It’s only September, and yet “silly season” is already in full swing. With that comes the vitriol. In Ansonia, a now-remorseful resident berated and threatened a business owner over signs for Mayor David Cassetti. In Derby, political signs were stolen ahead of Tuesday’s primary between Anita Dugatto and Carmen DiCenso. The friendly fire between the two camps has continued to this day. The comment sections are growing increasingly hostile and personal, spilling into areas not even related to politics in some cases.
Forgive me for getting personal, but it’s no secret that what little notoriety I’ve achieved with the Valley Independent Sentinel has mostly been through critique. Over eight years, that critique has sometimes taken on a sharp tone, bordering on arrogant at times.
It is startlingly easy to get to that point. We all get annoyed at events and people that we don’t like. The Internet lets us vent immediately. The things one would normally say inside their home, or even to close friends, can get instantly put out there for whatever reason. It’s easy, with arguments being parlayed in public, to get defensive and fight back, which brings others, and the cycle intensifies. Such animosity is magnified in the context of politics, especially local politics which affect our homes, our taxes, our schools and other facets of everyday life.
With that said, speaking personally, experience has been a boon. Without making this political in nature, being more actively involved in campaigns has been instructive. People are generally sick of the negativity, and when going out and actually talking to them, they say as much. At the end of the day, citizens of our towns, and every other city in every other country, want to raise a family in a safe, healthy atmosphere where everyone looks out for everyone else. I’ve also seen the benefits of positive campaigning, in that it is far more likely to bring someone over to your side than name calling.
The fact is that in the Valley, whether we’re in the same town or a surrounding one, we’re all neighbors, and we’re all in this together. We’re fighting with, intimidating, and in extreme cases trespassing on people we live with, and for what benefit? Does it help make our point? Does it win any debates? Does it actually make anyone’s life better? Or is it just spite for the sake of spite?
We all know and deal with each other in and outside of politics. Rob Hyder was my baseball coach in high school. Carmen DiCenso spent a long time coaching athletes at Derby High. My neighbors coached baseball with Kurt Miller. Political differences can sometimes lead to short tempers and cathartic comebacks, but when they go too far, they cause a lot of splash damage to the community at large. Damage causes scars, which requires healing.
I look forward to the coming political season because I care about the Valley, all its towns, and especially my hometown of Seymour. I look forward to the vigorous debate. But my hope is that after a good natured discussion is over, instead of being angry, those I talk to can put it aside, share my food, drink my Scotch, and enjoy the sense of community that draws people in instead of repels them.
The writer is a Seymour resident.
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