To the Editor:
At the most recent Board of Selectman meeting I listened to discussions of the matters of the month and could not help but hear Selectman D’Addario and First Selectman Dr. Bindelglass both use the term “Obstructionists” to generally describe a small group of people in town as intent on preventing progress on past and current decisions facing the town.
The fact is, the people that take the time to show up to meetings to listen and comment are simply giving their voice and, in some cases voice of others not able to attend, to current issues. Voicing one’s opinion, question or disagreement on how to proceed on issues facing the town is not obstructive. It is the exact opposite. It is constructive.
Having a public forum where differing opinions can be heard often leads to compromise and better outcomes. Participation of residents, whether we agree or disagree, is the foundation of our town meeting form of government. As I pointed out in the meeting, if everyone in town agreed on all issues we would never have a change in those elected to office. No one would have a reason to run. I urged everyone to move forward and to put the labeling to rest.
Recognizing disagreements are part of life; we need to respect that people can hold differing honest beliefs and both are trying to do the best for the town consistent with those beliefs. If we disagree we should be able to do so directly and politely. We may not always like what we hear, we may strongly disagree, but we should remain civil to one another. We do not need to resort to labeling each other with broad brushes such as recently occurred with the word “Obstructionist.” Labels divide and discourage participation. That is not what Easton needs.
Easton is very special. Part of what makes Easton so special is that it takes citizens from all stripes to make the town function. In many ways Easton and its citizens are a 21st century version of Mayberry RFD. If we lose that feeling because we cannot engage in civil public discourse on the “hot topics” of the day without branding one side or the other we will all regret it. Absent a functioning and civil community what is left?
At the close of the meeting Dr. Bindelglass took the time to make a comment that indicated he heard me, and heard others that spoke to this issue. I appreciate his remarks and hope that we can, even if we occasionally disagree, continue to listen to each other and work together for the betterment of the town. We are neighbors after all.
David F. Antonez
Easton
