Local councillor, a dangerous profession

"Hate mail, anonymous phone calls, and in some cases assaults:" in the Netherlands, a survey conducted by the Dutch daily *Trouw*, which polled 3,373 of the country's 10,000 councillors, reveals that "30% of them have been threatened or physically attacked." In most cases, threats are linked to political decisions that have angered their assailants. With two days to run before local elections, the daily notes that an outraged constituent's "bark is not always worse than his bite." The Green party leader in the town of Wassenaar was badly beaten shortly after he received verbal threats. Local police had told him not to worry. Trouwreports that "75% of councillors who are threatened do not file complaints." They simply ignore the intimidation and get on with their work. As one liberal councillor remarks: "Politics is no game for cowards."