OPINION – We know that this newspaper frowns on back-and-forth letters between readers, but this one is really necessary. The letter from Wendy Corry published last week about “rewriting history” can't stand unchallenged. I too was at the Nov. 18 Town Council meeting. I spoke regarding three agenda items both before and after the mayor ejected the attendees.
The audience had reacted spontaneously to his unjustified attempts to stifle its reactions to numerous outrageous pronouncements from the dais. This was not planned; these were simply inevitable responses to shocking behavior which he perpetrated and countenanced, including Ms. Larrabee's gleeful announcement that she was “taking away your toy,” a reference to call to the public.
I'm sorry that citizens reacting to the stifling of free speech somehow allegedly threatened attendees or made them fearful, but this was democracy manifest, not some sort of near riot, as described. I witnessed no intimidation nor anything scary on the part of the mainly 70-ish attendees. The only fear in that room was probably on the part of the mayor when he saw that his browbeating didn't work. His low flash point has no tolerance for anything but instant obedience, but we would not be cowed.
