Letters to the editor
Dear Editor,
Farragut residents may find it noteworthy that an appointed Alderman, now facing voters for the first time, is suddenly calling for “civility” in public discourse.
That raises a reasonable question: where was that civility during their many years of posts on Nextdoor and Facebook? Posts that sharply criticized residents who simply held different opinions about town projects or Board decisions? The majority of this Alderman’s replies were anything but civil, particularly when citizens questioned actions taken by the Board.
In several of those posts, the candidate stated that it was his responsibility to ensure that “truth prevailed.” The problem is that he also appointed himself as the sole authority on what constituted that truth. Farragut residents are fully capable of evaluating information and deciding
for themselves whose arguments are based on facts and whose arguments may be misleading.
Unfortunately, the opportunity for residents to personally evaluate those posts have now disappeared. This candidates past social media posts are no longer available for residents to review. They were not
removed by the Nextdoor platform or others as some have suggested in the candidate’s defense, but rather removed by the candidate himself.
Residents can draw their own conclusions about why those records were deliberately erased rather than left available for public review. True transparency can be such an inconvenience for candidates at times.
At the end of the day, Farragut deserves leaders who are consistent, transparent, and respectful of differing viewpoints — not just during an election season, but all
the time. Voters should carefully consider whether a
candidate’s character truly reflects the values they now claim to champion?
Farragut residents deserve to elect representatives whose focus is on serving their ward and protecting the character of the town that so many families have chosen as their home, rather than simply preserving a majority vote on the Board to ensure that Farragut’s future can be determined by the few.
~ Randal Roberts,
Farragut
