To the editor:

Like many of my neighbors, I received a mailing this week that can only be described as a misleading and insulting piece of junk mail aimed at attacking Senator Cindy Coyne. 

While elections should include a rigorous exchange of ideas and policies, and positions should be thoughtfully debated, this is instead one of the worst examples of right-wing propaganda that we have seen on a state level. Unfortunately, harmful and false accusations have become all too common on our national stage with the hateful rhetoric of our President and national Republican leaders. However, we as Rhode Islanders, should demand better!

This attack ad is funded and crafted by a group known as the Gaspee Project. The attack on Sen. Coyne is only the latest in a series of spurious attacks on Democrats across the state. While the mailer implies that it is produced by those concerned with the needs of “real” or “Kennedy-type” Democrats, nothing could be further from the truth. The Gaspee Project’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed all point to its mission to support corporate special interests and a right-wing agenda of attacking: public education, a woman’s right to choose, the HPV vaccine, net-neutrality, unions, and any attempt to pass gun violence prevention legislation. It should also be noted that, to date, this group has chosen to attack primarily women. 

The board of directors of the Gaspee Project is filled with Republicans who have an agenda to promote and/or an axe to grind. This includes Barrington’s own Giovanni “Gio” Cicione. Mr. Cicione is a local business owner who lost the battle for the District 32 RI Senate seat to Sen. Coyne in 2014. Certainly, this former RI GOP chair and chair of the RI Ted Cruz campaign is not the right person to instruct RI Democrats as to who we should consider a “real” Democrat. 

So let’s set the record straight.

Sen. Cindy Coyne has been a passionate advocate for all Rhode Islanders. Consumer protection is a priority for Sen. Coyne. She sponsored legislation, signed June 14, prohibiting consumer reporting agencies from charging a fee for a credit freeze. Sen. Coyne supports common sense gun legislation. She co-sponsored two pieces of legislation signed into law this year: the ban on bump stocks, and the “red flag” bill that temporarily removes guns from people deemed dangerous by a judge. Sen. Coyne is an advocate both for our seniors and for our youth. She sponsored legislation to create a task force to study the prevalence and impact of elder abuse, and a bill to change the age to legally purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. 

I am saddened that the state of our public discourse has eroded so gravely. Public figures distorting the truth, or outright lying, has been normalized in our national politics. Frequently, groups such as the Gaspee Project hide behind the veil of anonymity to attack with impunity. Rhode Islanders must demand better, by insisting on truthfulness and transparency. Above all, we should be willing to sign our names and disclose our biases when we ask people to hear and believe us.

Pam Lauria

Barrington

Ms. Lauria is Barrington Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman.