What Gentleman’s Agreement?

To the Editor:

In a letter to The Bee, published on October 17, 2008, Robert H. Hall indicated that Obama-Biden supporters have broken the unwritten gentleman’s agreement regarding political lawn signs in Newtown. What? There is an unwritten agreement? Are the people aware of this unwritten agreement? There have never been political lawn signs in Newtown? Wait a minute I think I first noticed those signs last fall (2007) when supporters of the IPN placed them strategically around Newtown. Yeah, I drove past them in my section of the Borough daily! It seemed OK last year! I do not recall any mention of a gentleman’s agreement last year. Many people in town noticed the lawn signs last fall. Therefore, perhaps Mr Hall should thank the IPN and not the Obama-Biden supporters for satisfying his self-described “perversion” at being “pleased” that this alleged ban was broken.

Mr Hall misses the point regarding lawn signs. What is clear is that the people are eager to embrace the change needed in Washington, D.C., and Newtown is not immune to understanding the need for real, meaningful, and significant change. Perhaps the signs on lawns Mr Hall should be more concerned about are the House for Sale signs which have taken over the Newtown landscape. Those Obama-Biden signs in Newtown were most likely put up by individuals wanting change and transparency in government, and not as a concerted effort by a political party.

By the way, the term gentleman’s agreement has outlived its usefulness and invokes images of smoke-filled-back-room-politics involving only the good-old-boys. I am, however, certain the aforementioned images were not Mr Hall’s intentions when he invoked the gentleman’s agreement term but it does imply politics as usual, regardless of gender.

Regarding Mr Hall’s offer to sell any reader a bridge over the Housatonic River for only 50 million dollars, thanks but no thanks! That mess in Alaska has most people skeptical of any transaction by a Republican Party member involving a bridge.

Regards,

Richard English

3 Curry Drive, Newtown                                              October 18, 2008