The statements attributed to Patricia Blanchette (BDN, Aug. 23) should not go unchallenged. Her opinion that “prostitution is a fact of life” is tantamount to saying it can be pursued in Bangor unmolested. Seemingly, Ms. Blanchette is sanctioning an activity which is already illegal in the state of Maine. It would be reasonable to expect that an elected official has a duty to uphold established law. Here we have an example of an elected official patently in favor of allowing indivduals to flaut the law. If this is not an impeachable offence, it is certainly good cause for the citizens of Bangor to deny her the office to which she was elected.

If our elected officials wink at prostitution, how is society expected to control ancillary illegal activities? Here I refer to violence and the illegal drug trade that inevitably accompany prostitution. History and current events show us a piecemeal approach to crime is fallacious. Citizens who live in areas where this erroneous approach is taken find they are unable to safely use portions of their city during parts of the day, night or not at all.

Ms. Blanchette goes on to say that “you cannot regulate morality.” This statement disregards existing statutes. While what goes on in the privacy of the home cannot and should not be regulated, insofar as it does not violate basic human rights, what goes on in the public sector can be and is regulated. Morality is regulated with laws that forbid not only prostitution, but public indecency, child pornography and other vulgar activities.

In regard to the issue of genital massage (or hand release, as it is referred to in newspeak), this is prostitution pure and simple. When elected officials go about delineating what parts of the body can be used to stimulate orgasm, they are engaged in legislative game playing. Marshall Cary’s assertion that a loophole was left in the law intentionally indicates a need to look into the development of this statute more closely. I wonder if there are any statesmen (or women) left who have the courage to close this loophole on the state level.

Finally, kudos to the elected officials in Brewer who did not allow this infection to fester. If Bangor chooses to follow the feckless example of Ms. Blanchette, then it deserves to live in the cesspool it creates and all that goes with it. How unfortunate for those of us who live next door. Leslie M. Ohmart III Brewer