With thousands of people descending on the small village of Kennebunkport as the whole world watched, it seemed certain that things would get out of hand. Most accounts I’ve read about the demonstrators who gathered around Walker’s Point for last weekend’s summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Bush, however, stated that the overall event was peaceful and less than a handful of people were arrested.
    Looking at the images of the demonstrators who wore orange jumpsuits to represent prisoners at Guantanamo Bay or who marched in front of a replica of the Statue of Liberty in a coffin, I admire those who are able to express their convictions without encroaching on the safety or overpowering the voice of others who are trying to do the same thing.
    Protesting has become a way of life for some. On any given Sunday afternoon, for example, you can see demonstrators on the Casco Bay Bridge in South Portland carrying signs that call for an end to the war in Iraq.
    Some may believe these individuals are wasting their time and their presence on the bridge is a nuisance, but if their presence sparks a conversation, haven’t they been effective in bringing attention to their cause?
    In contrast to the people who are out in the public eye, risking ridicule to express their opinions, there are individuals who shy away from claiming party affiliations publicly. For a recent edition of Street Talk, for example, I asked people who they would vote for if the presidential elections were held today. After speaking with several people, however, I changed the question because no one was willing to associate themselves with a candidate. I understand that people are wary of appearing in the newspaper, but I didn’t anticipate that for many people politics is personal and should only be discussed among certain company.
    Fortunately, we all have the option to keep our opinions to ourselves or to make them known to anyone who will listen.  I hope that people will continue to speak out, however, because even if Bush and Putin aren’t paying attention, there are others who are. That is evident by the media’s coverage of the demonstrators at the recent summit. 
    Hopefully without sounding too corny, I will conclude this column by saying that I believe last weekend’s peaceful demonstrations will be a meaningful precursor to July 4 for many people.
    As people enjoyed barbecues and fireworks on Wednesday, I suspect they also had a lot to talk about.