Metivier his own man - again
Until political parties stop trying to control the people in office it will continue to be difficult to get good people to serve.
The Front Page
Evening Update
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
By Ken Tingley
After reading about Roy McDonald’s “Profile in Courage” moment in the newsletter earlier this week, one reader wrote to thank me for reminding people about how rare that is these days. But of course, it is Roy who should be thanked.
Nine years before same-sex marriage was made the law in New York, a young Post-Star reporter named Matt Sturdevant did an in-depth story about what it was like for local men and women “Growing up gay” in rural upstate New York.
What was so memorable about the story was that we illustrated the Sunday front page story with a photo of two men about to kiss in Congress Park in Saratoga Springs. What was so discouraging afterward was the reaction of so many in the community.
“I think that without a doubt I expected a (negative) reaction,” Sturdevant told me last summer. “At least 20 or 30 emails came in that either wished me dead, or worse, I was going to go to hell. Many invoked religion, calling me amoral or giving voice and highlighting the experience growing up gay. There was a lot of vitriol. Over 16 years as a journalist, you grow a tough skin.”
Many of the letters to the editor had to be rejected because the content was not suitable for a family newspaper. Here are a few of the headlines from the weeks afterward:
July 22, 2002
Paper should avoid
Offensive subjects
July 23, 2002
Homosexuality just
A human weakness
July 25, 2002
Story on homosexuals
Inappropriate, trashy
July 28, 2002
Lonely men, women
Should turn to God
July 29, 2002
Gays should stay
In the closet
July 29, 2002
Photo choice
Was disgusting
August 3, 2002
Media promotes
Liberal agenda
August 10, 2002
Front-page photo
Was in poor taste
Here is an excerpt from one letter:
“Disgusting, inappropriate and disappointing are some of the words which come to mind in regard to the front page of The Post-Star on Sunday, July 14. Disgusting because our family doesn’t need to be exposed to the gay lifestyle/agenda in our own home. The gay lifestyle is a perversion of God’s plan for mankind. Inappropriate because we would venture to guess that the vast majority of people are not gay; so we don’t want to see or hear about it.”
What Roy McDonald found out nine years later was that many of the people who supported him over the years still felt that way about homosexuality. He still stood up and did the right thing.
The local man who wrote me said we need more good people like Roy McDonald to stand up and serve in government. I told him it was getting more and more difficult and you only needed to go back to 2017 when Republicans tried to oust Queensbury Town Board member Tony Metivier after he voted against changing the town’s attorney to a Republican supporter.
Metivier was doing what was right, too.
Metivier went out and got his own signatures that spring and won re-election on his own. It turns out the Republicans still haven’t forgiven him. He once again has a primary opponent this year and Metivier was once again out on the street getting signatures to run again.
That is community service.
George Ferone, chairman of the Queensbury Republicans and a Town Board member (Isn’t that a conflict of interest?) - said he would have welcomed a discussion with Metivier if he wanted the Republican endorsement.
“He did not approach us, so there was no discussion. If he did, I definitely would have liked to talk to him about it,” Ferone told The Post-Star.
That’s a cop out.
Metivier has continued to do his job on the Town Board with the good of the people in mind and not the party.
Until more people are willing to do that, it will always be difficult to get good candidates. Queensbury is fortunate to have someone like Tony Metivier.
