Vendetta (Part 6) (Part 5 to come later)

Some things speak loudly for themselves. Below is a letter to the editor published in the Eagle on November 30:

"Those who are familiar with Egremont politics know there is a small but intolerant group of individuals here who don't have the slightest clue why a citizen volunteers in the first place to serve on a town board or committee. To those who revel in the entertainment value of anger and resign under the guise of indignation, all we can say is, "Here's your hat, what's your hurry?"

"The only crisis we see in Egremont is the ongoing arrogance of individuals who prefer to waste countless amounts of time finger-pointing blame instead of working together toward addressing the town's important issues.

"We invite the past and present members of the Egremont Finance Committee to turn their mirror of self-righteous honesty onto themselves. Hopefully, they will then recognize the true meaning of public service and Egremont can once again get back to important town business.

"Tom Haas and Juliette Haas"

The perfidy, intolerance and narrowmindedness of this letter are breathtaking. Read it again, slowly. Feel the anger. But note that it is completely devoid of substance. The letter does not in any way criticize the quality of the service rendered by the finance committee and its members; the writers and their friends at town hall have never - I repeat never - objected to the performance of the members of the finance committee, only their politics. The letter severely castigates human beings who the Haas's know little or nothing about and, in at least one case, who the Haas's have never even met and wouldn't recognize if they did meet. And it does all that after the members of the finance committee have resigned, so it accomplishes no civic purpose. It's just plain mean.

I ask once again: Who are the people in town who are divisive?