There was some irony in the Aug. 10 Sunday Telegram with gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles doubling down on his attack on people of Somali heritage for loving their country of origin juxtaposed against a great story on the 100th St. Peter’s Italian Bazaar in Portland.

Mr. Charles cites the 19 American soldiers killed in Somalia (Blackhawk Down) nearly 40 years ago for his criticism. A lot more were killed in Italy in WWII, but that doesn’t stop us from celebrating all things Italian. Or Oktoberfest. I would add to the list of Mainers who celebrate their non-American heritages with: the La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival; Bath’s upcoming “English Tea Party”; the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Portland; New Sweden’s annual “Midsommar Festival”; the 46th Maine Highland Games and Scottish Festival; and Portland’s Slavic Festival, to name just a few.

What do these have in common that haven’t been (at least not since the mid-1920s) criticized? They are all of European origin.

Our Somali Mainers paid the same price every immigrant before them did: sacrifice to leave one place for another with more promise. They are welcome to remember fondly where they came from, just like Mainers with Italian, Irish, French, German, Polish, Swedish and Finnish last names. And they are welcome here to help make this great state an even better place for all of us.

Lawrence Butler
Thomaston