Hancock cell tower debate
It was disappointing to read the Ledger-Transcript headline story regarding the Hancock cell phone tower debate. Kevin Murphy, the chair of the Hancock Planning Board, has been treated unfairly. Public officials and volunteers should certainly be open to criticism and held accountable for their decisions. However, disagreement does not justify insults, harassment, or attempts to damage someone’s reputation. In the one meeting I attended, Mr. Murphy was unbiased, allowed everyone to speak, and was respectful. This was confirmed by the unanimous vote from the other members of the Planning Board not wanting him to recuse himself from the cell tower location vote.
Recently, letters intended to discredit Mr. Murphy and a town employee were posted on social media. Whatever one’s opinion of them, using social media to attack an individual’s character crosses an important line. If there are legitimate concerns about a volunteer or employee’s conduct, there are proper channels, such as a non-public session with our Select Board, to address them and allow the facts to be fairly considered. Publicly attacking someone’s character and reputation on social media and during a public meeting is damaging to a person and to the community.
If we want people to step forward and volunteer for boards and committees, we need to create an environment where they can do so without fear of being personally attacked or having their reputations deliberately damaged. Let’s all remember a volunteer is a person who has chosen to give their time to the Hancock community, we can disagree and still treat each other with dignity and respect.