Letter: Reject the new Maine flag proposal

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Mainers, vote no Question 5 on adopting this new flag! It fails the Maine test. In my opinion, it doesn’t depict a Maine pine tree. It’s more like a western state ponderosa pine. Please go back to the drawing board!
Mainers love their spruce and balsam pines! Please depict one of them in any new effort! Maine’s forest is filled with them and forestry’s important right?
OK, Maine’s present flag is not perfect but it’s truly distinctive. Let’s continue to cherish Maine’s heritage in any possible new flag. Hooray for the farmer and sailor who combine to represent Maine’s spirit of independence as a people, its sea and Maine’s coast and various industries. And Maine’s official animal, our native moose, lies under a native pine, not a ponderosa!
History is important to remember and cherish. The moose was hunted by indigenous people and early settlers. Both the moose and Maine pines are vital to our present economy. And I like blue as a background! So, what if other states have the color blue? Aren’t we a state too?
Last but not least is the term Dirigo! I Lead. It’s a wonderful reminder and explicit directive to all our leaders to lead and not just follow. Yes, we Mainers need to direct them to lead on behalf of Maine and America. That’s our job! That one word is the guidepost for our collective future!
Joe H. Pickering Jr.
Bangor