To the editor:

The most recent episode of “Barrington’s Got Issues” occurred last Monday night in Town Hall chambers. It was almost as entertaining as the Seinfeld soup-nazi show (not really). Starring were Annelise Conway and supporting actress Kate Berard as co-inclusion enabler. The town’s Diversity Equity Inclusion Committee also made a cameo appearance. Their cast, consisting of one old white guy, one young white guy and two white women (with masks, of course). And that’s diversity! A long slow clap for all.

The plot. Would the Barrington United Veterans Council be allowed to organize the Memorial Day parade once again? The show for such a topic with any normal town council would have taken about 4 minutes. Oh no, not this one. Councilor Rob Humm started the discussion with a rambling stream of consciousness as he seemed to walk back his vote last year. Mr. Humm could have said two words, Mea Culpa, and moved on. The DEI committee added a short statement that read something akin to we, really, really, really, did we say really, want to have a more inclusive process.

Enter Conway and Berard. This whole thing just wasn’t DEI’ish enough. They claimed that more than 40 veterans would be left out of this year’s parade planning if each didn’t receive a hand-written invitation with a pink doughnut (my interpretation). Neither Conway nor Berard acknowledged the obvious. The veterans council has run this parade successfully since 1954. They also failed to realize that not a single veteran other than two BUVC members were in the audience that night to advocate for their inclusion narrative.

My wife and I (and a few others) chose to leave after Conway lectured the audience and council members ad nauseum. Her behavior was outlandish.

My two takeaways? The DEI agitprop has deeply infected our elected representatives, so much so that they couldn’t even have a conversation about something as simple as a parade (or flags) without it.

Second, I have hope. I witnessed Councilor Carl Kustell, a progressive (as I understand it), stand up to the DEI crowd. He remained open-minded to the proposition that the BUVC can and should run the parade. He argued at length for that, and in the end was able to sway Councilors Humm and Berard. Kudos to the council president! I hope he doesn’t get cancelled for his vote.

Perhaps now, at long last, Mr. Kustell and his fellow town council members will begin anew to focus on governance, and not “social justice” issues that so deeply divide the town.

Scott Fuller

Barrington