A Letter to Congressman Josh Gottheimer from Mahwah Resident John Roth

Letter to Congressman Josh Gottheimer from Mawah Resident John Roth

August 20, 2017

Dear Representative Gottheimer,

I am writing you as a constituent resident of Mahwah Township who is deeply troubled by your alleged comments equating purported hatred in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River with the horrendously tragic recent events in Charlottesville, VA. Your reported commentary further alleged rampant anti-Semitism by our residents and governing body.

Allow me to clarify a few things for you as I believe I can speak knowledgeably about Mahwah as a 24 year resident having served on the Town Council for 12 years, four years as President, The Board of Education for 5 years and the Planning Board for 2 years.

Our Township has almost ten thousand households with close to thirty thousand residents with a broad and deep cultural fabric consisting of many different religious persuasions and beliefs. Our religious diversity is evidenced by the many different houses of worship that have existed peacefully and harmoniously for decades. This spectrum includes a Hindu Temple, Christian Churches of many denominations and multiple Jewish Synagogues.

The harmony of cultures, religions and socioeconomic diversity in our community is preserved by our fundamental belief in the rule of law. Law that applies equally to all and that is enacted by our duly elected representatives. As a Federal Legislator, this is a concept I know you are familiar with.

Your alleged comments to the reporter Elizabeth Kratz equating our community’s enforcement of existing ordinances to Charlottesville events and anti-Semitism and pervasive hatred are, if accurate, patently mis-informed and incorrect.

I would hope that you would immediately disassociate yourself from such remarks and publicly assure the residents of Mahwah that you were mis-quoted or mis-represented.

If the remarks were accurate, then your perspective and knowledge base of Mahwah needs an adjustment. Your source of input needs to be expanded beyond the commentary made predominately on social media by out of state parties and or press reports of vandalism by a few misguided individuals who in no way represent our Township or its residents. To that end, I would extend a personal invitation to visit our community. While I have no official standing I would be happy to make the arrangements with the appropriate parties. A walk through of our High School would be abundantly informative. If this request is too extraordinary, then, at minimum, an apology to our Township appears in order.

I look forward to hearing from you.

John F. Roth

57 Armour Road, Mahwah NJ 07430