I watched the Easthampton City Council meeting during which the censure of council member Owen Zaret was discussed [“Censure call brings heated hearing,” Gazette, Jan. 24].

Before, during and after that meeting, there were statements made by many people on social media. Several were started by Mr. Zaret, as well as other elected City Council and School Committee officials. Mr. Zaret proclaimed he had been lied to, an elected official later called him a liar on social media, and another official posted a long social media statement explaining why they are not weighing in on the matter. As is typical, there were likes, dislikes, and many side quibbles relating to each post.

There are many Easthampton residents, myself included, who are invested in our government, schools, housing, streets, economy, fairness. Many of us are not running for elected office or for city committees but still want to listen and participate.

Some of us may want to step up to be a volunteer on a board or committee, but we are reluctant to because the atmosphere reminds us of our worst experiences in high school, and sometimes even middle school. We learned recently about a debacle around one such appointment that begs the question: Why would anyone feel compelled to step up these days?

A concrete thing Easthampton elected officials can do is to communicate in a healthier manner. I believe that our elected officials need to talk less and listen more.

The other issue is social media. It is unbecoming for an elected official to whine publicly about their grievances and twist the municipal narrative on Facebook before and after a formal meeting. This is not why we elected you. It is also unprofessional for one duly elected official to call another duly elected official “a liar” on social media after engaging in a public forum recorded on television.

Local elected officials, you are elected to serve your community/precinct and we ask you to govern with humility.

I ask that our elected officials model better behavior for our children each time they write an email, make a statement, or prioritize an issue. Our children are watching us.

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