By Robert E. Macdonald

Mayor of Lewiston

I began this week’s column with tears in my eyes. I write with both sadness and raging hate within my heart. Big Brother has won.

Little 11-month-old Charlie Gard had been removed from his government’s life-support system. He died on Friday, a day after he was transferred to a hospice facility.

I write this while gazing at a picture of little Charlie, peacefully asleep in his government hospital bed, tubes up his little nose and a little stuffed monkey resting on the chest of his little body. This little angel has been deemed by a bunch of government bureaucrats, many who have never laid eyes on this child, as not worth the expense of taxpayers’ dollars to save him.

Little Charlie’s parents have been in and out of English courts trying to extend the government treatment that has kept little Charlie alive to this point. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis intervened and supported the parent’s attempts to continue treatment for Charlie outside England. But to no avail.

At this point, I learned from the news that his middle-class parents have stopped their legal quest to keep Charlie alive. A question that comes to my mind is: If Charlie was from the British upper class, would the outcome be the same? I doubt it!

Now that little Charlie Gard has passed and is now at peace, I hope the bureaucrats that condemned him lead a long, miserable life.

Socialized medicine; Democrats love it. They characterize it using a popular 1920s saying, “The Cat’s Meow.” In theory, it is. But we are talking about reality.

Those seeking medical care remain hopeful that they will receive treatment before their condition goes from Stage 1 to Stage 4 or 5. Further, they are faced with the stress of wondering if government bureaucrats will approve their much-needed treatment.

Then we have the Republican Party. It is represented by milquetoast adolescents, many of whom growing up were probably the targets of playground bullies and never saw the ocean due to the perpetual presence of sand in their eyes. This has conditioned them to just say “Yes” when Democratic bullies come around.

They have been working for seven years (wink, wink) to repeal and replace socialized medicine, a.k.a. ObamaCare. All they needed was a vote. They were given a majority in both the House and the Senate.

But alas, even Solomon would find it impossible to come up with a plan that would not offend anyone. If you are looking for relief from ObamaCare, don’t look to the Republicans. You’ll end up very disappointed.

The primary job of Congress is not to focus on their reelection, but to develop and pass legislation beneficial to the American people. It is time for them to lose the attitude that they are somehow superior thinkers—they’re not. Middle school students could easily provide an acceptable solution to most of these problems in a few days, a solution that would give the little Charlie Gards of this world a fighting chance.

Finally, last Thursday I made a big boo-boo. I incorrectly introduced our new Fire Chief as Brian Stockwell, not Stockdale. I apologized to Chief Stockdale and his family for the misstatement. I have been reprimanded by my wife.

She made me write “Stockdale” on a large whiteboard 500 times. I extend to Chief Stockdale and his wife a warm Lewiston welcome.