I have considerable concern for those dogs that are either too small, too short-legged, or maybe even too old to be run on a leash by their owners.

I’ve seen this scene played repeatedly on the Back Cove walkway: A small or short-legged dog lags behind its trotting owner, so that the owner is literally pulling the dog behind on a tight leash. Hello! If the leash is constantly tight, it should tell the owner something.

Some people need to gain some sensitivity to the pet that they are supposed to love.

Their primary motivation for running the dog with them should not be just because it is the cool thing to be seen doing today. And if theirs is one that has difficulty keeping up with them on a run, don’t force it!

It should be obvious to anyone that short-legged dogs are likely not going to be physically capable of maintaining a run with their young, relatively long-legged, trotting owner.

It seems to me that to keep up, a particularly short-legged dog would have to “break into” (and maintain) a fast trot — and to do that would require very good physical conditioning.

We need to start becoming more sensitive to this and perhaps even making it common knowledge that some breeds are just not built for running. Or is this already common knowledge?

I don’t know. But I do know that it angers me when I see an insensitive runner on Baxter Boulevard pulling a dog behind that is obviously having great difficulty keeping up.

Robert King

Portland

Michaud no conservative on right-to-life issues

The paper’s State House writer, Tom Bell, seems to be a little out of touch with the “real” 2nd District U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud in a way that portrays the congressman as something he is not — a social conservative.

In a June 9 article, Mr. Bell discusses the congressman’s views on the Anthony Weiner affair but also points out that Michaud “votes with conservatives on social issues such as abortion rights and gun control.”

Mr. Michaud may well be conservative on gun control, but his voting record on abortion is almost identical to the more liberal votes of his Maine colleagues in Washington’s House and Senate.

Attaching political labels with the intent to mislead or confuse always falls short of its goals when seen in the light of truth that, in this case, becomes a matter of public record.

For an accurate perspective on the legislative voting trends of those who represent the interests of Maine in Washington, please see www.righttolife.com.

J. Mark DeCoste

South Portland

Media missed a chance to tell an inspiring story

Here is a missed opportunty: There are nearly 12 million cancer survivors living and thriving in the United States; nearly two-thirds of adults who are diagnosed with cancer today will be alive in five years, and they are our family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances and neighbors.

A diagnosis of cancer does not occur in isolation. It affects everyone who interacts with that individual, so one could easily say that cancer is a family and community disease.

Recently, the staff at Mercy Hospital came together as a community to celebrate, honor and recognize those individuals impacted by cancer and their support persons; to celebrate the laughter, tears, triumphs and defeats that occur throughout the entire cancer journey.

The Cancer Survivor Celebration Event was an evening of beautiful and moving artwork, stories, music, and fun. It was a celebration of life in general.

There were individuals who were newly diagnosed to 30-plus-year cancer survivors. Yet sadly, despite press releases, no one from the media came to capture this wonderful community event, a missed opportunity for sure.

No sour grapes, as I feel so fortunate to have been a part of such an amazing celebration, just a word for the future: Look around you, cancer does not discriminate, cancer survivors are living and thriving within our community. Next time, please find the time to come out and acknowledge, honor and celebrate.

Dawn MacFarland

South Portland

Some high school fans forget the reason kids play

I am not the first parent, and (sadly) I will not be the last, to stand on the sidelines of a premier high school sporting event and stare in disbelief at some of the antics of our more vocal spectators.

My daughter participated in a lacrosse state final match-up on a recent Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Both teams had earned their places there through hard work, skill, finesse and grit.

There is great pride in simply walking on the field of a state final match-up; it is an accomplishment in and of itself to make it to that point in the season.

Sadly, many athletic competitions attract loud, arrogant, obnoxious fans and I realize of course this is not news. The man I found myself near on this Saturday heckled nearly every call made by the officials.

He was so ill-informed, he occasionally cheered calls made against his own team. He bullied his own team when they were already playing their hearts out.

And when he caught me staring at him in disbelief, he taunted me. Seriously — he picked on a mom taking photos of her kid on the field.

This guy was big, he was pompous, he was a jerk. He reflects poorly on his favorite team, on his community, his town. Mostly, what apparently evades him is how astonishingly poorly he reflects on himself.

These athletes dedicate themselves to excellence at their sport and on the field. They deserve better from their fans, particularly those with the biggest mouths.

Peg Keyser

South Portland

Why is conservative official so enamored of federal rules?

I am confused by Education Commissioner Steven Bowen’s remarks regarding universal school standards. In a June 18 article addressing NCLB and its future, he stated that “education commissioners want universal standards.”

He supports this by noting the discrepancy between a student’s being proficient in Mississippi versus Massachusetts.

The U.S. Department of Education has always honored the right of each state to establish its own standards for programs. It has been a core principle in federal education legislation. Further, each state has evolved its own data system.

There is no universal data collection methodology; there is no universal curriculum for any subject area; there are no centralized, universal dictates from the federal DOE. The reason? States’ rights.

It’s rather surprising, as well as confusing, to hear a states-rights, reduce-government-size-intervention-oversight, conservative official asking for more federal control.

I realize that it relieves the commissioner of the duty and obligation of herding Maine’s educators to agree to standards. Presumably if DOE decided to centralize the standards in Washington, there would be a need for state input. But doesn’t this philosophically smack of socialism?

What next? After universal standards, will universal books be used? Will universal graduation standards be mandated? Will DOE mandate the length of the school day and year?

What about more controversial topics, such as teaching intelligent design as science? Hey, it need not be considered anymore because it’s out of the province of local school boards!

Either the commissioner has had a philosophical revelation or I’m misunderstanding what was intended.

Mark Schwartz

South Portland

Gov. LePage is far too lazy to study issues before acting

I admit that I was biased as I drove to Augusta to look at the now-infamous mural before it was dismantled and taken to parts unknown.

Having worked and done business in Maine for more than 40 years, my experience has been that the friendly, hardworking people here give our state a competitive advantage.

Gov. LePage seems to believe that we the people are a barrier to business. Still, I felt it important to at least view the mural before forming an opinion.

So off I went to a hard-to-find warehouse-like building on an Augusta back street, then down the hall to a broom-closet-sized waiting area.

And there it was: a terrific piece of art depicting our hardworking forebears and hinting at their struggles. I examined it, trying to see what had generated such a strong negative reaction from Gov. LePage.

I comforted myself with the knowledge that the artist should feel gratified that our governor reacted so strongly upon viewing her art.

With the shocking news that Gov. LePage never even glanced at the mural before ripping it out, I’m reminded of his other careless comments and behaviors: stealing a slogan, “Open for Business,” from West Virginia, and having the sign depicting that slogan manufactured in Alabama, insulting key constituents by skipping Martin Luther King Day celebrations, tossing off “bearded lady” comments directed at those concerned about the environment, and implementing hiring practices that range from cronyism to nepotism.

I’m left with one fundamental truth: Our governor is lazy. Laziness illustrated by his history of refusing to study the issues before weighing in.

His work avoidance bias is so strong that he didn’t even drive down the street to examine the art before tearing it down. Perhaps his disdain for Maine’s workers reflects his personal disdain for work.

Pete Lyons

Westbrook

 

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