To the Editor:
The recent wave of farm-stand thefts (Jan. 8, “Chilmark police nab Mermaid farm thief”) is a real tragedy for our intimate Island community. They hurt the farmers who work so hard to provide us with good food and who deserve all the profits they can make, but on a deeper level, these terrible and selfish acts also rob you and me, the general public.
They violate something that is worth more than money — trust. Stealing from the honor system is a theft unlike others, because stolen along with the food and money is the innocence and graciousness that can only be found in small communities like ours. These thefts now deprive all of us of that which was built upon the back of trust — the honor system. The honor system is such a special concept, and has allowed many of us privileges that defy common-sense business practices.
On this small island, there are ways for people in need to get aid. Our community tries to rally for those less fortunate. Attacks on small institutions like farm stands are a crime that mystifies me. It’s like bullying, preying upon the innocence and goodwill of a special and unprotected minority. It’s opportunistic, selfish, and dreadfully wrong, and it affects us all.
Jim Feiner
Chilmark