The purpose of this narrative is to bring into sharp focus an issue very important to everyone living in Waterville, Maine. Leaders in the highest offices of our nation, our state and now our city routinely engage in disrespectful and uncivil discourse. We must and should demand that our leaders are civil to and respectful of everyone.

Every parent knows that children mimic their parents. If parents use disrespectful words, children assume that it is appropriate language and then use it on others. Until there is understanding that everyone deserves respect, despite differing opinions, an uncivil society will continue.

The most radical users of the internet, identified by some as trolls, are able to cowardly hide their online identity and spew hatred. The mayor is known to participate in threads on Twitter and Facebook. His participation is called “free speech” by his supporters. But, as we all know, speech isn’t really free. There are consequences for inappropriate speech, especially by our political leaders.

Some wildly untrue statements are being spread about recalling the mayor, for example, “The fascist hypocrites and their hell bent scorched earth mentality needs to stop!”

The truth is this — the recall is about uncivil and unprofessional behavior of the mayor.

The mayor exhibited unprofessional behavior as a leader by tweeting a vulgar personal attack on a young high school student who had just survived a school shooting in Florida. Students across the country fear being killed in school shootings and are protesting the root cause, laws that don’t prevent mentally unstable persons from obtaining guns.

The recall initiators are Waterville residents, not outsiders. They spent their own money to conduct the recall. Those signing recall petitions agree the recall is not about freedom of speech but about a failure of professional leadership.

Jim Chiddix

Waterville

(The letter writer is one of the leaders of the effort to recall Waterville Mayor Nick Isgro.)