A Hazy Shade of Winter

Some people see racism around almost every corner.

I am not one of those people, but . . .

Two days ago, the city of Saco and its neighboring communities were shaken by a violent crime that resulted in four suspects shooting at each other from their cars while traveling on Elm Street.

At the first press conference, Saco Police Chief Jack Clements described the suspects as “four Hispanic males”

It didn’t take long for bigotry, half-assed assumptions and hatred to begin spreading all over social media.

While I can certainly understand why many people expressed fear and concern, I cannot believe how much hatred is brewing in my own community.

Several people used the incident to underscore their disdain for President Joe Biden and his immigration policies.

Within two hours of the incident, Facebook was being flooded with racist rhetoric, such as: “See? This what happens when you have open borders.”

Or this: “Saco used to be a nice, peaceful town until these people came here and ruined things.”

The woman (a self-described Saco native) who posted that last comment conveniently forgets that Friday also marked the 25-year anniversary of Ashley Ouellette’s murder. Ashley, a 15-year-old Thornton Academy student, was found in the middle of the road by a passing motorist.

I remember covering that story. I don’t recall anyone blaming President Clinton. Of course, that terrible crime took place long before Facebook was invented.

If a Hispanic male commits a crime in southern Maine, he must be an “illegal immigrant.” He must be “one of those people.” Really???

These suspects have yet to be identified. How do we know where they were born? Maybe they were born at Boston General hospital. Maybe they were born at Maine Medical Center. Who knows?

Many people just assume if a Hispanic person is involved in a crime, he or she must be an “illegal immigrant.”

I hate to break the news to you: It’s entirely possible that these four men are United States citizens just like you and me.

I can’t prove that, but you can’t prove they are “illegal immigrants,” either.

Maine is vastly a rural state, in fact the most forested state in the country. Our violent crime rates are much lower than many other places.

For those of us who grew up here, things like the murder of Ashley Ouellette or Friday’s shooting incident are jarring – not at all common.

Imagine how people in Lewiston, Maine felt a few months ago when a mass shooting took the lives of 18 innocent victims.

The city of Lewiston is also home to a growing population of Somalian refugees who came to America seeking a better life. They are people “from away.”

The funny thing? The Lewiston shooter was a white guy. A United States citizen. A military veteran.

In fact, the overwhelming majority of mass shootings (7 or more random victims) are committed by young white men.

See? Members of the Abenaki tribe nailed it 300 years ago, when they said this place has gone to hell since these people from away came here.

The vast and overwhelming majority of Saco residents are some of the most decent, kind, generous and intelligent people you could ever hope to meet.

But sadly, the idyllic community of Saco is just like every other place: home to a few ignorant and insecure souls.