Although I applaud the editors of The Concord Bridge for their tireless effort to keep Concord connected, I was disappointed by your decision to provide a platform to the individual who derided our community in his letter of April 6, titled, Standing for Ukraine is standing for fascism. This individual mocked the “ignorance” of Concord residents and suggested that our display of unity is analogous to supporting genocide.
He went on to suggest that millions of people are unworthy of our empathy by citing slivers of historical anecdotes and packaging them with a quote from a third party, who has himself stated quite the opposite. Media outlets are profiteering by leveraging the proliferation of technology and disinformation to fuel fringe perspectives that drive attention to their channels.
Our world faces incredible challenges that will not be solved by empowering fringe voices. Freedom of speech is intended to level the playing field for the benefit of society as a whole.
Media platforms like The Concord Bridge have a responsibility to ensure bad actors do not hijack those freedoms for the purpose of presenting highly vulgar opinions as fact. As a father and resident of Concord, I am proud to live in a community that actively supports important causes from around the world. These displays have contributed to countless productive conversations around the dinner table about perspectives from across the spectrum.
The biggest challenge in the world is awareness. I don’t need to hear the vitriol of a hater. Any rational person recognizes the blue and gold flag of Ukraine represents the fight against tyranny – the very cause that our town represents. What I ask The Concord Bridge for are intelligent perspectives built on facts and unity to bring our community together to build a better world for us all.
Robert O. Kulewicz
Lowell Road