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Page 10 Thursday, June 30, 1988 CONCORD (MASS) JOURNAL
OPINION -- David and Goliath
While one shudders to think the federal government would ever hurt a community, the fact is national objectives do not always jibe with local needs.
But this doesn't mean a community's needs should be overlooked or cannot be met. The responsibility for making sure the National Park Service doesn't run roughshod over Concord lies with its citizens. The town must stand up for itself.
Selectmen Jack Clymer's idea for a group of citizens to work with the park service to make sure town concerns are incorporated once the comment phase is over is a meritorious one.
However, this task is only part of the picture.
While public hearings at this phase may help residents vent, Concordians should not be lulled into thinking that simply because they have spoken out means they have been heard. Those experienced in dealing with the National Park Service know the only place where one gets attention is in the political arena.
The work group should become a powerful lobby, impressing upon state and national senators and representatives that the ultimate Minute Man National Historical Park plan must be approved by Concord as well.
Though the park service is a bureaucracy and often appears lumbering, it is a powerful concern, but a highly organized and intelligent town is a formidable opponent.
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