Maybe I’m just paranoid (everyone thinks so). But I sense that there is some kind of mysterious underlying force at work on Nantucket. A force with two sides, good and evil. The Light Side and the Dark Side. And those forces are in a tenuous balance. And we citizens are about to witness those two sides fight it out for the soul of the island. Call me crazy, but the political landscape on Nantucket has gotten more and more like the Star Wars movies every single day. It’s uncanny.
On the one side, you’ve got the old guard. The Empire. Seeking to take control of the forces of the island and wield them with an iron fist and a dark and sinister heart. On the other, the rebels. The voices of a new hope who seek to pull the process out into the light for all to see, and participate in, and enjoy.
Scary, isn’t it? The similarities continue. Listen.
There are the good guys, who are guided by the Light Side of the Force: There’s Catherine Stover who makes a dashing Luke Skywalker with her new shorter haircut. Michael Kopko is the brash upstart, Han Solo, who is constantly being perused by the ruthless privateer, Jabba the Hut. (Who could that be, I wonder?) Then there’s Doug Bennett, who plays the role of Chewbacca, the Wookie, who speaks often and loudly, but many people don’t always fully understand what he’s saying (Except Han and Luke. They understand completely). And then there’s Town Administrator, Libby Gibson in the role of Princess Lea. Just image her with a cinnamon roll on either side of her head. Can you see it? I can. And of course, the role of Yoda is well played by Whitey Willauer (many a Board of Selectmen’s meeting, I have gotten the urge to go behind the Selectman’s table to see if Frank Oz is back there with his hand up the back of White’s suit coat, helping him run the meeting). “Approve the minutes of the last meeting, we will…hmm?”
On the Dark side, the roles are equally well cast.
The evil and mysterious Emperor Palpatine is played by Mike Glowacki who, even though he works behind the scenes, the Dark Side of the force is extremely strong in him and he controls much of what happens within it. Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine’s young apprentice, is played ably by Patty Roggeveen. Her nearly identical vote count to Catherine Stover’s in the recent election to fill Glowacki’s empty seat shows that the forces of light and dark are well matched here and much hangs in the balance. Brian Chadwick plays the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, the powerful imperial governor who orders the total destruction of Princess Lea’s home planet, Alderaan, supposedly because it is technically in violation of the open meeting law.
Now many people might not think it is fair of me to paint these community members with light and dark brushes. But folks, I just call ‘em the way I see ‘em. There are two sides to Nantucket politics. One wants to get everything out in the open so we can discuss it and change it and make things better. The other wants to drive discussion and debate into the shadows. Look at this list of Dark Side actions over the last few years.
• Who drafted a set of rules for public comment, essentially outlining how and what a citizen cannot address in front of the board during public comment?
• Who wanted to suppress the formation of the sewer advisory committee, which, I think many of us can (or will) agree, has done great work.
• Who has referred to YACKon.com as a “cesspool of misinformation” and has actively bad-mouthed the site where important, far-reaching issues are discussed in the bright light of day?
• Who actively worked to limit mentions of YACKon.com and informational links to the site on several town web pages, essentially squeezing off the free-flow of information and ideas?
• Who has shown a distrust, dislike and general discouragement of Sustainable Nantucket, an organization that is dedicated to a community-wide, open dialog on the vital issues we face.
• Who has discouraged new voices in government by essentially saying, "keep quiet and wait your turn?"
• Who made allegations of wrong-doing against one of this island’s most honest and good and tireless public servants, Catherine Stover, and then tried to muzzle her in regard to the recount process?
These do not seem like the acts of anyone working for the Light Side of the Force, do they? Not to me. (Although I’m open to alternative viewpoints. Let’s hear them at yackon.com!)
The best part of this saga is, it’s not over. The ultimate battle for good and evil will happen on Saturday the 16th when the special election recount begins. Granted there will be no light sabers drawn, but there will certainly be sparks and movement and heat. And one side will win a small but symbolic victory that could plunge the galaxy into despair or signal a sense of new hope.
I’ll be there. Just look for the little round robot with the blinking lights and the laptop in the corner.
