Last week a disgruntled ‘Democrat’ opined on these pages that the Bristol Democratic Town Committee (BDTC) is not inclusive, saying in part that: “you are welcome only if you agree with them 100 percent [of the time].” This assertion is completely false, but it’s not surprising.

The author of last week’s letter is a former member of the BDTC leadership team whose approach was to routinely shut down meeting participation, refusing to hear differing viewpoints or to facilitate challenging conversations about anything they didn’t want to talk about. This same leadership team sat by and did absolutely nothing while certain members would bully, threaten, and call other Democrats names during meetings. I know because I was a frequent target of these attacks.

I am proud that the dynamics of our committee changed when new officers were elected. The BDTC now allows time and space for dialogue, discussion, and debate on all of the issues affecting our members and our community. It is unfortunate that certain former members are attempting to paint a false narrative.

To be clear: we do not censor our members and we do not exclude those with whom we disagree. While last week’s writer claims he has been excluded from our communications, our records show that he has received and opened almost every email the Committee sent this year. Since we are able to track this, we can also identify when someone is spreading misinformation for their own political motivations.

The real story here is — still — the Bristol County Concerned Citizens (BCCC), a subsidiary of the infamous right wing ‘Gaspee Project.’ Their platform aligns closely with that of the Republican Party, and they have made this election cycle all about trying to disparage Democrats. It is laughable for the BCCC, and their members, to claim that they are not a political organization while spending so much time and energy attempting to influence our local elections.

We need leaders who will work for positive change. In lieu of the spiteful rhetoric, I encourage community members to listen to all the candidates running for public office, to watch the forums and debates, and to make informed decisions when voting.

Erich Haslehurst
Bristol

Mr. Haslehurst is chairman of the Bristol Democratic Town Committee.