attempt to destroy the economy, with no evidence and against all logic, why not accept that the governor wants to ensure residents’ safety – then attempt to persuade her to move more quickly and set clearer standards as she reopens the economy?
For a short time at the beginning of this mess, the parties set aside their differences to act in the public interest.
Why stop now?
‘False and misleading’
To expand on the new guidelines for letters to the editor, we will address the issue of “false or misleading information.”
This rule is summed up well by the old saying, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts.”
For example, you might write of a candidate for public office: “I believe Candidate Jones has improved economic conditions for the working class.” OK – your opinion.
If you write, “Under Candidate Jones, wages for the working class have risen 500%,” you should expect some follow-up questions.
We have all seen how political operatives, including bad actors abroad, have infected our national dialogue with false narratives about candidates – Pizzagate, for example.
The Lincoln County News, to the best of the editor’s ability, is not going to allow peddling of conspiracy theories and rumors here.
Again, we welcome comments on these new guidelines and their application.
