Dear Editor,
Citizens have a right to voice their differing opinions, and over the past 4 years, the Republican Club has become especially good at letting the Town of Rochester know what they disapprove of. Although negative, I was usually interested in what was on their minds.
With this latest town issue, the Club has stepped over the line. In their effort to rally support for their cause, they have passed from legitimately voicing concern to inciting hatred. One only needs to visit the Club website to view how they have vilified our town officers and anyone else whose opinion differs. The Republican Club demonstrated their destructive strategy when they issued postcards to town members demanding the resignation of two town board members (coincidentally the two of the three seats that will be up for election this year ) because of a skewed version of what happened to a candidate for the Historic Preservation Commission in a closed meeting of the town board. The postcard itself was offensive and filled with indignation and rage.
The strategy seems to be: be offensive, don’t compromise, don’t think, compromise your opponent, just lash out. Not pretty, and certainly not productive. The Republican Club seems to think that they can get what they want by screaming the loudest.
A far more disturbing result of this kind of strategy is the potential for violence. We’ve already witnessed a taste of violence in our town: blown up mailboxes, nails in driveways, the humiliating signs, a mysterious fire, and more recently, the threatening, menacing tone at our February town board meeting. This leads me to believe that the objective of the Club is NOT to work towards a better community, but to disrupt, incite anger and destroy any semblance of community.
Republican Club, reconsider your strategy. Past behavior is unacceptable to many of the Town of Rochester citizens.
Pam Duke’s administration has been the first in my short history here (10 years) to open the door to controversy and conversation. In fact, she has invited it. The door is really open to you to get what you want without having to scream and holler, but you must enter into the conversation with respect for elected officials and the democratic process.
Gene Moncrief
Accord
Citizens have a right to voice their differing opinions, and over the past 4 years, the Republican Club has become especially good at letting the Town of Rochester know what they disapprove of. Although negative, I was usually interested in what was on their minds.
With this latest town issue, the Club has stepped over the line. In their effort to rally support for their cause, they have passed from legitimately voicing concern to inciting hatred. One only needs to visit the Club website to view how they have vilified our town officers and anyone else whose opinion differs. The Republican Club demonstrated their destructive strategy when they issued postcards to town members demanding the resignation of two town board members (coincidentally the two of the three seats that will be up for election this year ) because of a skewed version of what happened to a candidate for the Historic Preservation Commission in a closed meeting of the town board. The postcard itself was offensive and filled with indignation and rage.
The strategy seems to be: be offensive, don’t compromise, don’t think, compromise your opponent, just lash out. Not pretty, and certainly not productive. The Republican Club seems to think that they can get what they want by screaming the loudest.
A far more disturbing result of this kind of strategy is the potential for violence. We’ve already witnessed a taste of violence in our town: blown up mailboxes, nails in driveways, the humiliating signs, a mysterious fire, and more recently, the threatening, menacing tone at our February town board meeting. This leads me to believe that the objective of the Club is NOT to work towards a better community, but to disrupt, incite anger and destroy any semblance of community.
Republican Club, reconsider your strategy. Past behavior is unacceptable to many of the Town of Rochester citizens.
Pam Duke’s administration has been the first in my short history here (10 years) to open the door to controversy and conversation. In fact, she has invited it. The door is really open to you to get what you want without having to scream and holler, but you must enter into the conversation with respect for elected officials and the democratic process.
Gene Moncrief
Accord
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