By Fred Benson In case we hadn’t noticed, President Donald Trump is winning. From a low of 35 percent in November 2017, his approval rating has grown steadily to 45 percent along with a concomitant reduction in his disapproval rating. On the investigation of possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, confidence in Special …
By Fred Benson Taken in its best possible light, the upcoming summit meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un could result in an extraordinary agreement in which North Korea commits to giving up its nuclear arsenal. In return, the United States would agree to sign a peace treaty, provide security guarantees, …
By Fred Benson I have had the privilege of being related to, working with and knowing some pretty impressive human beings during my lifetime. As I reexamine those relationships, it becomes clear that those for whom I have the greatest respect are persons of extraordinarily high character. The key ingredients of that measure are integrity, …
SOUTHWEST HARBOR — “The State of the State and the State of the Union,” a talk and discussion about current issues at the state and federal level with Fred Benson and Jill Goldthwait, will take place at the Southwest Harbor Public Library on Saturday, April 7, from 1:30-3 p.m. Goldthwait will focus on process and …
BAR HARBOR — Three Mount Desert Island veterans will talk about their experiences at the Jesup Memorial Library on Saturday, March 10, at 1 p.m. Fred Benson served as the commander of an aviation unit with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War, Steve Ashley also served in Vietnam as a unit and mail …
To the Editor: After reading Fred Benson’s commentary, “The kids are right,” in the Feb. 22 edition of the Islander, I must say he is absolutely right. We must support our children in their efforts to reinstate the ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines, both of which are capable of inflicting mass casualties …
By Fred Benson I have been shot at and missed. I have shot at others and not missed. I take no pride in either of those circumstances, but what I do carry with me is an intimate awareness of the destructive power of military weaponry and the mutilation it can visit on targeted human beings. …
By Fred Benson President Trump’s forceful assertion that he is “not a racist” quickly brings to mind the image of a scowling President Nixon claiming in 1973 that he was “not a crook.” It wasn’t long before it was proven that he was precisely that. While the exact profanities the current president uttered at the …
By Fred Benson I’ve been around a long time. Over the course of these ever-increasing decades, there were times when I was concerned or downright frightened about the events or circumstances enveloping our country. I can remember worrying about the safe return of my uncle from a B-17 unit based in England and trembling in …
To the editor: In last week’s Capitol Commentary column, Fred Benson warned of looming catastrophe during the Trump administration. Yet business fundamentals and consumer confidence are up, ISIS is losing in Northern Iraq, illegal border crossings are down, and natural disasters are addressed. Now imagine the sense of catastrophe if an unlettered outsider succeeds where …
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