Reader defends civic association’s Tidelines
To the editor:
Whether or not Tidelines is distributed to Council Members at Town Hall or inside Council Chambers is a minor issue. What is important about recent efforts to muzzle Tidelines as the voice of the Fort Myers Beach Civic Association is that they smack of partisan censorship. Does this Town, as a whole, really want to indulge in what would equate to book-burning in an attempt to control opinions expressed publicly through any type of media?
Diatribes printed and heard of late seem targeted specifically at Lee Melsek, the editor of Tidelines, and a principal author of many of its articles. Yes, Lee writes much of the material in Tidelines because that is the nature of most organizational newsletters. While many of the Civic Association’s directors and most of its membership may agree wholeheartedly with the positions expressed – whether it be on reduction of the garbage littering our streets or non-selective enforcement of Town ordinances – few are willing to take the time to write those articles. They are not, it should be noted, paid to do so as are staff writers at commercial news organizations. It seems particularly unfair for salaried (or hourly or by-the-piece) writers for those types of publications to criticize the fact that Lee is willing and able to put into words the type of information about our Town that many islanders want to see and deserve to know but which has not been covered by other publications.
Attempts to scapegoat Lee Melsek and muzzle Tidelines publication of local issues of real concern to many islanders, even though it may perhaps temporarily blot the Town’s copybook, are, in themselves, a stain on our Town. For a good many years now, a few voices in Town, given free rein in another commercial publication, have effectively taken the position that anyone who dares to criticize actions of Town management or government (note exception to follow) are expressing “negativity”, not helping to create or preserve “civility” or a “positive attitude”. How completely hypocritical their stance has been was revealed during the time a majority of Council members were not in their favor! Where was the “civility” and “positive attitude” then?
If no one is to be able to express “negativity”, as defined by these arbiters of what is appropriate, then not only has this Town become a dictatorship of ideas and public discourse but also we have shut the door to the opportunities offered when people who care and have ideas for a different approach air their ideas for improvement. Does anyone really doubt, for example, that Lee Melsek, who grew up on this island and expresses his passion about it in his words, wants to make this Town the best it can possibly be? Agree with him or disagree, you know he cares about Fort Myers Beach. Members of the Civic Association, including him, are most assuredly not opposed to commercial endeavors on this island. Quite the contrary, since we all enjoy the restaurants, shops, entertainment, and other services afforded us here. We do, however, have a somewhat different “take” than does the Chamber of Commerce on certain issues. All of us live here, whether full or part time, and our quality of life may be affected in ways that an absentee business owner’s may not be – by traffic, airplane noise, and development.
Let us hope we can agree that our Town can promote “openness”, “tolerance”, and “freedom of expression” along with civility. Let’s also hope that “groupthink” never becomes the order of the day for our island.