What responsibility does The Forecaster bear by allowing John Balentine to continue putting forward false and misleading information concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts by local/state/federal agencies to control said pandemic?
Answer: A great deal. For months, Mr. Balentine’s “selective forgetfulness” with respect to medical/scientific recommendations promulgated to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19 has prompted him to repeat, again and again, his right-wing propaganda campaign against lifesaving measures (mask wearing, social distancing, being vaccinated, etc.) designed to safeguard the health of citizens across this state/country (“An overabundance of caution is our undoing,” Aug. 13).
The editorial staff of The Forecaster should always uphold its responsibility to provide its readership with accurate, medically based information generated by health professionals, and not continue to “muddy the waters” by permitting Mr. Balentine to mislead the public by his unfounded and dangerous “opinions.”
In light of the surge in delta variant-induced infections, The Forecaster must assume a rather timely function: It should be the fact-based vehicle by which readers can be encouraged to assist in reducing hospitalizations by wearing masks, social distancing and getting vaccinated.
As usual, responsible citizens have already taken “it upon themselves” to help their fellow citizens from becoming ill. Now, The Forecaster could contribute to this citizen-based effort by allowing health professionals to update the public on up-to-date measures designed to reduce the surge of the delta variant in our community/state and recommend that non-responsible citizens get vaccinated.
Mr. Young was correct when opining: “I find (Balentine’s) commentaries so consistently at odds with reality and facts …” (Forum, July 30). Your readers’ concern: Why does The Forecaster continue to allow Balentine a platform to offer those opinions, even when they endanger innocent lives?
John M. Mishler
Harpswell
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