Joe McCarthy lives on…
I was almost 9 years old when my Dad sat me down in front of our tv and told me we were watching history being made. I remember that Dad told me that truth was on trial. What was on tv was the McCarthy hearings and Dad wanted me to watch them because I had once asked him if anyone we knew were communists. I must admit to not remembering much of what went on in those hearings but I do remember the look on my father’s face when lawyer Joseph Welch made his famous statement, “Have you no sense of decency?” My dad was overjoyed.
While Joe McCarthy saw a communist in anyone who challenged him, the St. Michaels Action Committee (SMAC) seems to see ethics violators in everyone who disagrees with them. I believe it was in January of 2019 that the head of SMAC stood up in a town meeting and seemed to accuse three of the town commissioners of what would be an ethics violation over a decision they had taken in previous meetings.
This incident took place after two of the five town commissioners had changed their original vote from previous meetings on the placement if a new town office in favor of a lot that SMAC seemed to be more interested in. The three remaining commissioners continued their support of the lot originally chosen. Those were Commissioners Gorman, Boos, and Windon and these are the commissions who seemed to be the target of SMACs allegations.
Since that meeting, there have been a number of events transpire that include facts showing that Commissioner Gorman had recused himself in the matter that was the basis for the accusation against him, a review of any ethics concerns with Commissioners Boos and Windon, a letter from lawyers for SMAC to the town that I thought seemed to offer a quid pro quo of sorts (in their review, the town Ethics Commission seemed to come to the same conclusion), what was termed a suit against the town, several more reviews by our lawyers and the town’s ethics commission, and announcements of decisions. The bottom line was the charges seemed to lack merit and, as far as I know, there has never been a public apology to any of the three Commissioners who were, in my opinion, wrongly accused. Instead, in a recent letter, SMAC now seems to have levied more charges of ethic issue. This time it is against a sitting member of the town’s Ethics Commission that disagreed with the case the SMAC lawyers presented. As wrong as this gang has been for the past year and a half, I have no doubt these charges lack merit too. But, I do have to wonder. Who will they be charging next? Perhaps it will be me….or maybe it will be YOU!
If McCarthy Hearings attorney Joseph Welch were still around watching all of this today, I have a feeling he might utter those same six words he spoke in 1954…”Have you no sense of decency?”, except this time it might be a statement…”You have no sense of decency!”
Mike Estrella
St. Michaels
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