Study finds Maine the most ‘peaceful’ state in the nation

BDN staff and wire reports

Posted April 06, 2011, at 10:23 a.m.
Last modified April 06, 2011, at 1:54 p.m.

Bill Trotter | BDN

A sunset over the Union River in Ellsworth is seen in December 2004. In a report released Wednesday, the Institute for Economics and Peace says Maine is the most peaceful state, while Louisiana is the least peaceful.

BANGOR, Maine — While U.S. military forces continue to be engaged in conflicts abroad, a survey of the home front by an international think tank finds that U.S. states have become more peaceful since 1995.

In a report released Wednesday, the Institute for Economics and Peace says Maine is the most peaceful state, while Louisiana is the least peaceful.

Maine was ranked first overall because it topped the list of states on three of the five per capita indicators: number of violent crimes, number of police officers, and incarceration rate, according to the institute. In the other two major indicators measured by the study, Maine ranked ninth in the country in the number of homicides per capita and 29th in the availability of small firearms.

“It is wonderful to get this great positive news about Maine when we have had so much negative attention lately,” said Ilze Petersons, program coordinator with the Bangor-based Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, referring to recent national attention paid to Maine Gov. Paul LePage’s controversial decision to remove a labor-themed mural from a state office building.

Petersons also referred to the institute’s findings that peacefulness can pay dividends, reducing crime-related costs to society and also spurring economic activity and job creation.

“While the study counted only a few factors, having this strong peaceful community, we can continue to work for budget priorities that can help with the other factors needed for peace and justice,” she said. “We can promote policies that value good paying jobs, health care, housing and safe and clean environment.”

“Peace translates into dollars and cents,” said IEP Founder Steve Killelea. “We have seen this in the findings of the 2010 Global Peace Index, where we found that a 25 percent reduction in global violence would free up $1.8 trillion annually.”

The Australia-based institute defines peace as an absence of violence. The top three states were Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Joining Louisiana at the bottom are Nevada and Tennessee.

The country’s overall peacefulness has increased 8 percent since 1995, primarily driven by a substantial decrease in homicide and violent crime, the report finds.

A state’s ranking strongly correlated with various socioeconomic factors, including the high school graduation rate, access to health insurance and the rate of infant mortality, according to the report. Maine’s graduation rate ranked 20th in the nation. Maine ranked sixth in access to health insurance and 15th in the rate of infant mortality.

Other findings from the report include:

The total cost of violence per person in a state ranges from $656 in Maine to $2,458 in Louisiana. The USPI estimates that the economic effect of decreasing violence in states by 25 percent ranges from $126 million in Vermont to $16 billion in California.

Regionally, Southern states were identified as being the least peaceful, while states in the Northeast were most peaceful. The peacefulness of states in the Midwest and West was about equal, with Midwest states being slightly more peaceful.

Reductions in violence and crime to levels equal to Canada would yield an estimated $89 billion in direct savings, $272 billion in additional economic activity, and potentially create 2.7 million jobs.

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Anonymous

nice.
Anonymous

So Maine is in the lead in “spurring economic activity and job creation”? I don’t see the connection.
525_44

Louisiana is an awful place.
However I do live a very peaceful life where I am.
Anonymous

I wonder what the state’s official art critic would say if we removed his “Open for Business” sign and replaced it with the “peace sign”.
PBRman

Cultural homogeneity at its finest…
Anonymous

I sure would not want to live in Louisiana either! (and a few others I could name!) People can have Florida too!
Tea42

Noticeably so, with Le Page in Jamaica and Tarren en route to Florida.
Anonymous

Now if we just had a few jobs???? and a few less Taxs and rules and reg, more “Pot Shops” and Meth clinics!! Life is Good……………ps, and a few more sex offenders!!!
Anonymous

Now if we just had a few jobs???? and a few less Taxs and rules and reg, more “Pot Shops” and Meth clinics!! Life is Good……………ps, and a few more sex offenders!!!
Anonymous

Now if we just had a few jobs???? and a few less Taxs and rules and reg, more “Pot Shops” and Meth clinics!! Life is Good……………ps, and a few more sex offenders!!!
Anonymous

Now if we just had a few jobs???? and a few less Taxs and rules and reg, more “Pot Shops” and Meth clinics!! Life is Good……………ps, and a few more sex offenders!!!
Anonymous

The top 3 “peacefull” states are also states that have MANY gun owners and easy to get CCW permits..They are also the whitest and have older populations…Lack very LARGE cities and the inner city gang problems…The weather also SUCKS…LOL…
Anonymous

Medical Marijuana dispensaries are very different than Methodone (not meth) clinics. Medical marijuana is one of the most helpful plants on this planet and can relieve so much suffering among human beings. Seeking treatment for relief of suffering not really a laughing matter.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_GBHAWY2DGMGS5W3VHFYLBPN7AU Jay C

Was this survey done before, or after LePage became governor?
525_44

I have been to Fla. I could not wait to get back home. Too many people crawling everywhere like ants. Too much traffic and some really horrible people.
http://travelah.blogspot.com/ Conservative Monstrosity

This is the silliest story of the week. Compare this “peace” with the depressing story of drug abuse in Dover-Foxcroft, Milo and Washington County. I grew up in D-F many years ago and there isn’t anything familiar with the “new” Maine. Maine has serious drug problems, gang issues, chronic low wages and a disproportionate cost of living. Bangor seems to have become a mecca for criminal idiots. In other words, Maine has become a cesspool over the past 25 years. Keep your peace.
Centaurmyst

It won’t be the most peaceful for long if LePage has his way and sells off over half of Maine’s state owned property for development…oh, and destroying environmental protections.
Anonymous

Did they come here to do their study or just phone it in? The terrible crimes you read in the paper everyday, murders, stabbings, assaults, and all the drug arrests. In the comment section people are wanting this or that person fried or hung. It doesn’t seem all that peaceful to me unless you are out in woods all by yourself, miles out in the woods.
Anonymous

Advertise this and we we be over run with people…do we want that??? Sure will not be peaceful anymore!
Anonymous

Guns don’t kill people…Republicans do.
Anonymous

And we LOVE it just that way~~~
Anonymous

It’s all that medical marijuana . . .
Anonymous

Worse elsewhere . . .
Anonymous

where did you ever come up with that idea???? Get real…try helping instead of griping…
Anonymous

Couldn’t have said it better.
Anonymous

Peaceful, Isn’t that wonderful. Did I read this correctly that Maine has a very high number of Police Officers per Capita. I guess I could have been fooled there. I thought that one out of every two vehicles on the road was low. Oh, yes I forgot about the grants given to some cities from the money that just must be spent from The Department of Homeland Security. I feel much safer when this money is being used to catch these terrorist who may have forgotten to fasten their seatbelt. Oh, I forgot something else. Of coarse Maine is safe. Just drive by any one of these new magnificent border patrol buildings and try to count the nuber of vehicles. It always good when a renta cop pulls over some under age person with a deadly cigarette and the next thing , in pulls 47 border patrol vehicles with lights flashing and guns drawn. – Yes, Maine is peaceful, Now leave us alone so we dare go outside.
Anonymous

Guns don’t kill people, MANOEUVRES do.
Anonymous

Soft-headed and childlike, probably.
Anonymous

Does EVERY story’s comment section need to be a bash LePage fest ??? You suffers of LDS (LePage Derangement Syndrome) should get some help…Seriously , all that negativity isn’t good for you and is creaping into everything you do…Go outside , it’s beautifull out..The world isn’t ending…
Anonymous

Geez, you think so… the democrat president is running 3 wars now… he could have stopped them (like he said he would) when he came into office…
Anonymous

Geez, you think so… the democrat president is running 3 wars now… he could have stopped them (like he said he would) when he came into office…
Anonymous

yes it is, when the “solution” causes cancer at a higher rate than smoking tobacco…
Anonymous

Let them go, they just end up looking like idiots. People are catching on to their lunacy and moving away from them.
Anonymous

Wow, did you get pulled over and someone else DARED to show up?
Quit whining.
Anonymous

Those crimes are in the news because they are newsworthy.

Go to a major city and turn on the morning news. The first 10 minutes are spent talking about all the crime that happened while you were asleep in bed.

As to commentors here, I blame “internet tough guy” syndrome :)
Anonymous

We all know Maine is more peaceful than other places, that’s why we stayed.
Anonymous

We all know Maine is more peaceful than other places, that’s why we stayed.
Anonymous

We all know Maine is more peaceful than other places, that’s why we stayed.
Anonymous

Do you have a source for this assertion?
Anonymous

Doesn’t matter. Get the gov’t out of our business–like it was 100 years ago. That’s the real conservative position.
Anonymous

no people no crime yet thats all you see in bdn
no people no police
no people small jail just to house the drunkards in winter
pop 1 million in one of the larges states we should have plenty of peace & quite you think!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_K3I3HJFH6IHR4VKBPXPBRKMXU4 Wren

Nobel peace prize material
Anonymous

its very hard for bdn not to comment negatively about lepage. They obviously do not want change and do not want the right things done in this state.
Anonymous

Having been in several different areas of the country I’m not at all surprised to hear that Maine is the most peaceful state, followed by two other New England states. The crime rate is low.

I can’t say I agree that the peaceful environment of Maine has anything at all to do with jobs or the state of our economy and don’t see Maine, NH or VT in any way better off than other states economically or in terms of jobs. Unless of course you consider that most of VT’s jobs are either in dairy or other farming and tourist industry, primarily winter sports for those who can afford ski vacations. So maybe you can say that VT is less affected by loss of jobs but I’m not so sure that could be said about NH or Maine. So… this “better economy and more jobs” thing is a real stretch.
Anonymous

They do call it a newspaper, it contains newsworthy items. Crime is newsworthy!
Anonymous

yes it does suddenly seem more peaceful; wonder what he will say in Jamaica to irritate them and make us look bad there too…. LOL
Anonymous

FYI, most medical marijuana users don’t smoke pot, they consume it in food, butters, or use ‘vaporizers’ to inhale the THC without harmful smoke.
Anonymous

or miles out to sea
Anonymous

thed P&J center is nothing but a hang out for old hippies war disenters and liberals….we dont need your comments.

VN Combat Vet
Anonymous

thed P&J center is nothing but a hang out for old hippies war disenters and liberals….we dont need your comments.

VN Combat Vet
Anonymous

i am sure i dont speak for teh libs of this great newspaper
Anonymous

i am sure i dont speak for teh libs of this great newspaper
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7JOBNKPX32UXZ52SKZZQAJRNJA Juan Cena

I bet if you did a survey today you’d find that there is nothing like what is said in this article. I know it sounds like drivel but seriously 6 months now looking for a job…not a f’n thing. gas is uncontrolled…i can’t even leave my house
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=626357743 Richard Simpson

If peaceful you mean tons of unemployment and jackshit to do….then yes we would win
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7JOBNKPX32UXZ52SKZZQAJRNJA Juan Cena

The only peace I’ll ever get in this state is when I find the sweet release of death from hanging myself underneath the Chamberlain Bridge…
http://www.facebook.com/roger.merchant Roger Merchant

Now someone ought to drive right down there and put that peace sign up, Maine, open for peace
Centaurmyst

http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2011/01/31/opinion/commentaries/doc4d419830b4ed8143688636.txt

Try reading up on what LePage is up to before sticking up for him.
Centaurmyst

Vermont and NH are DEFINITELY better off than Maine economically. Vermont is the cleanest state I’ve ever had the pleasure to live in, too. NH has a somewhat thriving manufacturing base as well…and it’s a worker’s job market there. I have lived in all three states. The BEST place to live, by a mile, is Vermont. The best place to work, by a mile, is New Hampshire. Maine has been the best place to hunt and vacation, but if LePage manages to get rid of all the environmental laws he wants to and to essentially get rid of most land use regulations that’s probably going to change.
Anonymous

Good god…. you conservatives certainly are negative people.
Anonymous

Short answer… yes.
Anonymous

Govenah LePage is doing his best to bring Maine in line with the national average.
Anonymous

{picky picky picky — keep looking on the brighter side of Life}
Anonymous

{picky picky picky — keep looking on the brighter side of Life}
Anonymous

Working in the oil patch is the worse.

” What LA. being a right to work State means to you, boy, is that we get to decide if you have the right to work. “, I have had said to my face.
Anonymous

Do you REALLY mean in 1911 ?? You prefer THAT government in your life?
Anonymous

Do you REALLY mean in 1911 ?? You prefer THAT government in your life?
Anonymous

Ah, Peace, we cannot have you or your kind around here, now pack up your stuff and go back to San Dieg0.
Anonymous

Ah, Peace, we cannot have you or your kind around here, now pack up your stuff and go back to San Dieg0.
Anonymous

A great post ruined by your last sentence..Why ?? You know LePage isn’t gonna do what you wrote nor would the legislture allow such a thing…Allowing lobstemen to store traps on their docks is a good thing…Returning a little common sense to an out of controll agency is a GOOD thing..Including such a $tupid statement at the end of a very good point just makes you look juvinile and petty…
Anonymous

I totally agree that VT is the cleanest state. It’s absolutely beautiful. I almost chose to live there a long time ago but the only thing that stopped me was not enough industry. I didn’t know what I’d find for work. I never really considered NH even though I’ve been there plenty but absolutely that state is above Maine and Vermont for a place to work. I know what you mean about LePage making a huge, huge mistake getting rid of environmental laws. Maine’s natural resources are the best of Maine… once it’s gone, it’s gone and there won’t be any industry or charm to replace it. It doesn’t look to me like he’s trying to attract environmentally friendly businesses… more like he’s trying to deregulate everything to attract businesses that have done so much harm in other states that they stink when you drive through them even with your windows up.
Anonymous

what do you do hold up a sign and say i quit?
we destroyed there governments we cannot just walk away that is unamerican. what we destroy must be rebuilt. i disagree with the conflicts and no we are not at war. did congress declare war?
the president does not have the authority nor should he to declare war.
Anonymous

I can just hear the “boy” part. Ugh…..I can’t imagine living there. It has its own beauty like any state, but as someone who loves New England, Louisiana does not appeal as a place to live.
Anonymous

That is from a song….part of the music in the movie “As Good as it Gets” with Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear.
Anonymous

Oh yeah…but you likely had no problem with the wars that started under Bush. So, not adding up….
Anonymous

I know….have you noticed.
Anonymous

Hmmm…..
Anonymous

This is what a “writer” said…not once have I heard LePage say it to this effect..he does want to open it up to make it easier for business to survive here..Do you know how many good companies have come here in the past 12 years…only to pack up and leave..taking jobs for us with them..and how many long time business have closed..mills of all kinds..shoe and slipper shops…etc etc. etc…I seriously think we should give this guy a chance..I agree..he can be raw…but..if he gets the job done I do not care how raw he is~we need jobs desperately…way too many of our people are having a very hard time…
Anonymous

Maybe he is illegal??? LOL
Anonymous

Does the sun come up in the morning?
Olde Hippie

You wouldn’t know it by reading the other stories on this page.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Wookie-Pie/1801487975 Wookie Pie

the website for the national cancer society recently touted the “tumor reducing” qualities of marajuana for eighteen hours until the article was removed without explanation. a johns hopkins study intending to prove a link between mj and lung cancer found not only no link, but a prohibitive effect was suggested.
Olde Hippie

Oh, my . . .
Anonymous

I agree Mags 62…..can’t change Maine in 4 months to what the democrats destroyed in 30 years
Anonymous

Maybe there is a connection between the higher than average number of guns and the lower than average crime rate?
Anonymous

What does that have to do with anything? I had no use for the wars we were in for the past 9 years. The fact is that many people voted for President Obama based on his platform of getting out of the wars, closing Gitmo and supposedly bringing, “change” to Washington. When he got in office he discoverd that his speaches sound great but the reality is that Washington is nothing more then a bunch of people (On both sides of the aisle) worried about keeping their jobs and changing anything comes in a distant second.
How about acknowledging reality instead of playing children’s games. ” Well your President did that” , “Yea but your President did this”. Grow up.
Anonymous

Ha ha…well-stated!
Anonymous

Don’t wste your time. this individual has no experience in the real world with weed. just Med marijuana and she buys into the NORML campaign that it is the cure for everything down to the common cold.
Anonymous

Do you have source not backed by NORML to back that assertion?
Harry H Snyder III

When the phone rings at my house, and some voice on the other end asks “How many guns do you have in your home?” the answer will be “None.” followed by the click when I put down the receiver. Does anyone in the whole country, liberal or conservative believe that a poll like this is accurate?
Anonymous

Prescription drug abuse aside, it seems nice and peaceful…how many times to you cross the Piscataqua and go, ahhhhhhhh, thank God I’m home.
Anonymous

Juan? Everything OK?
Anonymous

What does what you say a lot have to do with anything a lot of the time? The topic was Maine being a peaceful state, and the poster JonathanK made it something else. I responded to him. Funny, you overlooked his comment, but not surprised.
Hey…you might want to “grow up.” instead of trying to come off as some false mediator, as you don’t do the best job at that.
Anonymous

Shorter: Ye
Anonymous

The militarization of the civilian police is, I believe, the issue raised.
Anonymous

Are you talking to yourself?
Anonymous

Excellent post. Thank you.
Anonymous

I doubt it. There’s ALOT more guns in the Southern states than the Northern states. And now you’ve got the drug cartels moving in down there.
Anonymous

Chamberlain is a Civil War HERO. You don’t deserve to hang yourself from that bridge. Go step in front of an 18 wheeler on 95 instead.
Anonymous

OK, after reading this comments section for so long, I am finally aghast.
Anonymous

My is child is currently attending LSU and kind of likes it there, but obviously likes Maine better!
Likes their food!
Anonymous

From what I understand from my college student, Louisiana is a very conservative state.
Anonymous

Oh but the Keys are wonderful!!! Orlando is blah!
Anonymous

Back in my day, they use to put it in brownies.
Anonymous

Some great News…!!!! Now if the new Gov. would just shut his big mouth…!!!
Anonymous

Way to avoid taking responsibility for your words. The wars we’re in now are President Obama’s. I didn’t agree when president Bush went in and I don’t agree now. I didn’t respond to Jonathan because I happen to agree. This President ran specifically on getting out of the middle east. he hasn’t done so after TWO YEARS. Everything negative is someone else’s fault, that what you teach your children??
Anonymous

lol
Anonymous

Your college student is right-on.
I still can’t believe we have such a Governor as LePage in a New England state. More like in a southern state (he would be a good fit in some of those places.)
Anonymous

Yes, good food there.
Anonymous

This governor will set Maine back unless people fight back.
As for the environment, there is an article in today’s BDN about that, stating most people are for environmental safeguards,etc.
Anonymous

You could say it till you are blue in the face; they do not get what constitutes a newspaper.
Anonymous

I will just say one thing, and then will let you rant on as I am not interested. You portray yourself as someone who doesn’t take sides and you are so fair-minded ,etc. That is amusing. Think again. And I am not interested in your confrontational manner either… “Is that what you teach your children,etc.” Let me just say, that you don’t have a clue what posters do, or do not ,teach their children. I would say most posters’ adult children are quite capable of making their own decisions and view of things, whether about politics or anything else. And that is their business, not any poster on this blog.
Anonymous

As Bob Dylan says, “I’m gonna have to give myself a good talkin’ to”
Anonymous

What about Baldacci selling Maine short by destroying mountains for useless windmills (in which he’s vested) What about Baldacci selling Maine by having out of state trash deposited in our landfills!
Anonymous

All too true GrumpyJim.
Anonymous

LOL…..Lynne is all upset because you utterly destroyed her weak argument in support of our new war-monger in cheif……now she’s all defensive and can’t formulate a rebuttal…..LMAO!
Anonymous

ROTFLMFAO!!!!!

And here come the children into the argument…..too predictable! Why don’t you have someone teach your kids some critical thinking skills lynne, as they apparently did not inherit such abilities from their mother
Anonymous

Indeed and while they’re crying about some lame mural, real work is getting done in Augusta…..finally!
Anonymous

For some it is complicated; others think it is not, and it is obvious what we should do. I don’t think I would want to make those kinds of decisions, do you?!
Anonymous

I’ve always thought Maine was the safest state, and thus we could cut police protection by half and save a pile of money, or at least combine some of these town forces.
Anonymous

And why exactly should the state own land beyond its current holdings with the state park system and the public reserve land system?

Please name one environmental protection that the governor proposes to “destroy”.
Anonymous

A government that existed without the Federal Reserve Banking cartel? ABSOLUTELY!
Anonymous

nice racist comment there ted…..
Anonymous

ahhhh, well you ARE looking for employment in another person’s business, boy, it is only fair that the owner of the business decide whether or not you work there.
Anonymous

Peaceful? Ms. Ilze Peterson must not have a crotchety, skull-polishing neighbor who feeds the crows every morning.
Anonymous

Work can have that effect.
Anonymous

Why so partisan? Throw rocks ot the other party regardless of the issue and defend those you perceive as like minded no matter what. I consider myself fair-minded yes. I am willing to call a spade a spade regardless of affiliation. can you say the same? At the moment i’m quite annoyed with the RNC for pushing and pushing when it may come down to a shutdown. I think they have asked for an inch and now are expecting a mile. It’s a dumb stunt that is going to backfire on them.. On the other hand, I find the sky is falling LIES that the DNC potrays every policy idea put forth by the RNC to be cowardly and no more then an attempt to point a finger. They seem to be in opposition to everything and yet rarely do they come up with other options.
Anonymous

You fair-minded? Will leave you to toot your own horn!
Anonymous

Unlike what another poster here says, I have found your posts to always be quite civil, and intelligent. You usually know of what you speak.
Anonymous

You sound so much nicer than some who have replied to you.
Anonymous

Angus Rex needs to hire IEP to promote potential profit/benefits of wind power.
whumm…whumm…whumm…whummm…
Anonymous

LDS is closely affiliated with Bush derangement syndrome. At some point it isn’t even about issues. It’s about whether they’re red or blue and nothing more. There is no equivelant for them in their own party. They have never done anything wrong.
Anonymous

I’m far from perfect but certainly a lot closer to the center then you are. Unlike you, If someone calls me on something i’ll either defend my position or not say anything. I won’t just throw out some smarrmy comment. How do you feel about the President not following through on so many campaign promises?
Anonymous

WWWhhhhhiinnn. Oh no. Who is going to save me. I forgot to fasten my seat belt. Oh, Here come a brave officer. He will save me. Thank you officer, Thank you. Please ,Just don’t shoot me. I promise I will be good.
Anonymous

Nope, I don’t think so. How do you tell anyway? Maybe being born here, working here for 55 years, and proably being buried here. Would I be concidered an illegal. maybe I should call thr Border Patrol to make sure. I mean there is no end to there budget. May as well put it to good use.
Anonymous

A lot of tit for tat; you seem to like that kind of thing. “Unlike you”. “Your children”, “I do this, and you do not.” etc. And you say you don’t throw things out there. lol. And yes, have read some swarmy things , perhaps you have forgotten them. And that is your opinion of where you are on the political spectrum as compared to someone else. Merely your opinion.
You have shown over and over that you are more inclined to one party over another. You must have a short memory. Best to be honest, you know. Who cares what party you give more benefit of the doubt to.
You always seemed primed for an argument and angrily. Maybe someone else would go tit for tat with you.
Anonymous

Are you still waiting?
Anonymous

Institute for Economics and Peace. Sounds like big socialist organization from Moscow. I’m sure they’re not biased! NOT.
Easy to be “peaceful” when there are no jobs!
Anonymous

Wow, tedjohn! You’ve just proven that you are as ignorant as you believe the governor is! Hmmm…
Anonymous

Yeah, but I would bet that a lot of those guns in the South are in the hands of the criminals.
Anonymous

Yes, you are right. Finally, someone who will look out for those who are paying tax dollars instead of just recieving them. Paying $60,000 of taxpayer dollars for a mural is lunacy. The liberals spend other people’s money as if it is an unlimited resource, because in their mind, it is. All they’ve had to do in the past to satisfy their spending addiction is to raise taxes. Now, they are being challenged and they don’t like it. How dare we stand up to them!
Anonymous

I agree treehugger…We have more cops per person than any other state in the country, yet the lowest crime rate..All they do is sit around and stop folks for small infractions..If we would do away with all the little fiefdoms and just have county sherriffs it would save a TON of money…Do away with the STUPID inspection laws would help too…
Anonymous

THEN DEFEND YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT OBAMA’S WARS!! IF LIBERALS CAN’T ATTACK THE IDEA, THEN THEY ATTACK THE PERSON. THAT IS YOUR M.O. .
Anonymous

Not attacking anyone “frankie”. You should re-read to see who started the whole thing. Now you take care. All those capitals (all that shouting!) makes you sound angry. Not worth getting angry over ‘frankie’.
Anonymous

Well, I bet he wouldn’t have to take time off from work to try and cope with it.
Anonymous

Love the food there, too!!
Anonymous

The beaches in Louisiana and western Mississippi are terrible. The water is so shallow that you can go out 50 yards into the surf and the water is only up to your thighs.
Anonymous

That sounds awful. No wonder a lot of people don’t care for living there. Of course, there are some that do.
Anonymous

Try again!
Anonymous

Yeah! Go Maine!
Hopefully this report will do well to help boost Maine’s GNH!
(Gross National Happiness)
AionNV

Hahaha… Your comment is funny, because he did…
AionNV

Not even remotely true.
Moose

Did they find anything wrong with the state taxes and no work…The sign on the Maine line should say the way life should be vacation and welfare the end…
Anonymous

Maine doesn’t seem overly peaceful to me right at the moment! All of this hub-bub with the Governor ordeal is hardly peaceful to me. If anything, our peaceful little state has turned into turmoil.
Anonymous

!What ?
Anonymous

Get help!
Anonymous

And another big fat smooch to the ring piece.
Anonymous

We all really want to talk with someone to help you through these depressing times. Yes the economy is a mess. How ever these are times that we may really find what is valuable. Look to what is positive. Instead of feeling bad about not being able to leave your house look at the fact you have a roof over your head. My father became unemployable while he had 9 children at home. It was not the end of the world even though he chose to look at it that way. My family picked itself up by it’s bootstraps and survived quite nicely. When the economy is bad it is time to go fishing in the fresh running waters. It is time to breath the fresh air. It is time to thank the great spirits for the air we breath, and our hearts that pumps that fresh air to all part of our circulation system. This allows us to walk and talk. This helps us to see another sun rise and appreciate that the sun will probably rise again tomorrow. When we can appreciate another sunrise we begin to have hope that tomorrow will be better. When our attitude is looking for something better it will be there. That’s reality.
Anonymous

Those were my first thoughts too….and then I thought, if THAT’S peaceful, just imagine how bad those other states are!
Anonymous

Did it ever occur to you that the number of police and the rate of crime might be correlated?
Anonymous

I really hope you’re kidding…
http://twitter.com/jeffdavisme Jeff Davis

Go Maine! Peace out my brother.
525_44

I was lucky enough to go to the Keys a while ago. They are a beautiful place. We avoid Orlando!
525_44

The food is good!
Anonymous

Sounds like my neighbors. :/
http://www.facebook.com/antonio.giarratano Antonio Giarratano

I call this Poll, Horse Hockey. It doesn’t help the numbers if the crimes aren’t reported, and with the type of podunk, hick law in parts of this state, half the crimes are either forgotten about because your someone’s relative, or the cops just don’t do anything about it.

Peaceful maybe if your an ATV toting, two-faced, Welfare-case.
Anonymous

sounds like you should move to louisiana
Anonymous

Per capita indicator number of police officers? Does this mean Maine has more police per inhabitant? If so is this one of the reasons that it’s the most peaceful state in the union?
Anonymous

The difference is that the pollsters are comparing us with other states, and we compare the way the State it is now, in terms of violent crime, to the way it *used* to be(or how we would like it to be).
http://www.facebook.com/lpilot Lisa Pilot

We’re peaceful because we have always taken care of our own sick and poor. This will change if LePage has his way with the budget: that’s a promise.
Harry H Snyder III

So Lisa. You are saying that if LePage shrinks the budget that MAiners will stop taking care of each other? Pretty cynical. NOTHING the State government does will make me stop caring for the people I care for.
Harry H Snyder III

They did a study on this in the 80′s. In fact the places with the fewest police also have the fewest crimes.
Harry H Snyder III

They did a study on this in the 80′s. In fact the places with the fewest police also have the fewest crimes.
Anonymous

I don’t know if you know this but the peace sign (an upside down broken cross with a circle around it) actually does not mean peace, It’s original meaning was death to Christians. So I take offense to the symbol and would be the first one to advocate it’s removal! Just saying!
Anonymous

Oh, for Pete’s Sake!

Did you know the Original Meaning of the swastika?

The word “swastika” comes from the Sanskrit svastika – “su” meaning “good,” “asti” meaning “to be,” and “ka” as a suffix.

Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.

Just saying.
Anonymous

a good reason why Maine is the most peaceful–is because of large land mass and low population–why so low population? well lets look at this..frigid long brutal winters-then a healthy mud season-followed by a even healthier bug season then back into a long frigid brutal winter-and all topped off with the highest taxes in the country–lol Maine love it or leave it !
Anonymous

a good reason why Maine is the most peaceful–is because of large land mass and low population–why so low population? well lets look at this..frigid long brutal winters-then a healthy mud season-followed by a even healthier bug season then back into a long frigid brutal winter-and all topped off with the highest taxes in the country–lol Maine love it or leave it !
Harry H Snyder III

According to the National Rifle Association Maine has more guns per capita than any other State. Montana, Wyoming, Kentucky, Alaska, Utah, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama round out the top ten.

This is NOT the same list you get if you go by the National database which uses “background checks” to estimate the number of guns owned.
Anonymous

Some of the credit goes to our remoteness, our low population density, the cold, the blackflies that keep indoor some of the time and our preoccupation with survival; but what a wonderful place it is to survive in! I stood on a remote deadwater on the turn of the century amazed there is still a place on the east coast where the only sound was the patter of snowflakes on my shoulders the occasional tinkle of water running under the ice and the scuff of my boots on the ice. I spent that day and the next tracking a bobcat from the Penobscott watershed to the St. Croix water shed and am thankful that despite the hard go of it we have in northern Maine sometimes, we still have the wood and waters in which to retreat.
Anonymous

seriously you think smoking marijuana causes cancer??????
Anonymous

Thank you responsible gun owners.
Anonymous

Sure, why not?
Anonymous

But I take it you believe every poll the NRA comes out with.
Anonymous

But I take it you believe every poll the NRA comes out with.
Anonymous

Maine may be peaceful now, but by the time Paul LePage is done getting his butt handed to him by people that work for a living and the national comedy shows, it will be known as Maine, a good place for the GOP to avoid.
Anonymous

of course, but I don’t think that’s the reason. Vt and NH are also low……… we have small towns stuffed with cops with little to do but still have expensive cars, loads of equiptment and who just harass motorists with expired stickers and pot smokers…….. we’re all white, have long winters and not many people. We’re paying too much for police protection, I rather pay teachers…..
Harry H Snyder III

Ending your one sentence post with a preposition?
Assuming you know me?
Starting your one sentence post with a conjunction?

A response is obviously a waste of time.
Anonymous

With a name like that I’m guessing you shoulda been on the SS Minnow.
Anonymous

Once government entitlements go on the chopping block, Mr. Snyder, caring for our least fortunate citizens becomes dependent on charity. While Americans are generous, that charity is capricious, subject to economic downturns, agencies losing their funding and benefactors, and other volitile factors. To live in peace and thrive, everyone needs a stable income, whether that’s a living wage, a monthy Social Security or a Maine pension check that keeps up with the cost of living. Congratualtions, Mr Snyder, that you are able to care for people you love. Others are barely able to keep the wolf from their own door.

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