Liberal Use of Language

Maine re-elected a governor who speaks his mind, and I sincerely congratulate him.

What’s on Gov. LePage’s mind is rarely expressed in politically correct terms, but voters appreciate a man who is passionate and plain spoken. It’s refreshingly authentic.

My favorite quote among the colorful collection is, “the minute we start stifling our speech, we might as well go home, roll up our sleeves and get our guns out.”

Yes! YES.

Last week I was harshly criticized minutes after being blunt by the very people who sent LePage back to the Blaine House for his bluntness.

I wrote about science, bears, Ebola and the irony of “stout” governors Paul LePage and Chris Christie denouncing “big” government. Two “portly” men jumping around the stump for big campaign contributions while condemning “able-bodied” schmucks for not working a real job was sort of funny, I thought.

Fired up about what felt paradoxical, I poured thoughts out on a blog and in the process used a very bad word. There are euphemisms to describe the physicality of LePage and Christie. “Corpulent,” say, or “Falstaffian.” Instead, I blurted out “obese,” the correct medical term that’s apparently politically incorrect.

Outrageous! Petty! Unprofessional — according to several LePage supporters.

Why are some applauded for saying what’s on their minds and not others?  Speaking frankly should put me on common ground with our governor.

Is it because I’m pegged a “liberal,” that makes stifling speech okay, or because I’m a “feminist?”

And if I owned one, would now be an appropriate time to go home, roll up my sleeves and get my gun out?

Cynthia Dill

About Cynthia Dill

Cynthia Dill is a civil rights attorney with the Portland firm Troubh Heisler. She has served as a state senator and representative, and she is the former Democratic nominee in Maine's 2012 U.S. Senate race. She holds a BA from the University of Vermont and a JD from Northeastern University. She is admitted in the U.S. District Courts for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims. Dill lives in Cape Elizabeth with her husband Tom and their two children.