Dear Editor,

I often visit Stanford, particularly the Bluebird, and I pick up the local papers. I have been following the story involving the mayor of Stanford and how some residents exhibited a mob mentality at the city council meeting of the torch and pitch fork variety. 

I was shocked that they engaged in defamation of character by a demeaning array of crude insults and desperate accusations indicative of paranoid behavior. And I have to say that as an outsider looking in this makes Stanford residents look insensitive and undignified. 

You certainly have the right to disagree with your mayor on policies for sure. But from what I have read, this person has served your town in some capacity for a long time. And where I come from, years of dedication and service to a community mean something. If the mayor has health issues (and most of us do) why don’t you exhibit Christian values and compassion? Wouldn’t you want the same compassion? 

You have the right to disagree with public officials and voice concerns like civilized adults but defamation of character and idle gossip makes you look like a cruel and undignified town. And that’s unfortunate because otherwise I think its a beautiful place.

Anne Goodrich

Somerset