A travesty

Dear Mike:
I was amazed and disgusted—at the same time—when I read last week’s letters to the editor. I find it hard to believe the venom and ugliness in the letters which have been written by Mr. Krukoski, Mr. Grynol, and Mr. Bedard.
Let us look intelligently at the situation when a vacancy arose on town council.
Fort Frances town council (not Todd Hamilton) made a decision to call a byelection to fill this vacancy. The term remaining for this position was three years . . . three years. Correct me if I am wrong, but in our federal and provincial system of government, when there is a vacant seat, a byelection is called to fill that vacancy.
The “runner up” in an election does not just “get moved up.” It is the people in the riding who have the privilege and duty to go to the polls and cast their ballot for the candidate they feel will work diligently on their behalf.
We only have to turn on our TV sets to witness dictatorships in other parts of the world, and to see people who are being turned out of their homes, sometimes tortured, but still are willing to take huge risks to attain democracy, where they can have the privilege of voting for the person/party who they want to represent them.
What was our voter turnout in our recent byelection? Forty-six percent? Shame . . . and we didn’t even have to venture out in the cold to cast a ballot—simply mail it in.
Yes, there is a cost for an election, even a byelection, but it is a small price to pay to exercise our choice.
I think many people got caught up in the frenzy caused by the earlier venomous letters during the weeks prior to the election which were directed at town council and Mr. Hamilton. Folks decided that they would show the town council that they were displeased with them calling an election.
In other words, it seemed like a vote against the council, which I noted even Mr. Perry remarked in his remarks to the Fort Frances Times (“I think this is as much a protest vote against council as it is a vote for me, and I think the people understand that.”)
Again, these aforesaid letter writers suggested the town council had some kind of secret agenda, and that they wanted “their” person to be elected. There is a slate of very fine people on town council, and to even think that they would stoop to underhanded dealings regarding an election is very sad, and to think that these members’ integrity is being questioned.
The attacks against our councillors and Mr. Hamilton have been, and are, in extreme bad taste to say the least. Let’s stop it! Keep in mind that a very capable, intelligent young man (born and raised in Fort Frances, incidentally) chose to let his name stand for election.
He has a proven track record, and promised to work diligently on the citizens’ behalf to make Fort Frances an even better place to live.
Mr. Hamilton has a young family, a business in town, and loves the area and lifestyle which we all enjoy. What a shame that he has been subjected to these personal attacks that have been heaped on him.
It is not an easy decision for a person to decide to put his/her name on a ballot, and to have their personal integrity and courage to be questioned is a travesty.
Democracy and the right to vote is a privilege. Veterans in our country fought for these privileges.
When an election or a byelection is called, we must remember that it is not only a privilege, but our duty, to vote.
Very sincerely,
Margaret Ann Hudson
Rocky Inlet