Brunswick Beacon, 06.20.24
I opened my May 23 Brunswick Beacon and was appalled to read Frank Iler’s response to a Brunswick County reader. I know Trump has coarsened national politics by calling political opponents “radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.” Still, I thought local elected officials like Iler would show more civility to concerned citizens who are, after all, their Brunswick County neighbors.
The reader criticized Iler for inserting himself into purely local matters in order to benefit developers. Iler has represented District 17, and most of Brunswick County, since 2009. In 15 years, it appears he hasn’t learned that holding elected officials accountable is the essence of democracy. Ironically, he ridiculed the reader with this insult: “he doesn’t seem to know what democracy looks like.”
Iler’s thin skin was on full display when he admitted that “most of my friends would advise me to ignore him.” Instead, Iler’s meanness trumped his friends’ advice. Iler didn’t ignore the reader, nor did he respond to the reader’s central point, that “Iler throw[s] his weight around for special interests, to the detriment of his constituents.”
Instead, he mocked the reader by calling him a “gentleman” seven times, bracketed in scare quotes as an insult. He ridiculed the reader, saying, “Of course, I can’t assume the ‘gentleman’ understands human nature or how the legislature works.”
Iler dismissed the readers’ legitimate concerns, saying, “I have not represented him since 2020.” That insults our intelligence, because Iler’s efforts to pave the way for overdevelopment in any part of Brunswick County affects everyone in Brunswick County.
Most telling, Iler ignored the undisputed fact that his biggest campaign contributors are builders and realtors, just as the reader said. Instead, Iler tried to distract us by calling the reader a “left-wing member[s] of the left-wing party.” Like Trump, Iler uses insults to divide us, encourage hatred and avoid accountability. Shame on him!
Larry Widman
Leland
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