To the Editor:

Do you remember Samantha Smith? In 1982, she was a 10-year-old from Maine with a question, why did the world need nuclear weapons? “Is Russia going to war with the United States?” she wrote in a letter to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov. The courage of her question captured the hearts of people in Russia and around the world. What kind of truth could an answer to this question entail?

Samantha Smith’s portrait is part of the art project “Americans Who Tell the Truth,” by Maine artist Robert Shetterly. He has painted 270 portraits to date. The project recognizes Americans from the past and the present whose work embodies the promise of democracy in their quest for social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Samantha Smith is in good company. Other youth activists portrayed are Zyahna Bryant, Barbara Jones, and Kelsey Juliana. Civil rights activists include Fannie Lou Hamer, John Lewis, and Stacey Abrams. Environmental justice seekers include Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, and Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

These are Americans who define what it means to be a good citizen. They speak up for what’s right, stand up to those who abuse their power, and take action to change the world for the better. Through this project, Shetterly has spoken to children and adults around the country. He believes that for democracy to survive, politicians must tell the truth, the media must report the facts, and we as citizens must settle for nothing less. 

Ellen Gibson

West Paris