On Sept. 3, I attended a house party for Mitt Romney in Ashland. While standing quietly waiting for Romney to appear, a gentleman approached me and said if I started any trouble I would be thrown out of the event.

He stated that although the event was open to the public, it was still private property and I could be asked to leave at any point. He reiterated I would be tossed out because my "kind" weren't welcome at such an event.

I am an independent voter who was wearing a pair of jeans and a gray Bedford, Mass., sweatshirt to show my hometown pride. I was offended this gentleman would make such a blanket assumption about me. When I asked where he got the idea I would cause trouble, he stated it was his "intuition." He said he would keep his eye on me. All the while, he used his 6-foot frame to intimidate my 5-foot-4-inch body.

Gov. Romney arrived and introduced the woman who owned the home. He then introduced the grandson of the homeowner, the man running his New Hampshire campaign, the very same man who attempted to bully me into silence.

Gov. Romney should know this is how members of his staff are representing his campaign. I was causing no trouble. Rather, I was standing on the grass, quietly waiting for Gov. Romney to exit the beautiful Ashland home so I could ask a question about something I really care about: nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. To be singled out for no reason by Gov. Romney's staff was inappropriate and rude.

MICHELLE CUNHA

Hill