Letter to the Editor

The Board of Aldermen meeting is over and my wish to see Nashua as a Welcoming City was met. At the same time I reflect on basic human question: How am I being seen?

I witnessed how seven aldermen seemingly forgot they were elected by Nashua citizens to represent their values. In two hours of arguments I did not hear any specific inquiry on presentations by the Nashua Police Department, teachers, doctors, business leaders and students or clear articulation of how Nashua’s involvement with "Welcoming America" can hurt the social and economic life of Nashua. What I felt was that they did not intend to listen to what the audience and hundreds of people behind the official letters communicated to them.

I also expected aldermen to show their respect to the audience. I perceived the tone of conversation by Alderman Ken Siegel and Alderman Dan Moriarty to be demagogic, patronizing and disrespectful to the many people in the gallery. I hoped that Alderman Moriarty did not see people through the lens of "left and right wing." I also found Alderman Siegel’s comment "safe-space diversity that we see infesting our country this day" to be offensive. It questioned the "safe-space" of the thousands of other immigrants in Nashua. It questioned my refugee status 23 years ago and my contribution as a citizen of America and Nashua.

I am sure that many people in gallery were appalled by listening to his articulation of "diversity and safe space."

It begs a simple question: Do leaders need to go through horror of persecution and challenge of adaptation to be able to listen and hear out others and do they see the significance of the expression "peaceful living together?"

Finally, do they have capacity for inclusive thinking on behalf of real people living real life? It is not easy to be a leader but that does not free them from being responsible for what they say and impact that they make?

Galina Szakacs

Nashua

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