Love your calls, but remember Councilors are people too

I received a call from an angry Concord Monitor reader the other day regarding my comments in a story in Monday's newspaper. As a 15 year member of the City Council and a Merrimack County Commissioner and before that a State Representative I am used to and enjoy receiving telephone calls from people wishing to inform me as to their views on issues of the day but this call was different.

The caller started off by informing me that I was clearly uneducated and needed to be more responsible in my job as a City Councilor. As you can imagine that immediately raised the hair on my neck. I take great pride in the fact that I try to educate myself of issues facing me on the City Council before I vote.

After hearing the callers thoughts on the issue of concern to her I asked her to again state her name and asked where she lived. She informed me she lived in a town outside of Concord and then pointed out to me that the elections were next year and I could be dealt with then if I didn't vote correctly.

At that point in the conversation I have to admit I reacted with anger, and I should have just bit my toungue.

I have tried in all my years as an elected offical to not vote one way or the other just because it would help me to get re-elected. I don't work that way. I vote the way I believe is right and then believe the voters can decide if I deserve to be re-elected if I choose to seek re-election. I was offended that the caller believed that I would vote as she wished just because she threatened me in future elections.

After a few angry words, I calmed down and suggested to the caller that we begin again and I would ignore her statements about my education and my political future and simply listen to her point of view. The call then progressed with the caller getting her points across to me and me listening without offering any reaction except that I would consider her views in the future.

The point of my ramblings is that if you want to contact your elected officals and state your views and ask for their support that is great. I love gettting calls and often callers have given me new infromation that has been crucial to my final decision on an issue. But please remember we are people too and we have feelings that can be hurt, and we can feel threatened and insulted.

Don't threaten me with future elections, don't insult my education or lack thereof, and please don't call me or others any names. Remember that old saying "You catch more flies with honey".

You don't need to flatter me or stroke my ego, but please treat me the same way you would like to be treated. I know as an elected official you have the right to slap me around verbally but if you want to have an effect that may help your cause or issue if you treat me like another human being I will react much better.