10/26/2023
As someone who was JUST driving through Maine this week, my heart goes out to the mass shooting victims in Lewiston who are senseless plagued by gun violence. "The Pinetree State" holds a special place in my heart as the center of my college experience. So many milestones started here. It is why I came back as an Alumni Council Member. But, for every beautiful moment I learned from, I also found dangerously pertinent warnings of how violence can grow from the most close-knit of communities. This swing state with very purple politics was where Wabanaki Natives were ripped from families to fill up boarding schools across the East Coast. It was where students of color were openly turned away because of racist stereotypes. It is where loose enforcement of firearm carry laws foster a ticking time bomb......If we learn anything from this recent tragedy, it is that shootouts also happen in rural spaces with beautiful backdrops and "patriotic good guys." In a state of 1 million Americans, only one in a million is needed to inflict pain once all the warning signs are ignored. I pray for our affected families and the moral conscience of policymakers who can take swift action now. Cheers to Keeping Maine Beautiful 🫎🫐🌲
