To the Editor:

I just wanted to make a brief comment regarding the intrusion of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, into the current, controversial comment, calling for the resignation of Town Council member Christine Paige, due to an opinion that she expressed on her private Facebook site, soon after the July 13 assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump.  

Please see: north country public radio.org; August 08, 2024, article entitled: NY State Senator describes inmates as “animals” at a recent prison rally, by reporter Emily Russell (Adirondack Reporter). Unlike, Potsdam Town Council woman, Christine Paige, Ms. Stefanik has expressed no such, similar outrage for Senator Stec” s inflammatory, public comments, regarding the mostly minority prison population. While Ms. Paige privately expressed her opinion of Mr. Trump, she did not publicly advocate for such an act of assassination to happen, yet Ms. Stefanik has chosen to further vilify Ms. Paige, for innocently expressing her First Amendment Right to free speech, and very privately, at that.

State Senator Stec issued these racist as well as very derogatory comments as a public official, thus reinforcing not only negative stereotypes of people of color, but encouraging, rather than disparaging, negative actions toward inmates.

Judy A. Gibson
Canton