On a recent vote in the Vermont Senate, Addison County’s newly elected Senator Heffernan could not join his peers in condemning the entrapment, arrest, and detainment of Vermont resident Mohsen Mahdawi. Mr. Mahdawi’s wrongdoings, as I understand it, were being a legal resident of the U.S., but just shy of full citizenship, and speaking out against the excessive deaths of Palestinian people. Regardless of one’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Senator Heffernan’s refusal to protect the rights of Vermont residents should be a concern to us all.

Senator Heffernan owes Addison County residents a full and complete explanation for his vote on this matter. Is he aware of other specific acts by Mr. Mahdawi that warranted his detainment? Does he see any distinctions from this case and how Vermont’s migrant workers may be treated by federal authorities? I fully acknowledge the policy and legislative shifts that led Addison County voters to elect Senator Heffernan. I doubt; however, that standing down while our civil rights are threatened was one of them.

Scott Darling

Bridport