This article contains political and other commentary which reflects the author’s opinions
On Sunday afternoon, after a campaign rally in New Hampshire, President Trump made a visit to Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine. This visit to Maine was not on the official schedule and Treworgy Family Orchards received a phone call from the White House. No matter your political affiliation, it should be an honor to receive a call such as this from the President of the United States.
Despite this not being an official campaign stop, Mainahs dropped what they were doing and drove to Bangor to show their support for the President. Estimates of the crowd size run from “several hundred people” according to the Morning Sentinel/Kennebec Journal to over 3,000 people according to those who were there as well as from the President’s staff. Kayleigh McEnerny, White House Press Secretary, commented “President Trump makes a small ‘off the record’ stop in Levant, Maine at Treworgy Family Orchards. Announced last minute and THOUSANDS of people show up!!”
In response to the President’s visit, the comments from the left on local news and media Facebook pages were sadly predictable “Maine doesn’t want him here,” “And just like the pumpkin should be thrown thrown out at the beginning of November [sic],” “Well finally he found something as ORANGE as he is,” “Trump supporters are a certain type of person. They understand i hos [sic] brand of hate, bigotry and ignorance,” “Don’t even think about coming to Portland!” and “Maybe he’ll trip down the stairs and knock some intelligence into himself.” Can you feel the love not hate, the tolerance and the kindness of the left? Me neither.
The vituperation wasn’t just for the President, it was also for the attendees. One person who was a victim of this vitriol was Michelle Renee Kaplan. Peter P Lindquist made a public post about Ms. Kaplan, posted where she works and urged people to contact her employer all for the crime of posing for a photo without a mask. I reached out to Ms. Kaplan about this post from Mr. Lindquist and enquired about the photo. She indicated “The funny thing is that I actually didn’t have to wait in line, I took two weeks off from work and I wore my mask except for that photo. It’s an N95. I had hand sanitizer and I used it.” Read that statement again from Ms. Kaplan and then the screenshots below from Mr. Lindquist who contacted her employer without first hand knowledge of how Ms. Kaplan conducted herself at the Treworgy Family Orchards event. Even worse, he encouraged others to contact her employer based on his false assumptions.
Not surprisingly, Peter Lindquist’s post was copied and posted on, you guessed it, Maine: No Mask No Service’s secret Facebook Group by member Linda Rowell Kelley. I reached out to Ms. Kelley for comment, but have not heard back at the time of publication. It appears members of Maine: No Mask No Service too have contacted her employer on second or third hand information that based on faulty assumptions.
Sharon Sparks doesn’t know whether this is true or accurate because like all of the others she has no first hand knowledge of what transpired nor did she reach out to Ms. Kaplan. Like all of the others, Ms. Sparks is making comments like the one below based on one person’s incorrect assumptions and lack of first hand knowledge about Ms, Kaplan’s actions on Sunday.
Is this the world we live in now when a person’s career is possibly jeopardized by incorrect assumptions made by people on Facebook without any actual knowledge? Do facts matter to people of the world like Peter Lindquist, and members of Maine: No Mask No Service? Or is it acceptable to try to ruin a career of someone like Ms. Kaplan who went to school for many years to obtain the medical position she holds today? In this world of attack first and ask questions later, REAL PEOPLE are being harmed in the name of moral superiority, social justice and political one upsmanship..
As always, if you have a story idea, tip or would like to write for Maine Journal News, please contact me at mainejournalnews@gmail.com.
Very sad times we live in when one isn’t free to live as they see fit for themselves without the threat of a busy body who’s mission is to report what they themselves don’t agree with. This needs to stop!!
What is wrong with people. Anything to get attention and draw more hate in the state and the USA. I am so very sick of people causing trouble and trying to get people fired. Karma is a bitch.
I hate tattletales like you Peter Lindquist. We had a race in central Maine in August with over 2000 people WITH NO MASKS AND NO COVID OUTBREAK!!! Went to a race 3 weeks later with probabl
y 2500 people with NO MASKS AND NO COVID OUTBREAK. Go back to your basement and stay there.
So much judgement and trying to force someone else to behave as you think they should. How about we each use our God given free agency to choose for ourselves. You do you, and I’ll do me and leave each other alone!