If I may, I wanted to say a few words on public discourse in our small town. I strongly support a boisterous and passionate debate on the multitude of policy issues, which our town has addressed in my 6+ years as a Town Meeting member. I know I have been on the receiving end of support and opposition in the public and at Town Meeting. I have also been grateful for the steady and calm leadership of our town officials; elected and hired nonpartisan staff, who keep the meeting civil, organized, and keep the town running.
That is why I am alarmed at the increasingly coarse and at times vitriolic attacks on local officials and civil staff employees working in Belmont. The discourse on NextDoor and Facebook groups has become increasingly toxic and divisive. It has also moved further and further from reality, becoming more and more conspiratorial and angry. I worry these attacks, often personal and based on an ill-informed understanding of how the town works could lead to harassment or worse. It also weakens our ability to retain and hire new staff. I would ask all groups in town to stand up for our town employees and demand better from our fellow residents to keep the conversation based on policy differences and facts.
Michael McNamara