Independence lost 

To the Editor;

The independence of Maine residents has been the stuff of lore, spoken of throughout the nation. In poetic fabled admiration, rugged individualism, along with stubborn, flinty self-reliance, was a characteristic assumed by most to be the commonality that stamped the fibers of Maine’s stalwart inhabitants, mirroring its rugged and wild coastline and wilderness. Sadly, the independence of Maine seems to be fading as of late.

Straight on the heels of bending to the will of out-of-state interests and government by allowing them to coerce, through ranked-choice voting, second and third votes for candidates voters never wanted, Maine residents are now, again, faced to choose between individual independence or bowing to government control. A new law, LD 798, would force families to vaccinate children against their will and personal beliefs. LD 798 would trample individual autonomy and sovereignty.

This in itself would be enough to infuriate and inflame the independent streak that ran strong through the mountains of Maine, but has that river dissipated into modern compliance? Despite the fact that the majority of the funding for No on 1 campaign has come from two large pharmaceutical companies, Mainers still seem oblivious that, once again, out-of-state interests our conspiring to take away our individual liberty. This law is not about public safety, but it is about targeting those with specific philosophical and religious beliefs that government dislikes and forcing them to comply, while padding the profit lines of Big Pharma off the bodies of our children.

This is an appalling precedent to set. The fact that 80 percent of the whooping cough cases in Maine were in those fully vaccinated, pulls the curtain back on the lies propagated by those with an opportunistic agenda. Vaccines will not and cannot ever grant complete immunity.

Maine stands at the crossroads again of individual liberty and choice or government control and subjugation. Will we choose liberty or bend to out-of-state interests again? For the sake of freedom, let Maine’s independence rise up and vote yes on Question 1!

Andy Torbett

Atkinson