Bedford Minuteman
Wednesday, October 15, 2003

Letter: Opponents are not NIMBYs

Is FedEx opposition NIMBY?

At the Oct. 27 special Town Meeting, Bedford will consider whether it should discourage FedEx from flying night-time widebody cargo aircraft out of Hanscom civilian airfield. Are we being elitist or NIMBY (not in my
backyard) by opposing these large FedEx cargo flights?

The term "NIMBY" has been used to criticize the people of Hanscom's abutting communities for a long time, and unjustifiably so. Developers invented this term in order to marginalize those who do not agree with the developers' notion of "progress." The NIMBY argument asserts that those who are most affected by pollution, traffic, and noise are not entitled to say anything against it. How does that make sense? If you buy that argument, the polluter always wins and the people always lose.

Who are the greatest fighters for any cause? Those most affected and those who feel most strongly about the issue. There's nothing shameful in that. We are not saying that it's OK to push the noise and pollution of an airport to someone else's backyard, not ours. As abutters to New England's second busiest airport, Bedford is already taking a huge part of the air traffic burden. We're questioning the need for more and noisier flights in an already crowded airspace.

It is important that our Boston neighbors near Logan Airport know that FedEx Corporation will not be reducing its schedule of flights out of Logan if it initiates service at Hanscom.

Most of us choose to live here because we love the historical and natural sites of the area. We feel a sense of stewardship. Very few areas of the country have such a high concentration of historically and culturally significant sites and symbols. Over a million people -- fellow Americans and international visitors -- visit these communities each year in pursuit of inspiration. We must not let them down.

How will the people of the future assess and value our actions? Will they appreciate more the preservation of the historic resources and atmosphere of this area? Or would they prefer the obliteration of this area and the creation of a second Logan airport?

Why is voting "yes" on Article 12 important? As neighbors of Massport's civilian airport, we are stakeholders who must live with and deal with Massport's decisions. Bedford should work against night-time cargo flights at Hanscom. Town decisions such as this get attention and raise awareness of corporate and elected officials. We must stand up for what is right, otherwise no one else will.

Lori Eggert
Bonnievale Drive

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