About Jim Brunelle's insult (Dec. 28): I am the one who would suggest to Brunelle that had his columns over the past 40 years contained something other than treacle and laudanum, he'd have long since been sent packing. My granddaughter's protest was not the incinerator, although that was an abominable idea; it was the backroom manipulation by John Martin and his shadow-government allies to scuttle agreements previously made and petitions accepted in order to shove the incinerator down citizens throats. Shadow governments detest citizen participation in anything. It was that ugly maneuver that should have aroused Brunelle's wrath.

There's a line in MacIver's text on government which reminds students that every time a law is passed someone loses freedom. One wonders, is anyone paying attention? How much freedom has been lost in the past 40 years, as Brunelle and the media by and large have served as head cheerleaders for legislative assault on citizenship, would you say? What I hear on the street is the populace wondering if there is any freedom left. Tell me, is any freedom left?

As I recall, the Maine I grew up in had a Legislature that met every two years and then for only six weeks. Is my memory correct? That was Maine as it was meant to be. How about a column for morality in government now and then. We'd all find it refreshing.

Victor Lister

Athens