The North Plainfield Borough Council has unanimously voted “yes” to an ordinance that would rezone the property at Villa Maria from R-2 residential to R-9 Age Restricted Condos. ARC zoning is about 10 years past it’s prime, and a bill recently went through the Senate and Assembly that would allow age-restrictions to be lifted by builders who claim hardship, but nonetheless, they voted “yes.”
I knew, of course, that the ordinance would be passed. But I expected at least a couple of “no” votes. I was really taken by surprise. I am floored. I am stunned. I am speechless. These people ought to be ashamed of themselves. That includes our Mayor, Mr. Giordano, who hasn’t the gumption to make a decision on his own. It is obvious that our Mayor and Council allow themselves to be led by the nose by a town attorney who has no regard for North Plainfield whatsoever. Think about that. They respect Mr. Bernstein more than they respect the people they are supposed to represent. Looks like they respect the Villa Maria developer even more. They must be omnipotent. They seem to know what’s best for North Plainfield better than any one else who lives here. Even though residents pleaded with them and asked them to think twice before making the biggest blunder North Plainfield will ever encounter, it didn’t matter. People poured their hearts out, but the Mayor and Council didn’t even pretend to care what the citizens of North Plainfield had to say. This was a done deal, long before last night. No listening, no pondering, no discussion. In spite of every good reason not to rezone, they went ahead and voted “yes.” Mrs. Forbes barely got the word out. The hearing was held because it was required by law. The players were only there because they HAD to be. I observed our Council and Mayor daydreaming, twiddling their fingers, eating candy, whispering to each other, laughing and looking at Mr.Bernstein as he reassured them with signals not to worry. What does this say about the character of the people who represent North Plainfield? Not very much in my mind. Any respect I had for them went out the window on June 8, 2009. I have never in my life enountered such a group of hypocrites.
I would have thought that Mr. Merrill, with school aged children, would have taken his own kids future into consideration when making his decision. With the new bill that the Senate passed, Age Restriction will surely be lifted, and the schools will become increasingly overcrowded. Will you be sending your children to private schools Mr. Merrill? I hope you can afford it.
I would have thought that Mr. Hitchcock (aka, The tree man), would have thought twice about destroying all those beautiful healthy trees. Especially our NJ champion white pine. Why be on a tree committee if you don’t care about killing healthy trees, Mr. Hitchcock?
I would have thought that Mrs. Forbes, who claims to be such an expert on Historic Preservation and supposedly cares so much about it, would have taken into consideration the history of a building that dates back to 1876. Why bother discussing Historic Preservation when you just helped us lose a huge chunk of our towns history, Mrs. Forbes?
I would have thought that Mr. Singleterry, who wants to be a County Freeholder (you know, the people who advocate for open space), would consider the fact that our last parcel of open space will be forever lost. Why are you running for County Freeholder when you don’t even care about losing your own towns last parcel of open space, Mr. Singleterry?
I would have thought that Mr. LaRonde, the man who supposedly believes in the will of the people, would have had the guts to stand up and vote no upon hearing the testimony of so many who are against this. Why pretend that you are there for the will of the people, Mr. LaRonde, when you are in fact doing the will of the Mayor and Council?
I would have thought that Mr. Righetti, a long time resident of North Plainfield, a senior citizen and a member of the Planning Board, would have taken into consideration that most seniors cannot afford such housing, and that the age restriction will surely be lifted. Why are you even on the Planning Board if you don’t care about our town’s Master Plan, Mr. Righetti?
I would have thought that Mr. Stabile, who has lived in North Plainfield all his life and claims how much he cares about the town, would have considered all the negative ramifications that this development will bring. He lives in an apartment, so he doesn’t have to worry about selling his home when he wants to bail out. Do you plan on staying here, Mr. Stabile? And by the way, yes, it is personal.
Oh, I forgot. They don’t have to answer questions.
26 responses so far ↓
Barbara Habeeb // June 10, 2009 at 12:08 pm |
I’d like to add one more thing.
Thomas Jefferson once said “It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.”
Greg Hatala // June 10, 2009 at 2:45 pm |
I wasn’t able to attend the meeting, but in listening to the recording, I would have liked to ask one question.
NOT of a councilperson or the mayor who are unpaid volunteers who ran for office, but instead of Eric Bernstein, who is a PAID employee of the borough (consultant, retainee, whatever term you want to use, he draws his fee from the borough). The room full of people there PAY the six-figures he takes annually from North Plainfield.
I don’t believe there’s any Robert’s Rule that says HE doesn’t have to answer questions posed to him, and I’d THINK that he was in some way answerable to the people who pay him all that money – US, the taxpayers. So I’ll ask it here instead:
Will you go on record, Mr. Benrstein, as stating that you have had no previous dealings of any kind with Mr. McNerney? Because if you HAVE had any dealings with him in the past that couldn’t be classified as “adversarial,” it would be obvious to even the greenest students of law or government that you should have recused yourself from ANY of the borough’s dealings with the developer and, if you chose not to, should have been REMOVED from participation in those dealings.
Will you go on record as saying you’ve never worked with, for or in concert with Mr. Mcnerney at any time in the past, Mr. Bernstein? It’s a fair question — and VERY pertinent to this topic.
I won’t hold my breath waiting for as response. Apparently, you get paid even if you work AGAINST the will of the people who fund your fees. So the issue kicks over to the mayor and council — WHY do we do pretty much anything Eric Bernstein advocates? Isn’t this the guy who threatened to pursue legal fees against a resident? How much of the tax penalties McNerney owed or owes has he “pursued?”
THIS is the guy who’s supposed to be working in OUR (the residents’) best interests?
Norman E. Ortega // June 10, 2009 at 8:45 pm |
I felt like this once. The Hispanic Affairs Commission was rejected based on the word of one person, Laly Kuga ordered by the new democrats in Plainfield. I asked for support, no one with the exception of POP, People Organization for Progress answered the call. Ms. Habeeb, I would have loved to support your cause specially since you took the time to email me and ask. Yet, to get support one must give support. Let me know when you are truly ready to work together.
Morgansh // June 11, 2009 at 1:31 am |
“I’d like to add one more thing.
Thomas Jefferson once said “It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.””
it did, when these people were voted into office.
unfortunate, but true.
Morgansh // June 11, 2009 at 5:56 pm |
“I felt like this once. The Hispanic Affairs Commission was rejected based on the word of one person, Laly Kuga ordered by the new democrats in Plainfield. I asked for support, no one with the exception of POP, People Organization for Progress answered the call. Ms. Habeeb, I would have loved to support your cause specially since you took the time to email me and ask. Yet, to get support one must give support. Let me know when you are truly ready to work together.”
That’s one of the least productive things I’ve ever read: “you didn’t support my good cause so I wont support yours! nyah nyah nyah!”
now neither one of you has won. we all lost. good work.
ugh.
Barbara Habeeb // June 11, 2009 at 10:37 pm |
Morgansh:
I don’t know what “support” Mr. Ortega is talking about. I was never asked by him or anyone else for that matter, to support any specific cause. I never even met Mr. Ortega. I just sent out e-mails to people on my e- list informing them of the hearing.
So, I don’t think it’s a case of “you didn’t support me so won’t support you,” cause I honestly don’t know what support he is talking about.
Support or no support, yep we all lost. That Villa Maria decision will adversely affect everyone in town regardless of their ethnic background, skin color, gender, age etc. But it wouldn’t have mattered if every citizen in town showed up for that meeting, because their minds were made up long before June 8.
Norman E. Ortega // June 12, 2009 at 6:57 am |
But we did win something. At least we won the understanding that sometimes we can’t do it alone and sometimes, we have to compromise.
But then again, not everyone is capable of learning. Now this is not even counterproductive. Its unproductive.
Norman E. Ortega // June 13, 2009 at 11:03 am |
Ms. Habeeb;
The council’s minds made have been made up before June 8th. However, this issue is not new. This issue has been raging along political lines since the nuns decided to sell.
Part of the reason Democrats were not receptive to your group’s idea it was because of that. In their position, I would have done the same. The level of political attacks against them by NPCCR and Republicans could be felt everywhere in the borough. After the election it has subsided, but the animosity and the attacks continue to be there.
It may not have mattered, but a coalition of people from both sides of the isle may have been more effective. Since this was not the case, Stabile and the rest of the council had the justification to dismiss any of your ideas and opinions- after all, you and NPCCR are Republicans and Republicans were not elected, a clear rejection of Republicans ideas from voters.
Now, the only force in North Plainfield that has not been felt yet is the Latino force. Latinos are mostly democrats, however, we can tell what is beneficial and what is not. In my case, I would love to have Villa Maria as open space- perhaps a park like you suggested. Joining you, however, would go against everything I am fighting against. You see, Republicans and NPCCR member do not welcome Latinos and as much as the evidence suggest, without them, the Party and NPCCR are not going anywhere. This is because in this small Borough, the lines are defined- Democrats and Republicans – we know who they are. Without new voters Republicans do not have a chance.
Latinos on the other hand are up of grabs. Yes, they are mostly Democrats, but at this time Democrats are only offering sympathy- as one citizen said to me, “the mayor likes us” without knowing that, yes they like us as long as they don’t have to relinquish power or share it. Republicans are so much blinded by xenophobia and at some point hate that they are willing to forgo their future in this Borough. I am willing to sit and discuss what can we do to change that.
npadministrator // June 13, 2009 at 2:13 pm |
While I agree with some of the sentiments in Mr. Ortega’s comment, I will say that there are not ONLY old-school Republican’s (although those are the majority of the small group that controls NPCCR as a whole). The group DOES comprise other people who are NOT Republican as well as those that ARE Republican, but for whom party is non-issue. The bigger problem is that they do not steer or have final say in what NPCCR does. That’s ultimately in the control of the small number of founding members.
And that being said, I think it’s kind of unfair to attack Ms. Habeeb personally for the actions of an entire group that she doesn’t personally run or control; and whom to my knowledge (which admittedly may have missed something) did not personally shut out the Latino community from any efforts. To that end, no one person runs or controls NPCCR although the small group in control IS remarkably like the group they are pitted against in terms of keeping control in the hands of a small group of cronies such that even Katherine Watt was astounded.
Norman E. Ortega // June 13, 2009 at 7:34 pm |
Admin- I am not attacking Habeeb. My apologies if it was understood that way. At this time, Habeeb is the face of the Republican party in the Borough. This is a good thing. I personally believe she is capable of bringing about change within the ranks. I can only hope that this is the case.
Morgansh // June 14, 2009 at 12:17 pm |
this is exactly why nothing will change. each group refuses to get involved in any issue, (no matter how it would benefit them), unless they receive recognition for their issue. Its not about getting things done for you, its about receiving validation. You want recognition? you want to be seen as a force in the political arena? dont wait for someone else to validate you, get out and get something done! then people will see that your group is a force that needs to be courted and backed.
Morgansh // June 14, 2009 at 12:20 pm |
I use your own words to prove my point, “Now, the only force in North Plainfield that has not been felt yet is the Latino force.”
not much of a force if they havent been felt.
ignoring issues that would benefit you because your particular issue hasnt been addressed is counter productive. it makes your group seem only to be interested in their own part of the community and unwilling to participate in the community as a whole.
Greg Hatala // June 16, 2009 at 2:09 pm |
“The level of political attacks against them (democrats) by NPCCR and Republicans could be felt everywhere in the borough”
Oh my gosh, this is such a TIRED argument-slash-commentary that it really should be laughed out of the public forum whenever it appears.
Each and every time the democrats in this town run for office, they participate in mudslinging politics, personal attacks and all that is protrayed as “bad” — and no one seems to mind or, at least, have the guts to ‘cross the aisle’ and point it out. People who say they deplore it when they claim to see/hear it from the GOP suddenly lose their ability to communicate when it’s right in front of them. I’ve lived here for nearly 20 years, and CLEARLY recall the filthy attacks that were made against Mayor Haggerty and GOP councilpeople to defeat them, much of it by people who STILL hold political power and sway in this town. All was fair then — now, it’s disgusting. The only difference is who does it.
No matter what the Mr. Ortegas of the world pass off as ‘fact,’ the simple truth is that we, as people of North Plainfield, black, white, hispanic, asian, whatever, really DON’T have any representation in local government. All of you who happily voted down the party line in November, I believe, REALLY owe me and everyone else an explanation as to how things are now BETTER than they would have been had some NEW people been allowed to hold the reins for a while.
Unfortunately, the real reason they lost appears to be that some people who portray themselves as “diverse” and “open” are some of the MOST prejudiced — don’t let a Republican in! You know how “they” are!
Tell me, how could “they” have been any WORSE?
Norman E. Ortega // June 16, 2009 at 5:33 pm |
As far as the mudslinging goes, Mr. Hatala, no one needs to take my word. I urge everyone not to. What I urge is took look at the past articles on this blog for the evidence.
“how things are now BETTER than they would have been had some NEW people been allowed to hold the reins for a while.”
Much better now- The rhetoric against Hispanics has continued from Republicans. But since they are out of power, we need not to worry. Arpio is under investigation, the raids have ceased and no one is promulgating the overcrowding, don’t want to learn English, don’t pay taxes, don’t want to assimilate, a burden on the system myths.
Though we are not out of danger yet. The following was written on the North Plainfield Forum today,
by donquixote09, 6/16/09 7:52 ET
” I tried this nice little bar called The Top Shelf on Somerset. Seems the mayor was in there and some nice people from NP. They call it Fort Apache because it seems to be the last American stronghold in the area.”
I dont know about you, but by this commentator’s line of thinking, some of you are at war with us. Lets just hope this is just that, a line of thinking- it would be devastating if another Von Brunn would appear here or anywhere in the world.
Bleeding Heart // June 16, 2009 at 10:54 pm |
Although its unfortunate that there may be a very small minority of old white Americans that like to dis the immigrants, I think it is much more unfortunate that minorities feel the need to attack back at the expense of everyone. We all live in the same town and should fight for whats right, not what is supposedly on what side of the republican/democratic line.
Greg Hatala // June 17, 2009 at 6:43 am |
Yeah, I saw the post on the other forum. Listen, let me ask again, I’ll phrase it differently. ONE person makes a comment you disagree with, so you transpose that to EVERYONE in North Plainfield — how prejudiced is that? Certainly smacks of that “you know how they are” thinking you allegedly abhor … but only if it’s directed at you. Directing at at republicans is fun and enjoyable.
I asked a simple question — perhaps I should have said how things are better for EVERYONE and not just your special interests, Mr. Ortega. “Arpio is under investigation” — I have no idea how that applies to me, an overburdened taxpayer in North Plainfield. “the raids have ceased” — WHAT raids? Perhaps you forget (you DO read that other forum) that I was getting “raided” with bogus zoning violations; I guess that doesn’t matter to you because I’m not Hispanic, Mr. Ortega? “and no one is promulgating the overcrowding, don’t want to learn English, don’t pay taxes, don’t want to assimilate, a burden on the system myths” — so that’s all that\’s important, huh? Developer doesn’t pay taxes, ordinances and laws get bent and reshaped at the orders of a lawyer whose salary WE pay, etc. etc. — and all that matters is that stuff?
I’ll ask the question again, but could someone who’s NOT focused solely on his own race (but if I call him a racist, I’ll probably get banned from this blog). You know, someone who voted democrat other than Mr. Ortega.
Norman E. Ortega // June 17, 2009 at 1:24 pm |
“I think it is much more unfortunate that minorities feel the need to attack back at the expense of everyone.”
What I think its unfortunate is that we have to endure these attacks while the rest, instead of repudiating these attacks- just stay quiet and complain about been attacked themselves.
Norman E. Ortega // June 17, 2009 at 1:34 pm |
Hatala;
One thing I have not heard from you or anyone in these forum for that matter is- The people who are attacking other minorities are not right and it should not be condoned. I never read a repudiation of these attacks. All I hear is complaining, its not me, its not me. Its them.
Perhaps when and if you and the rest express yourselves clearly on this issue we can move on.
No, none of those issues affect you. Have you noticed all the Hispanics that have been attacked in North Plainfield and Plainfield? 27 in the past two years and all racially motivated? No, this does not affect you. All these negative rhetoric against Hispanics affects us. Do you know that because of these myths and these attacks the FBI uniform crime report registered and 36% of violent attacks against Hispanics? Those statistics shows a direct connection from xenophobic rhetoric and the 27 attacks here in North Plainfield and Plainfield.
What you are enduring in annoyance is nothing compared to what Hispanics are suffering out there.
morganmarathon // June 17, 2009 at 3:57 pm |
i find mr. ortega’s generalizations about republicans disturbing and ironic.
also, his picking out of quotes from the forums is specious. it is easy to find such quotes because the very few who feel that way are also usually the most vocal on anonymous forums. people who have a more normal moral compass dont feel the need to go on forums and proclaim it.
To use such quotes as an example of the whole is like saying the loudest instrument comprises the entire orchestra.
you see a person write something like that and because it suits your agenda as a victim, you then hold it up as an example of the whole.
again I say, stop playing the helpless victim, and be proactive.
I do not deny that there are elements of racism and xenophobia within both parties. I heard it myself at a recent event. these people are ignorant and should be ignored.
To, instead, play the helpless victim being held down by these ugly people is counter productive and and excuse to not do anything yourself.
Norman E. Ortega // June 17, 2009 at 9:11 pm |
The victim? Morgan, I just reread the discussion from the beginning- and I found the following victims:
“I have no idea how that applies to me, an overburdened taxpayer in North Plainfield.”
“I think it’s kind of unfair to attack Ms. Habeeb personally for the actions of an entire group that she doesn’t personally run or control”
“I think it is much more unfortunate that minorities feel the need to attack back at the expense of everyone. ”
“But I expected at least a couple of “no” votes. I was really taken by surprise. I am floored. I am stunned. I am speechless. These people ought to be ashamed of themselves.”
And yes, we are doing what we need to do. We are not waiting for anyone to change things, we are changing them ourselves. I will continue to work with the organizations I work with. I will continue to promulgate the importance of the Minority Commission. I will continue to call out on xenophobics and racists. I will continue the discussion until the end and I will continue to work in this community until well, the bashing and the animosities ends.
No, we are not victims, but refuting the attacks against us the as the attackers do, will only hurt our cause. What we are doing is educating people- check us out latinoutreach.com angelsaction.org elcentronj.org. And there are other projects pending.
At this point we are working on creating a forum on race relations. I will let you know when it would take place though I doubt there will be any participation.
[editor's note: This post was delayed because it landed in the spam file--which is not monitored with the same consistency as the regular "pending comments" file]
Norman E. Ortega // June 17, 2009 at 9:33 pm |
As far as the generalizations of Republicans- do not feel bad. Though we know there are good Republicans in support of diversity, the majority do not. And those who do not, just keeps silence against the majority. That is the deal. Let us bring it local- Habeeb says she is not anti immigrant. She loves diversity and to her, everyone is equal. The issues affect everyone regardless of race. She wrote it and she said to me personally. I know she does not need this, but I believe in her good intentions now and then. I voted for her. However, how do I separate her from her party? I know she has good intentions and I know she would be a great asset to our local government, but what assures me that once she is in power, Republican would not be twisting her arm to make the decisions that affect people like me negatively?
You think is just me experiencing this. Think again. This is the main reason why the GOP is becoming a southern white male party. People are flying away from the Party. They can’t tolerate the xenophobia and hard-line anymore. As the immigrant population grows, unless they change their ways and they stop fearing, younger people will be staying away. Good people like Habeeb, would be left on the sideway.
npadministrator // June 17, 2009 at 10:05 pm |
I think, Mr. Ortega, that you are doing exactly what everyone else is doing: condemning an entire group of people identifiable by one unifying characteristic based on the actions of a subset. Similar arguments can be made against Democrats, Catholics, whites, low-income, high-income, etc., etc., etc.
As it has been said on here before by other posters: you can opt to join forces with people who want to or you can choose to separate from them based on your idea of what they think.
I, for one, am confused: do you feel Ms. Habeeb is a good person or a bad one? Because at the beginning of this, you appeared to think she was just another ignorant politician whereas here you appear to think she means well. Very confusing.
morganmarathon // June 18, 2009 at 12:33 am |
“Though we know there are good Republicans in support of diversity, the majority do not. ”
substitute Hispanic for Republican in your sentence and you will see that you are no different from those you decry. Your generalizations and stereotypes are just as strong as those you condemn. how ironic.
Greg Hatala // June 18, 2009 at 6:36 am |
(I think it’s telling that while everyone goes out of their way to refer to a poster as “MR. Ortega,” he, for example, fires back “Hatala.” Who died and left you in charge of selective respect, MISTER Ortega?)
Let’s cut the crap, Mr. Ortega, shall we? According to you, there’s this massive hatred and abuse of Hispanics in North Plainfield — and you blatantly blame it on Republicans and, by inference, whites. Post your proof, sir.
Hey, why not come down to a rec. or traveling baseball game one of these days, where a big group of REALLY diverse people interacts, gets along, and ‘unites’ for a common goal – positively cheering on their kids. Something tells me you’d be there keeping track of what you perceived as prejudice and ‘attacks,’ seeing some racism behind every base. Truth be told, I don’t think you WANT to see that kind of interaction … it doesn’t fit your self-pitying view of things.
Hispanics are being attacked in Plainfield and North Plainfield? Well, as far as Plainfield goes, if that’s a big issue, why not RISE UP and publicly decry the people running that town … those first-name politicians who AREN’T Republicans? (Kind of blows your generalizations all to smithereens, doesn’t it?)
And as far as North Plainfield, until you PROVE that republicans of european heritage are going around attacking Hispanics, you’re a hate-monger and nothing more. The KKK used to try to instill fear of groups by making baseless claims about what “everyone knows they do,” and what you’re doing is the exact same thing. No amount of article links or selectively quoted statistics will dispel that. All you’ve managed to do is take decent, concerned people, and hang negative labels on them — WONDERFUL work at ENDING this “xenophobia” you love to bleat about.
Problem is, you show up and divert attention away from the real issues. Unchecked spending, uncollected monies, employees who are paid high salaries and do little or nothing to earn them, and a borough attorney who couldn’t care any less for the people who foot the bill for his pay are issues that affect EVERYONE; and you’re running around here screeching about your phantom issues. All it does is allow yet more time to go by as these things grow worse and worse.
Personally, I could care less about your opinions anymore. Take your name calling and race baiting and unfounded accusations to the tinfoil-hat blogs.
And no one has yet come forward to answer the question I originally asked, either.
Heather DeGeorge, co-editor // June 18, 2009 at 9:10 am |
While I don’t agree that the issues Mr. Ortega cited are false (because I know about the 27 attacks–although only 1 was in North Plainfield and it was near the Plainfield border); I do agree that this back and forth is getting out of hand.
To say that there is a group of people who are racist and/or don’t care about a specific cultural group simply because they are not of the same culture and don’t know the specifics of what affects that culture is a monumental and dangerous leap. Why WOULD you know about it if it doesn’t affect you? There are countless people on this blog who know nothing about what goes on in a North Plainfield first grade classroom… not because they don’t care as much as it doesn’t directly affect them and therefore they just don’t KNOW. There are plenty of people in town who know nothing about what is entailed with caring for a child or person in a wheelchair and how the borough may or may not be conducive to life in a wheelchair… not because they don’t CARE, but because they don’t KNOW. There’s a difference. One is racist/prejudiced (what Mr. Ortega believes based on the lesser percentage of people he has experienced) and one is ignorance (which is a word that has a negative connotation, but in reality–it just means that you don’t have direct experience or exposure to something). And while pointing these things out to them may now make them aware, it doesn’t mean that those issues fall in line with the goals of a group that are trying to tackle issues that affect ALL of the residents as opposed to a subset of residents. And again, it’s not that they don’t CARE, it’s that the objectives have to do with EVERYone instead of SOME.
Mr. Ortega: you’re looking at a group of people who are trying to tackle issues that affect the ENTIRE community–not one subset. If you see this as negligence to the Hispanics and therefore equal to racism, I would suggest that you’re missing the intent of the people on this blog and misreading their actions.
Taxes affect ALL residents of this town.
Elected officials and the gov’t affect ALL residents of this town.
The schools–whether you have kids in them or not–affect ALL residents of this town (as they are the bulk of our tax bill and a dictator of property values).
Villa Maria’s usage and it’s potential impact on traffic, schools, taxes and use of common resources affect ALL residents of this town.
You are upset that this group appears to “neglect” a subset of all of the residents. You equate that with racism simply because racists exist in this town. Correlation does not equal causation.
In fact, this blog has been dealing with EVERYone and you appear to be upset that it is not segregating.
I’m hoping that after reading this, you might see where you may have misunderstood and consider that we might all work together. We ALL have the causes that don’t affect ALL residents that we feel are critical. And some of us feel that these issues SHOULD be the issues for everyone (like whether or not we allow people to cut shade trees down or whether we have community gardens, etc.) but they just aren’t. That doesn’t equate to racism or prejudice.
Certainly people with issues that are less obvious and important to the masses are welcome to advertise their causes here and try to find other like-minded individuals. Certainly it is welcomed to point out when people are overlooking issues that are critical to the community at large.
But to accuse a group of people whose causes are simply different than yours of being racist is not engendering the spirit of community that we are trying to build here.
Again–it’s hopeful that you can read this objectively and see where you might have been wrong about what’s going on; and continue to participate if the causes here are of any interest to you.
And for the record, *I* am NOT a Republican, and never have been.
morganmarathon // June 18, 2009 at 10:22 am |
well said Heather