How embarrassing. How repulsive.

I just saw the tape of the Rumford Board of Selectmen’s meeting of Thursday, May 17.

It is shameful, to say the least, that a group of negative, harassing voters can feel free to disrupt and take over a legal administrative meeting of town leaders. Free speech is a constitutional right, of course, but somehow a lot of citizens assume that includes being uncivil.

It’s been awhile since some Rumford citizens understand what civility means. It’s been awhile since those who see the broadcasts of the board meetings have seen that Rumford residents know how to have dialogue. How embarrassing.

Rumford has a population of mostly good and caring people who are being laughed at. How insulting.

The audience, or better still, the board itself, should stop speakers when slander, intimidation or untruths become part of the diatribe. The town does not need to showcase putdowns, insults and bad manners.

I hope high school students do not attend such obnoxious carnivals.

Burton Sill DeFrees, Rumford Center