The city's firefighters' union sent this along to add its voice to the firestorm surrounding Mayor Art Ward's refusal to let union members wear pink uniform shirts to increase breast cancer awareness this month:
Bristol Firefighters Take Mayor Ward to task for Breast Cancer Awareness Position
After
overruling the Fire Chief on whether the Bristol Fire Department could
join thousands of other firefighters across the country in wearing pink
uniform shirts to increase breast cancer awareness on Thursdays in
October, Mayor Ward stated on Friday that it is the Fire Union who is
making the issue "political.
Mayor Ward recently told reporters
that he believes this is more about his relationship with the Fire Union
and less about Breast Cancer.
This is absolutely correct. However, the only person making THIS ISSUE political and personal is Mayor Ward.
Why
would Mayor Ward respond to a recent letter written by a citizen
criticizing his decision by, in turn, ataicking the Bristol
Firefighters? Answer... Because he chose to make this issue of Breast
Cancer awareness personal. I find it both troubling and somewhat sad
that when a citizen criticized his actions in a letter to the newspaper,
as is her First Amendment right, the Mayor reacts by attacking the Fire
Union.
Mayor Ward writes that he supports breast cancer
awareness, yet he put a stop to the Firefighters wearing awareness
shirts. He also writes "How much more awareness do you need than the
pink ribbons at City Hall". Really Mayor Ward? There can never be enough
Breast Cancer Awareness. This makes no sense to me. Unless of course it
was personal. By taking a meaningful community event and
politicizing it, Mayor Ward has reduced this issue to a political
football.
As Union President, I have one point to make to the
community we serve: the Bristol Firefighters set out on this campaign
with one goal which was to increase breast cancer awareness. When we
were originally told yes by the Fire Chief and then no by the Mayor, we
did not approach the media - we simply asked the Mayor to reconsider
which he refused to do.
At no time did we sensationalize this
issue. Nor did we pack the meeting of the Fire Board last month with
supporters and breast cancer survivors to take the Board to task as many
suggested we do. We worked through the process in hope the that Mayor
Ward would change his stance and allow Bristol to participate along with
most Connecticut fire departments, as well as thousands more throughout
our country.
We will continue our efforts to raise awareness in
honor of our wives, mothers, sisters and friends who have battled this
disease. We apologize to all those affected by this disease and to the
Susan G, Komen Foundation who encouraged us to partner with them that
this important conversation about early detection and mammograms has
gone astray. To date, we have raised several thousand dollars and will
continue to do so throughout the month. I hope the community will join
us in these efforts.
Respectfully,
Sean Lennon, President
Bristol Firefighters
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
