Eight Reasons Enfield Republicans Should Drop the Pride Flag Referendum

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  In 2022, the Town Council, under a Democratic majority, approved a policy allowing Pride flags to be displayed at Town Hall during Pride Month in June. After retaking the majority in 2024, Republicans passed an ordinance banning all non-government flags from government buildings. That should have been the end of it. But it wasn't. After forming a Charter Revision Commission, its chair, Mayor Ken Nelson, sought to include what amounts to a permanent Pride Flag ban in the town charter. Changing the town charter requires voter approval through a referendum. If voters approve the measure, future councils must follow the rule unless a new referendum overturns it. Mayor Nelson has been the strongest advocate for putting this on the ballot. "Can the town buildings be used to push a personal ideology on the residents of Enfield?" he asked at the Commission's final meeting. "It is a political issue—it's not our billboard." Last week, the Charter Commission dead...

WHY do stores bother with one-way signs? Because large numbers of people ignore them

 


So I'm trying to understand why one way signs in grocery stores are increasingly ignored. I post on Enfield's Facebook page raising this question and wait for the responses. Here is a summary of the main arguments: 

1. “The virus isn’t that communicable. It’s been overstated.” 

2. “I am not a sheep.” 

3. “If six feet apart works, why the mask?” 

4. “Some people don’t pay attention to the signs.” 

The only one I get is 4. People do blank, don't notice, are pre-occupied etc. Following directional signs in a grocery store isn't in their DNA. 

The rest of the reasons are mostly nonsense. People reach their own reasons for rejecting the science, or view it -- the sheep comments -- are imperial overreach by the federal virus storm troopers. 

I think we’re all reaching a point where the virus is in our collective rear view mirror, and that’s in part due to the decent job we did in this state to bring it under control. But until this thing goes away, or treatment or vaccine arrives, we still got a problem.

I do see elderly people in the stores. They can’t afford the home delivery (it really adds to the costs) and they may not have the support, friends or relatives, who can shop for them. I watch some of the and they can be super cautious. There’s others like that as well who really try to avoid others. For many, there's a still a real fear.

Even if you have strong objections, don’t see the point and don’t have the time or interest to follow the arrows, at least be careful around those who are uniquely vulnerable because of age. It’s just being polite. There’s nothing wrong with doing that and it's so simple.

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