Letters

It took me a while after the election results came out to decide what I wanted to say, but here it is.

When I tell people my mom is in town government, they always assume I must want to be a politician. The truth is, I could never imagine doing what my mom does.

To put yourself out there so visibly in the town you’ve lived in your whole life is scary enough, but to take bald-faced lies in articles and mailers week after week is something else entirely. I firmly believe that this type of politics is what keeps good, intelligent people from trying in the first place, not just on the town level but on a larger scale as well.

I am proud of my mom for taking all of this in stride and choosing not to engage in poor behavior, but as a daughter, it is hard not to feel anger. My mom’s team never retaliated, because from the outset, my mom decided that was not the message she wanted to put out to young people like me who may one day think of pursuing a career in government.

Strong leaders don’t plead ignorance once they’ve seen something they don’t agree with, especially when that something has their name attached to it. They condemn, and they fight.

Please, take stock of how you lead your life; make sure your actions reflect your words. If you claim to support strong women, make sure you’re not telling some of those very women to stay in their place. If you truly want to work with someone, make sure you’re not screwing them over and using “not me!” as your cop-out. When you do mess up, because inevitably everyone does from time to time, own it and show how you will do better.

The only hope we have for reviving politics is doing our part to clean up the space, and taking real ownership of the things that we say and do. Otherwise, good people will continue to be scared out.

My mom is the best there is, so I know she will continue to fight for us all on the board. I am so proud of her for setting a graceful and strong example of how politics should be: for the people, always.

Mom, keep doing what you do. We’re all behind you every step of the way.

Jocelyn McNamara

East Quogue