Let's try to reach out to each other, give a hand, help a neighbor

To the editor,

I listened to the House of Representatives debate their proposed budget on Thursday. Simultaneously, while I was listening to moving testimony about how the extremely negative impact with effect many citizens of our state I could hear chanting in the background outside of the House chamber which was actually an eerie feeling.

I find the events of Wednesday and Thursday in Concord very sobering and disheartening. Some of the comments of the representatives were, “these representatives have abandoned their values and have abandoned their constituents..,” “Can we all just get along..,” “ideology over insight and political posturing over prudent government…” “Mr. Speaker, when are you going to let the public into the people’s house?”

Then at the end of the session, after the vote Representative Hess spoke on unanimous consent. He said, “in 21 years in this chamber I have never heard rhetoric more harsh and decorum more disrespectful. “That when issues bordering on legality cause us to hesitate it is wrong and should be abandoned immediately.” He went on to say that culture not rule books organize behavior and we have lost our culture in the last two days and in the days and weeks ahead, we should take one step toward each other and try to regain some of that culture.”

I am saddened today and I imagine many other people are as well. We must continue on and I suggest to all that we try to reach out to each other, give a hand, help a neighbor and be mindful of how you treat people. John F. Kennedy said, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

Carla Horne

Meredith