Two days ago, in his almost daily "Alley Chat" on Instagram, Peter Spear talked about the situation with Colarusso, their dock operations on the Hudson River, and the Planning Board. He describes this chat as "My thoughts on Colarusso's un-neighborly silliness, and this PBs legacy." Some necessary background for listening to this chat is familiarity with the letter sent by Colarusso's attorneys to the Planning Board on June 12. That background can be found here. Spear's "Alley Chat" can be heard here.
Peter Spear is a candidate for mayor of Hudson, running on his own independent line, Future Hudson.
Isn't it a bit presumptuous of you, Carole, to not mention that Spears' chat is on Instagram? Some of us (yes, it's true) don't want to be associated with Zuckerberg and his ilk. Maybe next time you can provide a warning: Facebook and Instagram, along with other popular social media platforms, have been shown to be damaging to children's mental health and generally not to everyone's liking. To watch this video you will have to sign up on their app.". A full disclosure statement of sorts. Some of us are careful about the media we use and the billionaire tech bro jerks we support.
ReplyDeleteBill, I agree with you 100%.
DeleteThis is why I put my videos on my website.
That does not, however, solve the problem that so much of our public conversations about our challenges and our future are happening on a private social network that incentivizes negativity and polarization.
I am deeply committed to developing an approach to community engagement that brings the best of digital tools together with the best of in-person conversation and gathering.
I do not comment or chat very much at all on Instagram. I mostly just post, as a way of giving people access to my thinking and my ideas.
My vision is we have a multi-channel approach to civic engagement that combines a local digital component that is the City's, combined with a robust in-person calendar of meetings, town halls, and gatherings.
We need to get these conversations off corporate social media, and back into our own rooms.
This is also why I am camping out every Sunday now until election day from 4p to 6pm at a park in town - because there is nothing more important than the ability to speak to one another as neighbors about our shared challenges, and opportunities.
I do not care when you moved here, or how long you have been here, or if you were born here.
If you live in Hudson, you are my neighbor, I love you, and I would love to get to know you.
Thank you, Carole!
ReplyDeleteFor those not in Instagram, I share them on my website and will be sending out an email
https://www.spearformayor.com/alley-chats
Yes, the days of a public forum are essentially gone, replaced with something entirely unrecognizable and full of trouble that does not move us forward, that only further divides us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the response, Peter!
The traditional public square encompassed more than merely the public square. Historically, particularly in the colonies and the early republic, taverns and public houses were also understood to be part of the public square. Perhaps if our elected and would-be elected officials drank more in public (or even just came out more in public) our republic would be in better shape. It would surely feel better and have a better sense of humor.
ReplyDelete💡 Peter - formal request to sell this slogan in a bumper sticker or T-shirt.
ReplyDelete🐳 👕
Front: "I do not care when you moved here, or how long you have been here, or if you were born here.
Back: 🤗 If you live in Hudson, you are my neighbor, I love you, and I would love to get to know you." *
*Note, you can love they neighbor and still not want them as an elected official making decisions with your money.