Commit to civil discourse

To the Editor;

We, the Dover-Foxcroft Democratic Municipal Committee, join many of our neighbors in our horror at the recent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. We believe that those who verbally instigated the violence as well as those who physically threatened Capitol police and Congressional representatives in the course of doing their Constitutional duties must be held accountable.

The violence we saw on Jan. 6 was fueled by the lie that the election was “rigged.”  We know from our personal experience of helping to run elections side-by-side with our Republican neighbors, that — win or lose — our elections are fair and our government is legitimate. The lie that the election was “stolen” threatens the foundation of government “of, by, and for the people.”

The violence was wrong and disquieting on many levels; but none more so than as a symbol of the breakdown of our ability to communicate and work with each other. One essential ingredient of a democracy is that it provides a place where people can come together to sort through their differences and find a way to govern effectively. We must repair people’s confidence that, while we may disagree over many things, we can maintain a public place — a civic marketplace of ideas — for the common good.  In our view, that is true patriotism

We invite all community members to join with us in reaffirming our commitment to civil discourse, to accountability to law and truthfulness and to work jointly on projects that will benefit our community.  

Carole Boothroyd, chair

Benjamin Richmond, vice chair

Dover-Foxcroft Democratic Municipal Committee