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There are more “Impeach Mills” signs visible on Route 302 as I leave Oxford County, Maine and travel through Bridgton in northern Cumberland County. Every week I pass through on my way to South Portland where I encounter no such political sentiments. Left-wing Democrat Janet Mills has been our governor here in Maine for the past year and a half. They love her around the leftist bastion of Greater Portland, but folks out in the hinterland of Oxford County and northern border region of Cumberland County have had enough and are obviously plotting her demise.
Also visible in rural Maine are “Bring Back [former governor] LePage!” signs and other evidence of left/right political polarization. In Greater Portland one sees lots of “Black Lives Matter” signs on the roadsides, on buildings, bumper stickers, and elsewhere. Also common are professionally-made lawn signs with multiple messages which would, taken together, convey coded progressive political sentiments.
For example, a very common lawn sign in Cape Elizabeth, Maine has: “WE BELIEVE” at the top followed by seven lines, each of different font size and color. One proclaims: “BLACK LIVES MATTER” followed by: “NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL” which would seem to be a paean to open borders. Next comes: “LOVE IS LOVE” in lavender font which probably is a pro-gay, LGBT slogan. After that is: “WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS” which, given that abortion is most prominent in a list of women’s rights proclaimed by feminists, could transmit a pro-abortion sentiment.
Then comes: “SCIENCE IS REAL” which likely pertains to the controversial, progressive claim that 99% of scientists believe in anthropomorphic climate change. Following that comes: “WATER IS LIFE” but I’m not sure what progressive cause to which that might pertain. Last comes: “INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE.” Not sure of that one either, except maybe a belief that every injustice can be eliminated by a big government — with a resultant utopia.
Further along Route 302 another, anti-Governor Mills sign proclaims: “HEY JANET, IT’S A GOVERNORSHIP, NOT A DICTATORSHIP; OPEN MAINE NOW!” Which would pertain to her restrictive economic shutdown over the Covid virus. Another sign nearby says: “EVERY BUSINESS IS ESSENTIAL; END THE SHUTDOWN NOW! Near that sign, another says: “HOW MAINE SPELLS IDIOT: J-A-N-E-T M-I-L-L-S”
Maine is very blue, along with every other New England state and so is adjoining New York state, but within each of those states is a divide between urban areas and rural areas. Each is a microcosm of the entire United States within which exists a similar dichotomy. Urban coastal areas of America are overwhelmingly leftist, while the rural interior is mostly conservative. Red/Green political maps of our country have reflected this for several presidential-election cycles.
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| Jameesa and Bryan Oakley of Portland, Oregon |
The progressive signs described above contain the logo of a Portland, Oregon company called https://www.signsofjustice.com. Visiting it, I saw they also made many of the individual “BLACK LIVES MATTER” lawn signs, bumper stickers, and T-shirts so visible around Greater Portland, Maine. The biracial couple who established the Oregon company states:
“Like many others on election night 2016, our family was left in shock and disbelief. How could a man who campaigned on hate become President of the United States? What would this mean for our values of love, decency and inclusion? How could we rise above the oppression and make an impact?”
Another barometer of Maine’s political divide might be mask-wearing. It’s relatively rare in Oxford County, but ubiquitous in the greater Portland area, even on beaches. Last week, Governor Mills ordered business owners in Cumberland, York, and Androscoggin counties to enforce mask-wearing in their establishments. All employees and patrons sport masks, but several have pulled them down to their chins inside the store.
To deal with uncooperative Maine citizens like these, Governor Mills put up a tattletale web site for other Mainers to turn them in. Should you wish to do so, go here: https://appengine.egov.com/apps/me/non-compliance. It’s titled: “Reporting on Alleged Non-Compliance with Executive Orders,” and further states: “If you wish to report a potential situation of non-compliance to the guidance relating to COVID-19, you may report those details using this form. The information will be reviewed by appropriate agency or agencies and responded to as needed.”
Rural Mainers see that as Orwellian and wonder: what’s next?
5 comments:
Regardless of where in Maine they are living the majority of Maine citizens support Mills and trust her over Trump, and she will be around for at least a few more years.
Also, there is nothing at all "controversial" about the fact that the vast majority of scientists and climate experts agree on what is going on. But then again there are also flat-earthers who will insist the science is "controversial" about that matter as well.
I can answer your final question of "what next?" Trump is voted out in a massive landslide, he tries to protest the results but is forced out, and the the arc of the moral universe lurches again towards justice. Crotchety old racists will continue to go the way of the Washington Redskins, grumbling the whole way and continuing to unnecessarily mention things like "biracial couple" when discussing others. Really now, what did that have to do with anything?
No doubt that country folk and city folk see the world differently and that is reflected in their politics. That happens across the country and across the world.
Brian asks a deep question: "Crotchety old racists . . . unnecessarily mention things like "biracial couple" when discussing others. Really now, what did that have to do with anything?"
It is cause for celebration that the U.S.A. struggled with this outpost of racism — anti-miscegenation law — and defeated it. Tom notes that a business that manufactures items that promote the concept that black lives matter is owned by a bi-racial couple. This can best be seen as a reminder how far the U.S.A. has come in the great struggle for equality. To many minds, it is good to celebrate the great achievements. To many other minds, it is good to suppress reminders of these achievements in favor of concentrating on the worst aspects of the past.
There is nothing in Tom's article that derogates this couple. Had this article been written by a racist, there surely could have been. Nonetheless, Brian just called, or at least suggested, that Tom is a crotchety old racist.
According to “Morning Consult’s Governor Approval Ratings”, Jackbook Janet ranks #7 (out of 50, not 57) on their list of most Unpopular Governors. She is even worse than COVID Cuomo at #10.
A 2016 poll by the WaPo found that 90% of native Americans did not find the nickname “Redskins” offensive. However, these days with so many weak, woke, white people such as Brian speaking on behalf of native Americans that number is now at 49%.
If the NFL goes through with their proposed “Black National Anthem” it’ll reduce their popularity to the level of Communist China’s favorite sports league, the NBA.
The “97% of all scientists believe that human activity causes global warming” mantra is a gross manipulation of data.
Dr. John Cook from the University of Queensland in Australia reviewed 11,944 abstracts from research papers that mentioned climate change.
Of that total, 7,970 said they had no opinion or that there was no connection with human activity as the cause.
However, 97% of the 3,974 respondents did endorse in writing that climate change was caused by human activity. The 97% concurrence rate was glommed on to and spread by the AP for political purposes. Brian hasn’t caught on to the deliberate deception yet.
Furthermore, in a poll conducted by Dr. John Coleman, founder of The Weather Channel, 85% of the meteorologists interviewed said climate change occurred through natural cycles. I’ve spoken recently to retired WCSH TV meteorologist, Joe Cupo, who has an MS Degree in meteorology, and he agrees.
Do any readers of Tom’s column, other than Brian, honestly believe that “Buy American; Hire American” Biden, could actually run a hot dog stand let alone run a country even with AOC serving drinks?
According to “Morning Consult’s Governor Approval Ratings”, Mills has the approval of more Mainers than disapprove. And since you are into approval ratings, you must know that Trump has the worst approval rating ever (or at least since these figures were being kept track of almost 100 years ago). He is the ONLY president since then who's approval never broke 50%. That says a lot about our current bratty buffoon.
https://www.thehindu.com/data/data-where-does-donald-trumps-low-approval-rating-rank-among-us-presidents-in-recent-history/article31855297.ece
I have some other team names you might like....The Detroit Darkies! The Boston Paddy Wagons! The San Fransisco Slant-Eyes! The Atlanta Big Lips! The Houston Honkies!
We'll see about the popularity of the NFL. I'm sure it will never get as low as the popularity level of our enemy Russia's favorite stooge, the Donald.
I'm no longer concerned with the denialists on climate change. The facts of what is happening are too widely known. I know how the denialists must feel - much like tobacco executives and many smokers must have felt while the dangers of cancer were being revealed - even though big tobacco, like big oil today - tried to hide the facts for as long as they could. Scroll down the link to "Is the 97 Percent ‘Bogus’?" and the numbers you cite will be explained to you so you can see how you are being misled.
https://www.factcheck.org/2015/09/santorums-climate-consensus-claims/
And the following link should clear things up concerning John Coleman:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/weather-or-not/
Can Biden run a country? Well, he hasn't bankrupted 6 different businesses ala Trump. And he is actually a true American success story, having "pulled himself up by his bootstraps" to become very successful, unlike Donald who "pulled himself down by a silver spoon".
Between 1985 and 1994, Trump’s core businesses lost money every single year, and the accumulated losses came to more than a billion dollars. His core business losses in 1990 and 1991—more than $250 million each year—were more than double those of the nearest taxpayers in the I.R.S. information for those years. In other words, he was the biggest loser in the country for two years in a row. And now he is the biggest loser (based on disapproval ratings) of a president over the last 3 years even with Kayleigh McEnany serving the Kool-Aid.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/as-a-businessman-trump-was-the-biggest-loser-of-all
I wonder why Trump is the only president to want to hide his taxes. Odds are, when he is not protected in office, the chump ends up one day where he belongs. Jail. How awesome it will be to see the "Lock him up" chants come back to haunt him!
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