United States terrorist Timothy McVeigh used the term “collateral damage” to describe the deaths of 19 children in the Oklahoma City federal building bombing he orchestrated over 16 years ago. I have been thinking a lot about collateral damage lately. Members of our community have become victims. I don’t care if you are for or against something and quite frankly it is none of my business, but when you personally attack a person who is speaking from her heart, I feel that is collateral damage. When you verbally attack a committee member who is shopping, doing business or enjoying a day with family for their VOLUNTEER work that is collateral damage.
The funny thing about the people who feel it is okay to phone a councillor at home on Sunday morning to rant or okay to show up at someone’s house uninvited is that those who usually do this don’t have a clue what they are talking about. They are thoughtless and self-absorbed. I would never show up at someone’s house on their time off and demand that they talk with me when I hardly know them.
This is what has been happening in our community lately. People have been spoken to in a completely condescending manner for their opinion. Committee members have been accused of all sorts of things with completely fabricated callousness.
Collateral damage is usually thought of as unavoidable damage, but to me all of this was avoidable. A difference of opinion is no reason to lie, attack, insinuate, hurt, ignore or blame. The worst will stop at nothing to win.
Oprah Winfrey has a saying she uses a lot. “When someone shows you who they really are believe them the first time.” I believe and I don’t forget. Every week someone has shown our community their true colours. The ones who only help when there is something in it for them. The ones who are above really pitching in to help. The ones who attack with callous cruelty. The ones who think they are above the election laws of our country. The ones who think they deserve what they want because their family has been here longer than someone elses. The CAVE people (citizens against virtually everything)-you have all been tagged.
Those in the community who held their heads up high and with dignity - you have made me proud. You are my friends, and a big part of why our community is what it is. You are why we won GamesTown. You were the stories we uploaded. Your faces, your fortitude, your grace and your kindness are in those stories. Thank-you for rising to the surface and showing us that we can believe who you are is real and sincere. You are the real Princeton...the Princeton we love...the Princeton we call home and I will help anyone of you anytime to make our community better.