Resident opposes allowing bigoted article on ballot

Thursday, February 18, 2010

To the Editor:

I have sent the following e-mail to the Bedford Town Council.

Gentlemen,

I am very disturbed about the recent article in the Bedford Journal that said that you have allowed a warrant article on the town ballot opposing the civil union and gay marriage issue.

I came before that council two years ago to request a warrant article on the town ballot, to create an Energy Committee for Bedford. I was told at the council meeting, a decision supported by the town legal council, that no warrants could be placed on a Bedford ballot unless they had “budgetary significance.”

Based on that determination, my warrant submission was rejected by the council.

(Fortunately, the substance of that proposal, an Energy Commission, was established, to Bedford’s credit.)

But now, the rules seem to have changed.

I do not understand this decision by the Town Council, in light of all previous decisions, to allow the inclusion of an extremely parochial, narrowly religious, nonbudgetary, bigoted and discriminatory warrant article on the town ballot. This is a clear violation of all precedence and civil order, and I will actively oppose it. I realize from the testimony that a number of new, locally elected officials have testified in favor of this outrage, and may have had a strong influence on the council. I hope you will, as is the Bedford tradition, rise above this temporary storm.

Please let me know what must be done to strike this from the town ballot, or to invalidate any impact of this illegal decision.

Thank you for all your efforts to create a better New Hampshire, for all of our people.

BOB JONES

Bedford