Middletown Democrats Depicted as Nazis in NDN

It’s the most vicious political cartoon I’ve ever seen the Daily News or any other regional paper carry on a community group. It shows a Gestapo-type uniformed donkey standing on two-legs. His tunic states “Middletown Democratic Town Committee.” A book under his arm is “Public Information” and one labeled “Robert Balliot” is being tossed into a bonfire of books in front of the Middletown Public Library. The books are “Intellectual Freedom,” “Open Meeting Laws,” & “Independent Libraries.” Next to him is a container of accelerant labeled “Censorship.”

It is a “letter” cartoon by Chil Mott (boyfriend of Gail Greenwood, “Middletown First”). He couldn’t actually put this cartoon into words because he’d be sued for libel. The positioning of it makes it appear to be a "Daily News" editorial cartoon which it's not. No, I've told you before that the local newspaper is NOT Republican-leaning & loves Democrats. Fair & balanced.

I’m the Secretary of the Middletown Democratic Town Committee. Never have we discussed the public library or the former Director. There are 2 Democrats on the Library Board & 5 Independents. They accepted the Director’s resignation. The Town Committee played no role.

Nazis??? My uncle was in the Battle of the Bulge. My husband is a veteran as are a number of our members. So is the Chair. What an ignorant, narrow-minded insult comparing us with jack-booted, Jew-hating Nazis, responsible for the deaths of millions. How demeaning and trivalizing for those caught up in the Third Reich. Comparing a municipal political group to Nazis? You'd think that a clever cartoonist would have a wider repetoire, not to mention the capability for fact-checking. You'd also think that a newspaper would have some editorial standards (like when they decided NOT to take the former Mrs. Long up on her offer unlike Ch. 10).

"Middletown First" has repeatedly made connections with the committee, Democrats, and what happened at the library. Say it often enough & it’s true. What exactly was done? When and by whom? I’ve heard nothing but innuendo and rumor. Where’s the proof? In other words, where’s the beef?

Just like the rumor that was spread by the former director & others that I was set up to take over the job. More lies & innuendo designed to make me & the town committee look guilty of something. A fine example of a wedge issue designed to divide a community. The director left because he didn’t get a perfect score in one area of his performance rating? Boo-hoo. When it was time to stand up for what he said that he believed in, he left quietly in the night. No one held a gun to his head. That’s what he thought of the people standing up for him. He used them to negotiate the best deal that he could get & then slunk out leaving others to clean up his mess.

The newspaper & Chil Mott owe an apology. I won’t hold my breath.

(from weekend edition)