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Letter to the Editor: All Politics Is Local

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To the Editor:

The last of my three children left for college in August and my husband and I are now official “empty nesters.” As all parents do, I hope that I have prepared my daughters for their new endeavors and have instilled values and habits that will allow them to thrive. I then begin to think about all the students I have taught and coached over the last 30 years and wonder not only what knowledge they gained in my classroom and on the playing field but also what world they will inherit from my generation.

So, in preparation for Tuesday’s election, I went back to watch portions of the Town Council Candidate Debate. As the old adage goes, “all politics is local.” With that at the forefront of my mind, I paused when I heard Mary Fay’s comments about climate change. “There is science that says [climate change] is not created by humans. I think it is important to be open minded about all this,”

According to NASA, “97% of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities, and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position.” Mary Fay argues that there are “two schools of thought on [climate change] and we should respect that,” I am interested in the “other school” of science that claims climate change is not a result of human actions but none was offered.

Change does start with the West Hartford Town Council and who we choose to vote for matters. I feel when it comes to our environment, we have no time to waste.  We can’t “respect” a position that places our world, and the futures of our children, in jeopardy. As the teen activist Greta Thunberg said in New York, “We deserve a safe future. We demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?”

Kerry Boyle
West Hartford

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5 Comments

  • Kerry. You are taking my comment out of context and playing politics. If you heard my full position, it was that the climate has been changing since the beginning of time. I support the move to clean, efficient energy. My statement was about the liberal mindset that if you don’t agree with all things liberals say, you are wrong, closed minded, and more insults. I believe climate change and the environment must be addressed, regardless of the cause. You don’t know me, and it would be a better approach to sit down and talk to me, instead of attacking me in the press. I hope you are not teaching your children that this is the way you address others. We are all in this together. It’s very disappointing that this is how you address people, with select sound bites in a limited time debate. You and I agree that we must address climate change and environmental issues. Isn’t that the important thing? That is why I am an active member of “Save our Water” and spoke out at many meeting in public forums and MDC meetings, when others remained silent.

  • You can tell it’s election time, when you start getting attacked in the press by people you don’t know and have never met. Unfortunately, Ronni Newton’s policy of We-Ha.com does not allow candidates to write an editorial, even when wrongly attacked, in We-Ha.com. Kerry Boyle took comments in the timed debate selectively and wrongly. Thus, here is my response to her:

    Kerry. You are taking my comment out of context and playing politics. If you heard my full position, it was that the climate has been changing since the beginning of time. I support the move to clean, efficient energy. My statement was about the liberal mindset that if you don’t agree with all things liberals say, you are wrong, closed minded, and insulted. I believe climate change and the environment must be addressed, regardless of the cause. You don’t know me, and it would be a better approach to sit down and talk to me, instead of attacking me in the press. I hope you are not teaching your children and students that this is the way you address others. We are all in this together. It’s very disappointing that this is how you address people, with select sound bites in a limited time debate. You and I agree that we must address climate change and environmental issues. Isn’t that the important thing? That is why I am an active member of “Save our Water” and spoke out at many meetings in public forums and MDC meetings, when others remained silent. I am an environmentalist, and have fought for open space and was an early adopter of environmental practices since childhood. I do not appreciate your attack using select, out of context sound bites.

    • This is unfair. Boyle’s letter wasn’t an attack; you are being overly sensitive, in my opinion. Boyle had a fair reason to criticize your outlook on climate science. If you say that there are two schools of thought on climate change and we should respect both, then you are essentially saying that scientific data doesn’t really carry much weight, that opinion is more important than it should be in this matter. Climate change is far too important to leave this up to prolonged political debate: people’s lives are on the line, even as we debate this. I have done climate modeling and know that the science behind it is sound. We need public officials who are willing to stop arguing and start doing.

  • Dear Ms Fay, The people of West Hartford ARE affected by climate change; the Democrats raise taxes and we watch our savings melt!

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