To the editor:
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the great Norman Rockwell painting “Freedom of Speech,” which has its permanent home at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The painting depicts a lone dissenter at a traditional New England town hall meeting, speaking his piece before a crowd of respectful fellow citizens. This enduring image of small town democracy in action resonates to this day. We think it is an ideal to which we all should strive. Yet, political discourse and conduct in this country increasingly employ a different approach in which civility, rationality and respect are forced to take a back seat to intimidation, coercion and bombast. Such an approach only increases the divisiveness in this country, does not serve the common good, and falls far short of the ideal portrayed in the Rockwell painting.
There is a special Select Board election coming up on July 17 in West Stockbridge providing voters with a stark choice between a respected incumbent who strives to do right by our town in a manner well-befitting a true public servant, and a disgruntled, resentful challenger who displays a sense of entitlement and employs the coarse tactics of a bully in pursuit of his ends. This was on full public display at the meeting following the last election, which of course, amazingly ended in a tie (reaffirmed after a careful recount).
Mr. Piasecki’s actions at that May 10 meeting are a matter of public record and have been widely reported. His meritless attempt to hijack that meeting was unworthy of anyone seeking public office, or for that matter of anyone interacting with neighbors and fellow citizens in any setting. As Maya Angelou said, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”
No matter what local issues are important to you or what your political views are, none of us should approve of the appalling behavior on display on May 10 Select Board meeting..
Please join us in showing up on July 17 and voting for Kathleen Keresey for another term on the West Stockbridge Select Board. As we learned from the last Select Board election, every vote counts.
David Schecker
Vicki Bonnington
