And another thing

Matt Mooshian
Claremont
To the editor,

My recent letter called for the resignation of city Councilor Jon Stone based on his homophobic and transphobic social media posts, but it doesn’t stop there. Councilor Stone perpetuated stigmas and stereotypes of people living with mental illness as a way to disparage citizens in our community and that is completely unacceptable.

One-in-5 Americans live with a mental illness. According to a 2018 study by Mental Health America, 21 percent of people in New Hampshire live with mental illness. Councilor Jon Stone as a means to discredit and bully another citizen, said that someone with a mental illness is a “threat” to the public. People living with mental illness are not a threat and to suggest otherwise is reductive and wrong. The councilor should be ashamed of these comments.

There are many organizations in Claremont working to help people with mental illness and different abilities. These organizations battle against the stigmas and stereotypes that Councilor Stone perpetuates and leverages as insults.

Councilor Jon Stone should resign from the city council. His words have real impact on the lives of many people. His actions online and the comments he’s made are unethical and deserving of his resignation from the city council. I am not the first to call for his resignation and I’m sure I wont be the last. As citizens of Claremont we need to come together and say Jon Stone is on his own — he doesn’t represent our values.

 

Matt Mooshian

Claremont