Open letter to the RTM submitted by Family Council of The Nathaniel Witherell (TNW)
Dear Members of the RTM,
Earlier last week, The Family Council of the Nathaniel Witherell announced it had gathered 493 signatures on a petition in opposition to two candidate nominations for its Board.
This message hopes to provide you a better depth of understanding into one candidate, Dr. Michael Goldstein, whose nomination you will be voting on next week. Dr. Goldstein is an ophthalmologist who specializes in eye and vision care and has no requisite financial experience. The latter is important considering the challenges TNW faces. The Family Council at TNW expressed concerns about Dr. Goldstein’s position on Covid vaccines and because he is also inclined toward privatizing management at TNW. It is also troubling that at an RTM District meeting this week, Dr. Goldstein admitted to not even having visited TNW recently.
Dr. Goldstein is also very active on social media. Below are some of his posts, which show a disturbing tendency to promote conspiracy theories and misinformation, particularly from far-right news sources. Some of these posts are offensive, but all of them call into question Michael Goldstein’s fitness for the very important position of being a board member at The Nathaniel Witherell.
Please take the time to review these examples as you deliberate his candidacy. Is Michael Goldstein the most qualified person Greenwich could find to fill such an important position at one of our most beloved community institutions? His personal social media activity suggests he is not. It is noteworthy that several other, qualified candidates were bypassed in favor of Michael Goldstein. I think in light of his opinions as expressed below, one has to wonder why.
Thank you for your time, effort and patience. Please review the examples below before you make your decision. These are just a few of the posts on Michael Goldstein’s social media pages.
ITEM 1 – Posted on 8/26/23
A link to the far-right media source “Live From America” in which the host refers to former First Lady Michele Obama as “Michael” Obama. It is a common trope amongst some far-right media sources that Michele Obama was originally a man. Pls click the link.
ITEM 2) – Posted on 8/10/23
Titled “Want really happened on Jan. 6” – this Tucker Carlson interview support conspiracy theories as to who was behind the January 6th events at the Capitol.
ITEM 3) – Posted on 8/6/23
The introduction to this post written entirely by Michael Goldstein. He implies that then Vice President Mike Pence was “filled with illusions of grandeur” when he refused to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes and certified the results of the 2020 election.
ITEM 4) Posted on 8/5/23
Once again defending former President Trump on his actions on January 6th, 2021.
ITEM 5) Posted on 9/11/21
On the topic of 9/11. On the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Michael Goldstein posted this conspiracy theory about then WTC owner Larry Silverstein, implying he knew in advance about the attacks.
ITEM 6) Posted 12/10/20
A Covid conspiracy theory that Dr. Anthony Fauci knew masks would kill people and insisted they wear them anyway.
ITEM 7) Posted on 12/7/20
This one is self explanatory.
ITEM 8) From 5/14
This is the Greenwich Patriots endorsement of Michael Goldstein’s candidacy for US House of Representatives. In it they state “We know many of you feel it’s important for more physicians to get elected to US Congress, especially in light of the medical freedom abuses committed in the name of covid, including the continued use of mandates to maintain control over people, as well as the lack of validity given to natural immunity and science.” Michael Goldstein represented the anti-vaccine alternative the Greenwich Patriots were looking for.
