Every once in a while something gets under my skin and I feel compelled to respond.

The religious right has opposed same-sex marriages because they want to preserve the sanctity of marriage. Now the same people, using the case of Terry Schiavo and with the backing of the White House and Congress, say one spouse should not be allowed to make a decision about the welfare of the other spouse, that such decisions should be made only by a parent.
It must be comforting to be able to argue on both sides of a issue.
Published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, 27 Mar 05

When I was a teenager, I read a warning somewhere that "people swear when they have nothing intelligent to say." I decided that I didn't want to publicly admit my lack of intelligence, so, except for basic training in the Air Force, when everyone swore and there were few intelligent conversations, or when I hit my thumb with a hammer, I've tried to stick to the use of English. Along comes the vice president who, in mixed company, decides to express himself by using "that" word. The president, who wraps himself in a "family-values" cloak, shrugs off the remark. I was somewhat confused by this use of language that diminishes the image of intelligence they should be projecting until I reminded myself that I was hearing from Bush-Cheney.
As Gilda Radner's "Emily Litella" would say on "Saturday Night Live," "Never mind."
Published as a letter to the editor in the Portland Press Herald, 17 Jul 04

As the end of 2003 approached events in the news finally prompted me to write a couple of letters to the editors of the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram. The first was in response to the Thanksgiving visit of King George to the troops in Irag. Initially I thought nothing of it, figuring most people would recognize it for what it was: a re-election campaign ploy. A couple of days later I saw the Associated Press story about the King's weekend radio address.

"I'm pleased to report back from the front lines that our troops are strong, morale is high and our military is confident we will prevail," the president said in his weekly radio address (courtesy of the AP, 28 Nov 03).

The man is incredible.

He could have been on the front lines in the Vietnam conflict three decades ago, but opted out.

Three decades later he travels in complete secrecy, under massive security, to an airport surrounded by tens of thousands of armed American troops, visits a mess hall, has his picture taken with men and women who have proved their willingness to face danger, then flies home to brag that he has been on the "front lines."

Incredible.

Printed: 7 Dec 03, Maine Sunday Telegram

I've been "Thinking About It", but I still have a couple of questions about the Resort/Casino that haven't been answered in any of the published reports I've read over the past weeks.

First: I can understand the desire of the tribes to improve their lot in life, but I'm left wondering why can't the tribes solve their problem without imposing their perceived solution upon the entire state of Maine and all of its residents?

Second: The actual meaning of the proposed law, and its eventual impact on the state of Maine and all its residents, has been debated ad nauseam among Maine's legal minds with no apparent agreement on all the details. If the tribe's solution is going to be such a great benefit to all the people of Maine, why did the tribes couch their proposed solution in a legalistic language riddled with confusion instead of writing it in a language that could be clearly understood by those who will vote on the measure and have to live with the consequences for decades to come?

I’m thinking about that.

Jack Curran

Printed: 2 Nov 03, Maine Sunday Telegram

I've become fascinated by the growing trend in Maine of promoting one idea that may not stand on its own merit by redirecting Maine voters to another warm and fuzzy, socially acceptable idea. For instance, gambling is sold to voters as a job fair, and slot machines as a way to lower prescription costs for Maine's senior citizens.

This concept led me to the obvious idea of putting the death penalty before Maine voters during the next election. Mainers would not actually be asked to vote for the death penalty; they would be asked to vote for property tax relief, jobs, lower prescription drug prices for senior citizens, and family values.

The question for the statewide ballot in 2004 would not be about the death penalty, but would be written to focus attention on the construction of a huge, domed stadium where executions of convicted criminals would be staged. The stadium would be built to seat as many as one hundred thousand people. Tickets would not be sold, but raffled off to the millions of people from around the country and the world who would pay $100 each for a chance to win a seat, with the proceeds going back to the state's coffers with a mandate for the legislature to provide property tax relief.

There would be no expense to the state, because out-of-state investors would be found to build the stadium as well as the attached resort that would offer a full range of amenities to those attending the events, most likely staged on Saturday night, with special events on the Fourth of July for convicted terrorists. Although the state would retain all income from the resort and stadium (such as beverage and snack purchases at the events), the investors would recoup their money through lotteries and games-of-chance that would be a major part of the events. The audience could place bets on such questions as what the condemned ordered for a final meal, with bonus points going to those who bet on whether the condemned was able to keep down the meal. An enormous profit would be realized on a pool on how long the lethal injection took to complete the public display in the middle of the stadium.

If Maine could schedule a woman, or maybe a teenage couple who went on a killing rampage because of their misguided love, the benefit to the public coffers and property taxpayers would be monumental. The state of Maine, by retaining all rights to the event, would also benefit from the extra income derived from related video game deals and contracts with television networks (Fox comes to mind) to provide live coverage that would reap millions more to benefit Maine taxpayers.

Some of the state's newfound wealth could be wisely re-invested by the legislature. The budgets for the police and courts could be increased to prompt more cooperation on their part to sustain a steady flow of condemned persons to star in the Saturday night events. When the idea catches on Maine officials could ask other states to donate their condemned persons for a share of the profits and the Saturday night entertainment could be expanded. Alarmingly, there is a danger of losing out to Texas, where such a fund-raising scheme could damage Maine's program because of the much higher availability there of unwilling participants.

The location of the stadium would be important to marketing the event (hoping to draw crowds from all across the United States and Canada). The Bangor area would be a logical choice because it would provide a central location for Mainers, while the turnpike and the local airport would provide access to others. Thousands of jobs would be available during construction of the stadium and resort, and over the long-term the sign- and poster-making industries would thrive with the need to provide visuals for death penalty advocates and opponents who would arrive each weekend to march in front of the stadium for the ever-present television cameras. Thousands of other jobs would be created in those businesses (motels, campsites, restaurants, diners, beano halls, and video rental stores) that would benefit from the influx of weekend visitors seeking wholesome entertainment for the entire family.

Families would benefit from the closeness that comes from spending quality time together during a socially acceptable event such as the public display of punishment for wrong-doing, with a clear message delivered to the children attending the event with their loving parents.

Senior citizens would enjoy the benefits of lower prescription drugs because Maine would endorse specific drug manufacturers that provide the lethal injections while requiring that the companies offer reduced-price drugs during the event. All a senior citizen would have to do is bring a prescription to the stadium during the event (if lucky enough to win a seat through the raffle) to receive the reduced prices.

Passage of this ballot question would be a win-win situation for all, including Maine property owners, senior citizens, workers, and families. The exception would be the major participant, but some sacrifices have to be made for progress, payrolls, and profits.

Of course, the state's motto posted at the York end of the turnpike would be altered.

Maine: "The way death should be dealt."

Al Diamon's version is located here

R&R