Two news items that were reported in the June 27 issue of The Voice have unsettled me. The first was the Belmont Center Business Association’s decision to ban the tables of two political committees at Town Day this fall because of “…the political unrest that is going on in our country…” and the potential for turmoil that might spoil the fun for parents and children.
There is no history of problems at Town Days in the past, and the No Kings protest on June 14 was also peaceful. Wouldn’t children, in particular, be inspired to witness disagreements among adults that are respectful and protests that are not violent?
The second item was a letter on the decision by the MBTA to remove a banner from the railroad bridge by the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance stating that “Belmont welcomes immigrants, embraces our LGBTQ+ community and endorses diversity, equity, and inclusion.” In response to a complaint, the MBTA took down the banner because it was “political”.
The opposites of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” are “homogeneity, inequality, and exclusion.” I like to think that these last three words don’t reflect the values in our town.
Katie Buttenwieser, Marsh Street