What were they thinking?

Plymouth Selectmen, Dicky Quintal and Butch Machado>>>




The Plymouth Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to place an anti-Iraq war question on the May Town ballot. By allowing this placement, they relieved the proponents from the need to gather the necessary signatures that would reflect widespread support among the Town’s electorate. While the Board maintained it was not taking a position on the underlying issue, the highly partisan wording of the “question” strongly argues that allowing it to be placed on the official ballot amounts to de facto support. Acceptance of the Board’s neutrality requires a major suspension of disbelief.

First and foremost, the question is not a question, but rather a petition calling upon our Congressional delegation to vote to withhold funding from the U.S. Military while it is in the field fighting a war. And while there is ample room for debate as to the best way to fight that war, undermining our military, while in action, hardly seems like a patriotic act.

The proponents of the referendum don’t like war. This is understandable, what’s to like? At the same time, however, we are faced with enemies that seek to inflict great harm on the United States and its people. The Executive Branch is vested with the responsibility to defend the Nation, and since 9/11, it has done a pretty good job of preventing additional attacks. We are now engaged in a presidential election which will, to a great extent, show whether the majority of Americans do want an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The value of a non-binding referendum on this issue, at this time, seems pointless.

The conduct of the War against Terrorism continues to be a subject of intense debate. Moreover, this war is fraught with complexities, many of which are being faced for the first time. By allowing this “question” to appear on the Town ballot, the Selectmen have, at best, shown support for a simplistic solution; and, at worst, may be guilty of giving support to our enemies. Either way, the Plymouth Board of Selectmen has done a major disservice to itself and to the people of Plymouth.