Spouting Off at ‘Spout Off’

To The Editor:
OK, I’ll confess to being a recent convert to the whole “Spout Off” blog thing. At first I thought that people should have the decency, honesty and courage to stand up and speak their mind in person, especially when they take shots at someone. I expressed this opinion to the publisher of the Herald, who reminded me that “Spout Off” protects the identity of those who fear for their jobs, especially political ones. He also reminded me that many leading people in our national history have used false names when writing, for fear of political consequences.
As someone who stepped into a political race with the good mayor of Lower Township as an Independent, and someone who has taken on the dominant local Republican Party organization, I knew we were open season for some political hunters, especially those in public offices (or the supporters of those) who fear for their political jobs, if we are successful. In hopes of a clean fight, I limited my public comments to the general observations that “party spirit” can lead to bad things (a watered down version of what George Washington said on the subject).
These shots against our character and reputation are meant to translate one’s worthy accomplishments into dirt, and then into mud. Some attacks come openly, like the skunk mailers organized by the County Republican Party, whose chairman is the solicitor in our township, which portrayed a popular township initiative – our successful fundraising for the restoration of the historic Fishing Creek School – as a private boondoggle engineered by the mayor and me.
Other attacks were mere emotional exaggeration, such as the remark by the Republican Deputy Mayor, when he opened his headquarters that he was going to put us Independents on the ground, and “stomp on our throats.” Some are pretty tame, like when they accuse you of being a hypocrite for working with, or agreeing with people of other parties, or citing the contradiction of being an Independent, then a Republican, and then back to being an Independent; or accepting endorsements from the local Democratic Club. Folks, for us, this is just the advantage of being independent!
Still others are gross exaggerations for political advantage – like the “fishing tale” that magically turns the mere consideration of a State-funded fishing pier into a full-sized budget buster. Yes, some little Spout Off barbs are downright mean. At first, they got under my skin. People with funny fake names are free to bring up your ancestors and ancient religious strife, and call you a hatemonger.
For the record, in my religion, being a hatemonger is just one step above being a murderer. The realization that spouting off, like taxes and death, will always be with us, has led me to make peace with it, embrace it, and even become a regular contributor. I now even see the bright side of the dark corners. Through “Spout Off,” we learn what some people really think, and what some people really want to think, and this is illuminating, both for us, and for them. And we get to say our little piece in reply. And it turns out that the anonymous thing works both ways; as we find friends in places where they would not publically admit.
Finally, it provides a place for people to peacefully flush out all their worst thoughts (and parade some of their best) in open discussion. In the end, I’d rather have the anonymous barbs, over bullets, or even the hidden boosts, over bouquets, any day.
NORRIS CLARK
Villas