As the bard said, “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is often interred with their bones.”

It brings to mind the only Republican president I ever voted for, not once but twice. I hear Richard Nixon’s name mentioned frequently now in comparison with our present situation. Nixon’s shortcomings are well known and I do not dispute them; however, I would gladly trade him for what we have now. Two reasons, and there are others, come to mind: the Clean Water Act and Earned Income Credit, which gives couples with children a welcome tax break. It was a great blessing to us.

My husband also voted Republican one time and it was the Clean Water Act which greatly appreciated by us on the coast. As a child, I loved to go swimming but there were some places one had to step carefully to avoid human waste. I remember the sewage pipe draining into the ocean and the horrible stench driving into the City of Portland. Thankfully, Nixon put an end to these abuses and I am thankful to him every time I go to the beach or breath the fresh salt air.

So why did I vote for him the first time? Well, I was excited to vote for the first time and before voting absentee, as I was going off to school, my mother said “Vote Republican or I will kill you.” Now, I don’t think she really meant it but I wanted to make her happy. However, I was not disappointed when Kennedy won and he soon became one of my heroes. At the time, he and Nixon were both good looking, with pretty wives and cute kids. My political instincts needed to develop, as you see, but my feelings about Nixon remain the same.

Frances Bredeau

Boothbay Harbor