Copyright Hartford Courant
I read Gary Franks’ column, “In every banana republic you need enablers,” published Oct. 26. The tone and approach of the piece surprised me, because it didn’t resemble the Gary Franks I remember from Waterbury. It relied more on directing the reader toward an emotional conclusion than presenting a reasoned argument. It felt less like a neighbor speaking with neighbors and more like a lecture delivered from above. That’s not how Waterbury raised us. Waterbury earned the name “The Brass City” because its mills, foundries, factories, and machine shops once powered the region. People worked with their hands, punched timecards, and provided for their families through effort, not shortcuts. Respect here was not automatic. It was earned daily, by how you lived, worked, and treated others. Gary played basketball for Sacred Heart High School. I ran track for Kaynor Tech. Different schools, different sports, same city. And in that city, it didn’t matter how talented you were, you had to prove it, every day. Nobody got to talk down to anybody else. Which is why the tone of Gary’s column felt distant. It didn’t speak from Waterbury experience. It spoke at the reader instead of to the reader. His column labeled President Trump as behaving like a king, but it did not support that claim. There were no specific examples, no policy decisions, no demonstrated refusal of accountability. The conclusion was stated, but not earned. Strong arguments don’t rely on assumption. Logic dictates that if someone is going to accuse another of behaving like royalty, they must point to the behavior itself, not simply assert the label. Whether someone likes Donald Trump’s communication style or not, his work ethic is widely documented. He routinely puts in 18-hour days. He travels constantly. He speaks directly to workers, police officers, first responders, families, and local communities. He answers questions without cue cards or rehearsed scripts. His own staff has said they struggle to keep up with his pace. That is not how a king behaves. Kings rule from distance. Presidents show up. A person may debate Trump’s policies, but the effort is not in question. And this is where the disappointment in Gary’s column stands out. Gary has the background, experience, and education to make a strong, well-supported argument. He knows how to build a case. He has defended difficult positions before – clearly and thoughtfully. I’ve seen him write with fairness and clarity. Which is why I don’t know what changed in his perspective over the years. The voice in this column didn’t sound like the Waterbury we came from – the one that values straight talk, clear reasoning, and respect. People from Waterbury don’t respond to correction. We respond to conversation, honesty, and logic. Waterbury never rewarded distance. It rewarded memory. We both came from a place where respect was earned, where arguments were made with clarity, where people listened not because they were told to, but because the reasoning was sound. I hope that, going forward, we both continue to write in a way that honors that city – speaking with people, not at them. Arturo Rodriguez, of Newington is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran and retired Connecticut state social worker, and former track coach.
