Dear Editor:

I am so glad I got out of teaching before I had to go the shooting range to get certified? Just when I think Trump can't say anything more ridiculous, he comes through with aces!

Years ago, I read Ishmael and Daniel Quinn’s definition of “mother culture,” which really resonated with me. We are so brain-washed by our “mother culture” through propaganda, fake news, repetition, name calling and other techniques. Quinn explains that “mother culture” has fed us a story that's so pervasive we don't even hear it anymore, but it is so powerful that it informs every moment of our lives. Our job as educators and informed adults is to question the hidden premises of “mother culture” that are taken for granted as being true.

Quinn’s concept of “mother culture” challenged my every life choice and has reinforced my strong DNA-imprinting of passion for notions of fairness, justice and the responsibility of the government to make sure all citizens are protected from the corrupt, the violent, and the forces of evil.

In order to embark on change, we, as a nation, must make a major paradigm shift that commits to protecting everyone and not just the “elites.” The strength of the young victims of these school tragedies is our hope for our future. They are rejecting “mother culture’s” message that the right to own an AR-15 is a God-given right. Thank you students for your activism — it was my privilege to be an educator for 40 years!

Jeannie Hamrin, Ed.D.

Boothbay