Sarafin apologizes for comments

Letter to the editor

By:
To the editor:
   
Below is my letter of apology to Rosemary Byrne, mother of the Byrne family. The expressions of disappointment over my appointment to the Borough Council by the Byrne family has resulted in a war against me that hinders the conduct of borough business and stresses my fellow council persons by having to listen to the attacks upon my person. It affects them just as much as it affects me.
   It is one thing to be a private citizen and speak at the public forums twice a month and be free to speak one’s thoughts and opinions. You are merely a citizen excising your First Amendment rights. When you become a public official by appointment, the baggage of your past sets you up for retribution by those who oppose everything you have said publicly, privately or have commented on. That is our right in a democracy and will remain so at Borough Council meetings. The comments are citizens’ opinions, not subject to any veracity since free speech is not limited, especially in the case of public officials. There is no action of libel or slander against a public official. That is what you get with the job.
   The Byrne/Conner family is not going to change their opinions of me that they have had over the past 30 years, nor I of their views, actions and comments. I don’t expect them to. However, I do not want the vehicle of their attacks — a hostile remark made in private by me to the Byrne family — to be misinterpreted as an attack against their mother and her family. The Byrne/Conner family has made their feelings known at the public portion of a Borough Council meeting and in the letters to the editor of the local papers as to my qualifications of fitness to be a public official.
   My letter of apology to the Byrnes and their family is below for public dissemination. I have personally extended my apology to Rosemary Byrne as well. She so kindly accepted that apology and we wished each other’s families a happy holiday season with peace on Earth and goodwill to all mankind.

Eugene E. Sarafin
Borough Council member
Hightstown

The following letter, dated Dec. 27, was addressed to Robert and Rosemary Byrne and family.

Dear Bob, Rosemary and Family,
   
I humbly apologize to Mrs. Rosemary Byrne for feeling victimized by my behavior during an incident in September involving her family members. I did not deliberately direct any hostile remarks toward her, and regret that she and her family perceived that I had.
   It is not my intention to escalate a situation that should never have occurred in the first place. In the spirit of cooperation, I hope we can put that unfortunate history behind us and begin the pressing work of improving the borough of Hightstown with all of our citizens’ participation.

Very sincerely,
Eugene E. Sarafin