Letter: Ways to Protest Safely

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To the Editor:

With hate groups marching in cities across the U.S., it's tempting to attend to show opposition. However, direct confrontation will only escalate tensions. Hate-mongers are always wrong. Let them be wrong a little farther away from you in order to de-escalate the cycle a bit.

I fear we're heading toward more intense violence at protests in the U.S. and even possibly civil war (sounds far-fetched, I know, but it wouldn't take much).

The Southern Poverty Law Center released a guide titled "Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide."

To reduce the chance of violence:



"Do not attend a hate rally. As much as you might like to physically show your opposition to hate, confrontations serve only the perpetrators. They also burden law enforcement with protecting hate-mongers from otherwise law-abiding citizens. If an event featuring a hate group, avowed separatist or extremist is coming to your college campus, hold a unity rally on a different part of campus."

Substitute "city" for "campus", and you get what I'm trying to say.

Stay safe, everybody.

Monica Henry-Seifert
Quaker Hill, Conn.

 

 

 


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Clarksburg Sees Race for Select Board Seat

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will see a three-way race for a seat on the Select Board in May. 
 
Colton Andrews, Seth Alexander and Bryana Malloy returned papers by Wednesday's deadline to run for the three-year term vacated by Jeffrey Levanos. 
 
Andrews ran unsuccessfully for School Committee and is former chairman of the North Adams Housing Authority, on which he was a union representative. He is also president of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades Council.
 
Malloy and Alexander are both newcomers to campaigning. Malloy is manager of industrial relations for the Berkshire Workforce Board and Alexander is a resident of Gates Avenue. 
 
Alexander also returned papers for several other offices, including School Committee, moderator, library trustee and the five-year seat on the Planning Board. He took out papers for War Memorial trustee and tree warden but did not return them and withdrew a run for Board of Health. 
 
He will face off in the three-year School Committee seat against incumbent Cynthia Brule, who is running for her third term, and fellow newcomer Bonnie Cunningham for library trustee. 
 
Incumbent Ronald Boucher took out papers for a one-year term as moderator but did not return them. He was appointed by affirmation in 2021 when no won ran and accepted the post again last year as a write-in.
 
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