It is a sad day, and it will go down in history as such, when we no longer elect our president but allow the Supreme Court, from which there is no appeal, to appoint one.

This entire episode appears to have been orchestrated by the Republican Party of Florida, starting with Katherine Harris, the head of elections in Florida and the co-chairman of the Bush campaign in Florida, to the Republican-stacked U.S. Supreme Court.

Harris refused to allow time to count the ballots but was overruled by the Florida Supreme Court. The Bush people appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled the count could not continue until it could hear the arguments.

After all the appeals through all the courts, the U.S. Supreme Court decided there was not enough time to do a recount so that was out, which meant the ultimate result was the appointment of George W. Bush as president. After all the efforts to get people to vote, the court ruled their votes could not be counted as they would decide the presidency. Most people used to have great respect for the Supreme Court as it is the ultimate appeal on any issue. It will take a long time for the court to earn that same respect back.

Norman Drew

Eddington

The U.S. Supreme Court as well as the Florida Supreme Court have done a great injustice to themselves and to the people of this nation. Regardless of their own political beliefs, when the justices don their robes and sit on the court they should consider the people of this country.

Our Founding Fathers said all men are created equal. That means that if a person decides to vote then his or her vote must be counted. Thousands of votes were never counted in Florida, thus making those who did vote second-class citizens. This is a red letter day for all Americans.

We must straighten out the voting system nationwide by doing away with the Electoral College and elect by the voice of the people, one vote per person. Or else have each individual state do what we in Maine do by splitting the electoral vote; like in Florida, 10 votes for one man and 15 votes for the other.

Alvin R. Dyer

Bangor