How do we move forward as a community? Last week, our nation suffered a blow to one of our most sacred freedoms: Freedom of Speech. A freedom not only safeguarded against government suppression by our First Amendment, but the keystone of our ability to self-govern “We the People.” This applies to all “We the People,” even those who we vehemently disagree with!
The assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk struck a blow at the heart of this sacred freedom. Charlie was exercising this right on a college campus, as he did hundreds of times, engaging students, encouraging civic involvement, challenging campus norms and vigorously debating various topics when he was assassinated. He was working to get young people more involved in developing and sharing their faith, values and beliefs. Because of that, he was killed. That shot was a shot at all of us. If you voice a differing opinion, you are at risk of personal injury, even death.
While there is one person responsible for pulling the trigger, we all must step back and evaluate what role we play in the rise of political violence in our country. It may be in arguments at the kitchen table, discussions at political meetings, posts on social media, signs we hold, how our government representatives work with or against each other. The inflammatory rhetoric is at least partially to blame for where we are as a society, and we all have a responsibility to address it.
As chair of the Hopkinton Republican Town Committee, I will be taking the following actions: I have reached out to Amy Groves, chair of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee, and state Rep. James Arena-DeRosa. The intent is to create a bridge to our political counterparts to create a better relationship amongst our organizations. We will not agree on several issues, but I am sure there are areas where we do agree, and at a minimum, we will be more connected in our humanity.
For those who have been affected by last week’s events, especially our young conservatives, please reach out to the HRTC for support. We are on social media, or join our next meeting at 9:30 on Oct. 4 at the Hopkinton Library. [Editor’s note: This date has been updated from the original post.]
I hope and pray that “We the People” can work toward reducing the extreme rhetoric that has further divided our country and reduce the unconscionable acts that have plagued our country.
— Jim Mirabile, Hopkinton Republican Town Committee chair
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In 2020 the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee issued a statement which we have resurfaced from time to time because our position remains unchanged. The statement reads in part, “The HDTC supports community engagement and fact-based open dialogue. We promote each of our endorsed candidates’ positive attributes. We encourage our candidates to run informative, transparent campaigns. We do not condone personal attacks on candidates, their families, or members of our community at large.” The full statement is available at https://hopkintondemocrats.org/a-statement-from-our-members/ and on social media.
I have been Chair of the HDTC for a number of years and an officer for much longer. I have certainly seen personal attacks and hate speech on Hopkinton’s social media. However, as I have never seen any indication that this speech was published or orchestrated by either of our town’s political committees, I don’t believe the committees to be the problem.
Now I’d like to respond on a more personal level. Murder should never be condoned. Condolences should always be extended to the loved ones of someone who has died. I believe these statements to be true without exception.
What’s also true is that the deceased called for people like me to be stoned to death.
Your letter decrying extreme political rhetoric would have meant so much to me had it followed broadcast or publication of the deceased’s own extreme political rhetoric. You could have stuck up for me then. Or you could have written your letter following the murder of Melissa Hortman and her husband, or the attack with a hammer on Paul Pelosi. A letter delivered at either of those times would have displayed both grace and fairness. As it is, I’m afraid your letter is nicely written but poorly timed.
Many of us will engage in the same fact-based communication, peaceful protests, and de-escalation training that we were already involved with. We want to leave behind a positive legacy, not one of targeting other groups of people just because of who they are.
If we are to preserve both our democracy and our humanity we must continue to speak out and speak the truth. We must extend our freedoms to everyone with an equal hand. And we must condemn the way this individual died, even if we cannot celebrate the way he lived.
A simple google search will tell you that he never advocated for stoning anyone. A myth a lie or misinformation call it what you want. You are what is wrong in politics right now. Not willing to take any responsibility for hate speech. It comes from both sides. Reasonable people can see that
It’s a wild take to read the claim that there has been “no indication” of personal attacks coming from members of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee. That simply does not reflect the experience of many in this community.
HDTC elected members including its previous Chair has been directly involved in public and highly personal attacks against individuals in town. These actions were not subtle, nor isolated. They were visible, coordinated, and deeply damaging. To suggest that no such behavior has occurred simply because the committee issued a statement is misleading.
The town’s response to the HDTC’s bad behavior was to remove partisan politics from our local elections. A system that in had been in place for decades. Seriously a wild take to say I have seen “no indication.”
Equally troubling in your post is the continued repetition of the claim that Charlie Kirk “called for people like me to be stoned to death.” This is not supported by facts. The statement originated from a misleading headline that has since been widely discredited. Even Stephen King, who initially promoted the claim, later apologized and acknowledged the error. There is no public record of that individual ever advocating for violence against LGBTQ people.
When such a serious accusation turns out to be false, the responsible thing to do is correct it, not repeat it as a political talking point. If this conversation is truly about facts, then the facts should matter, even when they do not align with personal or partisan narratives.
What is ironic about the claim that he called for stoning gays is that he was actually criticizing how people cherry pick scripture to suit their own agendas which looks a lot like what you are doing right here.
Additionally, to suggest that someone has forfeited their right to speak out against violence because they didn’t issue public statements after other tragedies is both unfair and deeply cynical. Violence is not a political scoreboard. One does not need to earn the right to mourn or condemn a death by checking boxes of prior outrage.
We live in a political climate where conservatives are regularly labeled as fascists, Nazis, or worse, not for promoting violence or hate, but simply for expressing traditional values or differing views. This language does not promote peace or dialogue. It dehumanizes people. And once a group is dehumanized, it becomes easier to justify hostility toward them, both online and in real life.
If we are going to talk about preserving democracy and humanity, that conversation must include honesty, accountability, and a rejection of double standards. That starts with acknowledging the harm caused by divisive rhetoric on all sides and making space for respectful disagreement without resorting to slander.
Amy, as Chair of the HDTC, you had the chance to bring unity instead of turning this into a political scoreboard, sharing misinformation, and rejecting the olive branch Jim was so graciously trying to extend. Your response is disappointing.
Hi, it’s me. I post anonymously because accountability isn’t really my thing. It doesn’t help that I had no credibility to begin with. But please, do give me some attention. Thank you!
“Hopkinton Parent,” you have misread my response. What I wrote was that the political committees are not to blame for personal attacks and hate speech in Hopkinton’s social media. In fact, when it was discovered that the former Chair of the HDTC was discovered to have been posting anonymously on a blog site, she resigned immediately. The posts were not coordinated by a committee, as you allege. I know this because I was there.
You have also attributed words to me that I didn’t write. At no point did I “suggest that someone has forfeited their right to speak out against violence because they didn’t issue public statements after other tragedies.”
The deceased introduced the stoning passage and referred to it as “God’s perfect law when it comes to sexual matters.” This was in response to a woman who promoted the idea of “love your neighbor” during Pride Month. The comments were made during a June 2024 episode of his podcast with Jack Prosobiec. As a gay person who has been out for almost 50 years, I can say with some confidence that I know when I am being targeted.
I have not rejected any olive branches.
Thank you for the clarifications. You are right and I am wrong. I am sorry for wasting your time.
Amy, you say we should just trust you “because you were there.” But you were also on a public forum demanding to know which HDTC members encouraged an independent School Committee candidate to run. That is not neutrality, that is targeted behavior. And you know as well as the rest of the town that the HDTC Chair’s conduct was out of control. No one other than the HDTC was shocked. The committee did nothing until she was exposed. That was not accountability, it was avoidance.
You also continue to double down that that Charlie Kirk “said gay people should be stoned.” That is simply not true. Those words never came out of his mouth. What he did, in the June 2024 podcast you are referring to was cite Leviticus to make a point about whether scripture can be selectively applied. Quoting scripture is not the same as endorsing its punishments in modern life, and fact-checks have confirmed this. Later in that same podcast, when asked if he had love for the LGBTQ community, Kirk said, “How can I hate something I have a heart for?” His remarks were about doctrine, not a call to violence.
Your personal identity as a gay community member deserves respect, but it does not grant moral superiority or excuse distortion of the facts.
Your entire tone in this debate has been one of attack, not dialogue. If you want to move Hopkinton forward, start with honesty, accuracy, and respect for others instead of tearing them down.
Stoned to death??? Please Amy you are ridiculous. Charlie Kirk was always civil and peaceful. What you said is simply not true!! He wanted an open dialogue to debate, that’s more than I can say for the HDTC. Amy you are forgetting what’s important here, a wife lost her husband and a 2 and 4 year old don’t have a dad coming home ever again. The fact you mention stoning to death is your way of saying Kirk’s death was justified. Let’s call it what it is. Go join the Mass teachers association who also clearly condones it as your party is the one who continues to spread hate.
To “Anonymous”: I have never claimed that his death was justified. What I wrote was, “Murder should never be condoned. Condolences should always be extended to the loved ones of someone who has died. I believe these statements to be true without exception.”
Yes, Amy should definitely take advice from people like us — hiding behind Anonymous accounts, unable to stand by our words, and some of us can’t even read a lick after dropping out of middle school.
Here is Charlie Kirk saying that stoning gay people to death is a perfect law. Video included. His own words. Not at all civil.
https://www.advocate.com/politics/charlie-kirk-anti-lgbtq-quotes
And don’t bother with trying to pretend that this means I wanted him to die.
And here is Trump’s Chief of Staff spreading hate, saying that all Democrats are part of a “domestic extremist organization” last month.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/stephen-miller-democrats-extremist/
They are both prominent Republicans.
And thanks for reminding us which political party is anti-education.
Jimmy Kimmel just got cancelled for pointing out how desperate Republican politicians have been in trying to paint Kirk’s murderer as left-wing, which is true, and for mocking Trump for what was an insane answer to a question about Kirk’s death. So much for open discourse.
If you would like video of liberals spreading hate it will have to wait I don’t have time to sort through the thousands of videos. All you really have to do is pull up any video of the peaceful blm riots or simply watch Monica cannon grant stand on our own town common and call us Hopkinton residents a bunch of white privileged people which is racist and hateful, while you all stood around and clapped like buffoons.
HopkintonParent’s allegations about the role of HDTC in personal invectives are totally false. There was never any coordinated action. The referenced anonymous posts critical of a former candidate were the actions of one person, concealed from the rest of the Committee, and were clearly wrong and against our written policy. The rest of us have always promoted our candidates by focusing on their qualifications, experience, ideas, and views, never disparaging opponents. The one person who deviated from our policy (about positive campaigns) suffered substantial penalties, including resigning from the leadership position.
I am proud of the highly qualified candidates we have endorsed to serve our community. If there is a very good candidate already in a race who is unenrolled or Republican, we discourage Democrats from running against them, although the decision to run ultimately remains with the individual. In rare instances where one of our endorsed candidates is elected but is unable to fulfill their duties because of unforeseen circumstances such as illness or increased work responsibility, we urge them to step down. The HDTC now has 36 of our endorsed candidates serving in elected office for the town. The HDTC and the HRTC have served the town well in recruiting candidates to run for local office. Unfortunately, the town eliminated partisan elections but it did no good to stop the bad behavior because the problem was never the parties. The problem was always specific individuals and specific issues. For instance, even in the absence of partisan elections, some destructive neighbor(s), unhappy with a Select Board decision, vandalized the cars of Select Board members. I was outraged about that as I was about the improper anonymous posts made by the former chair. I do believe that most of our neighbors are good people and that the bad actors are few in number. It is difficult to stop them because they hide behind darkness or anonymity. Nevertheless, I believe that it would be good for the two parties to have a chat, but we must not be selectively outraged about the actions against our own side.
I invite our Democrat neighbors to come join us in our work to serve Hopkinton and to oppose the regressive policies of the current administration in Washington.
I strongly push back on the claim that the HDTC was unaware of the anonymous attacks from its former chair. I personally informed several HDTC members during the election including the sitting Select Board Chair at the time about the HDTC chair’s behavior well before it was exposed by HopNews and led to her resignation. I have friends and family who witnessed those conversations. In the previous years, election. The HDTC had full knowledge and chose not to act. That’s not ignorance.
It’s important not to downplay the broader impact of these negative tactics particularly when they are coming from the very top of your organization.
Accountability isn’t just about distancing from a single individual. It’s also about addressing the systems and culture that allowed the behavior to go unchecked.
I also find it concerning that while calling for unity and discouraging selective outrage, the post ends with a partisan appeal. If we truly want to move beyond party-driven conflict and serve the town together, that starts with consistent principles and transparency, not just when it’s politically convenient.
I support any honest effort to improve local discourse and collaboration. But we need more than words. We need trust built on accountability, fairness, and mutual respect. Let’s hope both parties can work toward that standard.
Ashley, I’m having trouble understanding your narrative. If the posts were anonymous then you would not have known who wrote them until HopNews used their admin access to track the source of the email. At any rate, we certainly didn’t know who was posting. I can’t dictate what you believe but as I pointed out, I was “in the room where it happened,” so I see no point in debating the matter.
I see no reason why I should not make partisan appeals. Jim Mirabile (HRTC) and I both do it all the time. Making partisan appeals is part of our job as party leaders.
I think you’re the most divisive person in Hopkinton. All I have seen you do is attack Democrats, people of color, LGBTQ neighbors and anyone who disagrees with you. You are always angry and refuse to unite with anyone. Honestly, I feel sorry for you.
This is outrageous. Are we really allowing this kind of baseless smear to be posted? The claim that I attack Democrats, people of color, LGBTQ neighbors, or anyone who disagrees with me is completely false. Show me proof of that ever happening. You can’t, because it has never happened. What’s truly divisive is inventing lies about your neighbors and spreading them as if they’re fact. This is the very rhetoric that resulted in what we all saw last week. I can’t even believe this is being allowed to be printed.
Here you go again. I noticed that you are always blaming others instead of introspecting your own behavior. Why don’t you try loving people instead? It will be good for you. Hatred and anger are bad for health.
You didn’t want Tango Makes Three in your kids classroom.
You are filled with hate. Full stop.
I push back on your push back. Ashley you are wrong. I can say I knew nothing of what Darlene was up to. What Darlene did, she did on her own. Period. You make it sound like we were all behind her and nothing could be further from the truth. Blaming the committee for one person’s actions is ridiculous.
You lost.
Go home, sour loser of elections
Mary Jo thank you for that.
Rather than constant divisive rebuttals, why don’t y’all meet up and talk face to face. Then you will realize you have more in common than you expected. Our country is insanely divided now and this is not by accident. Until the majority of people realize this is a problem, accept each other’s flaws, mistakes, different views and backgrounds, everything will only get worse. Much worse. If we were all exactly the same, we wouldn’t survive. Biodiversity in every aspect of nature is the reason for it’s success and we’re just a small blip in Nature’s timeline.
Fascism must be called out in every forum.
Individuals are allowed to disagree.
No one is allowed to dehumanize and force themselves on others.
Bad people are bad and I am for calling out this horrendous behavior, especially for hate-filled fascists, Jim.
/Proudly Antifascist. Proudly American