Dear Editor:

Just one month before the 2022 midterm elections, I decided to share this quotation by President Abraham Lincoln.

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ”

161 years later, should we consider the truth of his words? I think so! May President Lincoln’s words inform your vote by encouraging thinking beyond simplistic party talking points and parroted lines from social media or the nightly news.

Sandi Day

Damariscotta

EDITOR’S NOTE: We were informed by a reader on Oct. 26 that these quotes, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, were not his. The writings were from William J. H. Boetcker. In 1916, Boetcker produced a booklet under the title of "Inside Maxims, Gold Nuggets Taken From the Boetcker Lectures." The Washington Post wrote about this in 1992: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1992/08/28/the-history-of-those-words-lincoln-never-said/2f0d2273-a3f7-457b-8bf8-733e9550f1da/