Truth is part of our heritage. We need to rediscover it. | Letter

Letter to the Editor Criticizes Senator Collins, Calls for Commitment to Truth in Upcoming Election

Portland, Maine — A letter to the editor published this week by the Bangor Daily News and tagged as a letter to the editor calls on Maine voters to demand greater accountability from elected officials, specifically targeting U.S. Senator Susan Collins.

The piece was written by Tom Inman, a resident of Purcellville, Virginia, who identifies himself as a ninth-generation Virginian. Inman states that his family participated in the Revolutionary War and that members of his family now live in Maine, north of Portland.

In the letter, Inman argues that truth serves as the foundation for democratic self-government. He writes that "without truth, there is no independence, no freedom and no legitimate self-government," and that "a free people cannot act freely if they cannot first see clearly." The letter characterizes truth as "the precondition of all republican liberty," asserting that independence requires citizens to "judge reality as it is, not as it is distorted."

Inman connects his argument to Maine's civic culture, describing the state's character as built on "directness, duty and accountability." He suggests Maine's geography and working traditions demand honesty, calling this expectation "part of the state's moral architecture."

Regarding the upcoming election, the letter contends that voters should consider whether truth remains an obligation of their heritage. Inman writes that "when leaders abandon it, they erode the inheritance secured by those who fought before us."

The letter specifically criticizes Collins, stating she has "repeatedly abetted failures of honor, duty and collective historical conscience," and argues that "Mainers deserve better stewards of their trust."

Inman concludes by emphasizing that he views truth as nonpartisan, writing that "truth is not a partisan instrument" but rather "the foundation of independence and freedom themselves."

Letters to the editor reflect the opinions of individual writers and do not represent the editorial position of this publication.