John Bowman: I can’t just blame the left for cancel culture

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Posted: 05/30/2023 15:05:49

Modified: 05/30/2023 15:05:23

With all due respect, I don’t think the recent letter accusing the left of promoting a cancel culture should go unanswered. [On speech, expression and tolerance, Gazette, May 17]. The letter writer refers to two local episodes, the search for the Easthampton school superintendent and the Amherst college counselors, neither of which is a true example of leftist intolerance.

Both have very specific reasons for decisions, whether you agree with them or not. Members of the Easthampton school board found job candidate Vito Perrone made non-negotiable demands for pay, holidays and sick days. Regarding the Amherst case: If you were a Catholic student/parent, would you accept a Protestant counselor making derogatory remarks about Catholics?

Specifically, the letter writer claims that there are countless instances of cancel culture in our communities without naming any. He does the same with our nation, accusing the left of shutting down a slew of free speech cases, without citing any evidence.

Yet why doesn’t he mention that these are the red, Republican-dominated states where local legislatures and communities pass laws banning certain words, concepts, issues, and books? I, too, deplore cases where, say, students on the left turn off a speaker on the right. But please don’t just blame the left with the cancel culture.

John Bowman

Northampton

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