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Regarding the Midcoast Villager article that were recently published by the Bangor Daily News:
At the Union Fair, I volunteered at the Knox County Republican booth. A reporter asked to take my photo, saying, as I recall, it might appear in a general fair gallery. I was never told it would accompany a story about political controversy. I was not interviewed, quoted, or asked for comment. My later request to editors to remove the photo was not accomplished.
The issue is not the photograph, but the absence of my voice. An image was used to frame a narrative I was not a part of, that is now affecting our county and state.
For nearly 30 years, I have served this community with steady, practical work, not outrage. At the fair, I was doing what I always do: Talking with neighbors, answering questions, and enjoying a Maine tradition.
The views expressed by the Midcoast Villager and Bangor Daily News and their affiliates do not reflect my character or beliefs.
Ray Thombs
Union
