There was a lot in the news this past week that made my blood boil and eyes bulge. While driving in my car, yelling back at NPR’s coverage of the latest violent flare up at a Trump rally incited by the old circus barker, I realized there might not be enough room in this column for me to work out my frustration. For a columnist, this realization is a sign to ignore the instinct to indulge your voice — and bore your audience — and instead write small. So, that’s what I present today, a compilation of short columns on a handful of topics that have been needling me this past week.
Transgender protection “Bathroom Bill”
Massachusetts legislators are now considering a “public accommodations” bill that would provide transgender people with protection from discrimination in the public sphere. It would prevent, say, a restaurant from refusing service to a transgender person. Opponents of the bill, however, have dubbed it the “Bathroom Bill” — a reference to the law providing transgender people use of the restroom of her or his choice without hassle —and express fear that creeps loitering in bathrooms, lying in wait to molest unattended children. This argument shows a profound misunderstanding of humanity, let alone the transgender community. There’s no way this legislation would lead to a wave of bathroom stalking because “transgender” does not mean “deranged child rapist” it means the person who identifies as such was born in a body that did not precisely match her or his gender identity.
Providing such people with comfortable bathroom accomodations will make them feel like human beings, not criminals. Then we can go after the true criminals — whoever he/she/they may be.
East Longmeadow coup
To Angela Thorpe and Bill Gorman: you know selectmen are elected to represent the will of the people and do the best they can for their communities, right?
Because you two failed miserably at that duty last week when you banded together on the three-person board to ram through the appointment of a new town administrator and police chief, in addition to removing the Selectboard’s chairman from his leadership role. All of this was done before a packed Town Hall of shouting, angry residents riled up about broken promises in the administrator appointment and allegations of corruption in the top-cop search. Perhaps Thorpe and Gorman felt it was necessary to strong-arm the community of 15,700 residents because, earlier this month, Thorpe came in sixth in a six-way preliminary town election that sought to winnow down candidates for the November ballot.
Thorpe and Gorman, who were you representing with those votes? Who were you serving? Because it wasn’t the people of East Longmeadow — the people made that clear. I hope the people of this town figure out a way to rescind these despicable votes and remember come the next election this show of contempt for the public. As a side note: To the newly appointed town administrator and former one-term West Springfield mayor Greg Neffinger: Yelling at East Longmeadow residents about how the law barred them from speaking at the public meeting, is no way to introduce yourself to the people who are signing your paycheck.
Rattlesnake island
There’s been a lot of debate over whether creating a wildlife reserve for timber rattlesnakes on an island in the Quabbin Reservoir is a good idea. Rattlesnakes are poisonous, so it’s reasonable for people to be concerned. But research seems to show that the rattlesnakes, even if their populations rebounded, would not pose a threat to people. Timber rattlesnakes used to be common in the region. It’s the type of snake depicted on the infamous “Don’t Tread on Me” flags. But now the snakes are endangered and it’s due to — you guessed it — people. State wildlife officials say the rattlesnakes are in decline because people run them over with cars and kill them when they are on or get to close to their properties.
This make it all unlikely any rattlesnakes that swam off the island, which is perfectly suited as habitat, would likely be claimed by the roadside fate that beset the population in the first place. For the sake of biodiversity, let the snakes have the uninhabited island.
Contact Kristin Palpini at editor@valleyadvocate.com.
