Hamilton Wenham and Women’s Rights

Written by Barbara Smith,

Blogger and social justice activist

https://www.facebook.com/HWdemocrats/

I’m so proud of all the social justice activists marching and rallying across America to declare that poor women will NOT go back to back alley, slaughter while rich women use their wealth to receive the safe, reproductive care that ALL women deserve. I attended the May 14th rally in Newburyport and it was a joy to be surrounded by resisters of all genders, colors, identities and ages……

Thank-you Organizers!

Newburyport was hopping on a hot, summerlike day with a tourist event downtown. I walked down State street in search of a bathroom and saw restaurant workers setting up tables on the street. I asked if I could use the toilet and staff took a look at my Pro-Choice Garb and –

1. She opened the door and shouted….
2. “Let this woman use the bathroom”
3. a worker led me to the bathroom, opened the door turned on the light and
4. they thanked me on my way out!!!!

If this were in Hamilton or Wenham perhaps I would have been called a “racist”, “bigot” or “TERF” because I supported the two members of the Select Board who fought to include “women” and “atheists” as protected class status in the Hamilton Human Rights Commission policy. Afterall, they included ex-convicts… Maybe they will include the poor women released from prison after seeking illegal, back alley abortions…. we will see!

Thank-You Seth Moulton for fighting for Women and ALL Marginalized groups

I ran into Congressman Moulton’s aide, Matt Chilliak. I really appreciate that our Congressman is loud, vocal and consistent in his support for Women’s Rights, including rights to Reproductive care. In fact, he recognizes that when the government chips away at women’s rights, next comes Jews, GLBTQ, people of color….

https://archive.ontheissues.org/2020/Seth_Moulton_Abortion.htm

https://patch.com/massachusetts/salem/salem-abortion-rights-rally-planned-tuesday-night

Just in case you forgot, our current state representative Jamie Belsito is a former Republican with a history of dissing Democrats…. She primaried against Moulton in 2020 and was endorsed by the Hamilton Wenham Human Rights Coalition led by her good friend Anna ( AKA Voldemort). https://www.facebook.com/groups/419447658432183/posts/1152248031818805

I refuse to support candidates who think its OK to pledge to a 501 (C) (4), political lobby that collects “dark monies” and brings partisan politics into state and municipal elections to push an agenda that does not serve all residents in the district or community. Candidates like Belsito answer to the Coalition and Anna, not Hamilton voters…. I was banned from the Coalition FB page because I dared to state that I did NOT support the Coalition pledging, Anna endorsed candidate-Jamie Belsito. Because of this, I could not support Belsito in the general election and I resigned as chair of the Democratic Town Committee.

The new Chair of the Democratic Town Committee, Nancy Stehfest, is a leader in both the Hamilton Wenham Human Rights Coalition and Hamilton Human Rights Commission and hasn’t said a word about the ongoing attacks against women’s rights in America. The Coalition, Commission and now the Hamilton DTC are made up of Anna cult followers, (as is the members of the Select Board, Board of Health, School Committee and town manager) . They all deny that they are faith based….. However,

1. Select board member Jamie Knudsen and his Coalition leader, wife Katie Knudsen both have affiliations (past employment, volunteer ministries work) with the local Evangelical Gordon College. So do many other members of the Coalition and Commissions.

2. Anna (Voldemort) who is the primary political lobby force and frequent spokes person for both the Coalition and Commission wrote on the Hamilton Wenham Residents page last fall that the Board of Health chair was taking care of the missing Covid test kits designated for Hamilton residents, especially at risk seniors and distributing them. Actually she wrote this BEFORE the Board of Select AND Board of Health even knew where the test kits disappeared to. I wrote extensively about this illegal act. According to the Hamilton Bylaws the town manager is not allowed to remove town property (the test kits). Eventually we learned that the test kits were distributed by FAITH BASED organizations to OTHER towns (Essex, Wenham and Topsfield). Students at Christian colleges got the test kits before vulnerable, seniors citizens who needed them in order to travel during the holidays Read more here….

Followup to Hamilton’s Missing Covid Test Kit

The Connection between Religion, the Coalition and Affordable Housing in Hamilton

First of all, affordable housing is a crisis all over the country and that does not make Hamilton and Wenham “racist” and “classist” as Anna claims. There is only one company offering to build affordable housing in Hamilton and they are faith-based with a religious mission….

Understanding Housing and Development

I support social justice. In fact, I was a proud, early member of the newly created North Shore NAACP… I ended my involvement when I noticed many faith-based events. That was my choice and I continued to support the chapter. However, I was called a “racist” and a “bigot” because the Coalition did not approve of my independent thinking and refusal to become an Anna cult follower.

Conflict of Interest in Hamilton and Wenham

Anna earns her income from selling housing units for the faith-based Harborlight Affordable Housing group. She is also a member of the School Committee with the ability to influence parents into believing that her self-righteous agenda (that earns her income) should rule the town. Naturally, parents want to believe that Anna’s agenda is all about social justice. The truth is Anna is all about power, self-righteousness and earning income while turning what she calls “racist” and “classist” Hamilton into the next Newburyport . She also has the Hamilton Select Board, town manager and Board of Health officials under her influence because they fear her bullying tactics.

Anna is not a scientist nor an expert on sensible, safe and environmentally sound development. Let the science rule where to build! Anna should not bully the residents who care about the impact of high density, traffic, destroying land to build housing far from town center on roads with no sidewalks and making our outrageous taxes even higher….People who voice dissent should not be called “racists”, “bigots” and “TERFS”.

….And what about Religion and Abortion Rights?

Cardinal O’Malley reaffirms Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion in new blog post

According to the Boston Globe, “Boston Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to abortion rights Friday evening in a post on his blog, his first public comments since the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court will vote to end federal protection of abortion rights.”

Many religious people are Pro-Choice and I applaud them for respecting a woman’s bodily autonomy, to make her own decisions about her healthcare. However, there are forces out to turn back the clock to back-alley butchery, and just like in the past this will predominately impact poor women and women of color. In my town of Hamilton, there is a faith-based, cult following a self-righteous individual who thinks that its OK to control an entire town. I agree with most of the Coalition and Commission’s social justice positions. However, I will not tolerate living in a community that refuses to recognize the rights of women and atheists.

HAMILTON deserves better….