Al Norman, a Greenfield resident, nationally known as a consultant against Walmart, is in a serious predicament. He fights Walmart on a national basis, yet the majority of residents in his hometown has voted for a discount department store development by a margin of roughly 2:1. Imagine the blow to his reputation in case the project prevails.

What separates immigrants, applying for citizenship, from born Americans is simple: They need to apply for the privilege of American citizenship, and they are undergoing a process during which they have to prove that they are worthy of being an American. They need to know – and understand – the American constitution especially the aspects that make this country so great.

Our local newspaper, the Recorder, serving the people of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, seems to be undergoing a shift toward supporting extreme right-wing views, which includes, but is not limited to the publication of borderline racial slurs.

What caught my attention, though, is what I consider an unbearable level of hypocrisy maintained by the opponents of the “big box store” idea. Their ringleader is the man known as the “sprawl-buster” consultant for those who oppose Walmart nationwide, Mr. Al Norman. (Note: At this time, nobody knows which retail store might come into town, not even the developer of the assigned property, but it might be a Walmart, and this is where the schizophrenia sets in.)

The Greenfield Coalition for a Sustainable Future is a group of Greenfield residents who are interested in supporting growth that is sustainable and beneficial for Greenfield.