Like it or not, elected officials are held to a higher standard, and rightly so. They are expected to be the leaders their positions require.

If somebody disagrees with a law or issue, then they should work through long-established legal processes of changing it. After all legal procedures have been exhausted, only then should civil disobedience be used.

And then, if the grievances are great — for example, liberty itself — then more dire actions may be required. But again, only after all other avenues of remedy have been utilized.

This was the course of action taken by our founding fathers.

Not so with Benton’s selectwoman Kimberley Cormier. It seems she has taken the shortcut, and should be ashamed for doing so.

What was her real point? She said, “I’m angry people can’t support their families and live in dignity.” Yet she was arrested for trespassing and failure to disperse.

Was this to show how people should live in dignity? How was breaking the law supposed to help her cause? What other avenues of redress did she pursue? To all appearances, none.

Does she realize that by being arrested and having to appear in court, she actually hurt her own cause? Taxes are needed to staff police departments and run courts. Taxes that could have been spent elsewhere, or provided help for those in need. Rather ironic, isn’t it?

It seems to me that Cormier just wanted to join the party and give in to mob mentality. What if all elected officials acted in such a manner?

If I were living in Benton, I certainly would not vote for such a person.

Perhaps Cormier should resign now and save the good citizens of Benton the trouble of having a recall.

Greg Paquet

Smithfield

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