People lacking in critical thinking skills say stupid things, like "If you don't like it here, you should move."
September 12, 2005 Ethics complaint pending against NANCY SIKES-KLINE by Thomas F. Reynolds, Jr. re: her alleged lawbreaking using "lifeisgood" nom de guerre: read it here.
Some people may think the owners and controllers of St. Johns County "hung the moon."
They evidently lack critical thinking skills.
They are known to say stupid stuff, like "If you don't like it here, you should move."
That's the same line racists, reactionaries and union-busters have used for centuries.
Laugh at them.
Forgive them.
Pray for them.
Don't take them seriously: they are unAmerican.
Letter: Pretty little town, petty little politics
Pretty little town, petty little politics
Posted: November 7, 2015 - 5:59pm | Updated: November 8, 2015 - 12:03am
By Georgia Garrett*
Pretty little town, petty little politics
Editor: I read with great interest Steve Cottrell’s column,” Consider a run at public office?” I’ve read several things written by him in The Record. His writings always seem logical and well thought-out.
I have been a permanent resident of St. Augustine for 15 years. Prior to St. Augustine I lived 30 years in Indianapolis, Indiana. Prior to that I lived in Columbus, Georgia. In each of my previous residences I have always been interested and sometimes involved in the politics of the city. Never, even in the most bitterly contested elections, have I ever seen the likes of what I am witnessing in St. Augustine.
My life has been conservative and respectable. Despite that, lifestyle there are things I wouldn’t want broadcast publicly. They are private matters. I wouldn’t even think about running for public office with the climate that exist in St. Augustine. I know for a fact that our elected officials are confronted in social situations and on the street with nasty comments and accusations. The nastiness is published in forums that don’t allow for defense of one’s reputation.
The last election in St. Augustine was the most vindictive and nasty I have ever experienced. I thought that, with the election being over, life in this little Southern town would return to normal. Unfortunately, the vindictiveness that was pervasive has continued.
I am seriously concerned we will no have honorable candidates willing to seek public office. I know of no one who’s skin is thick enough to be able to ignore the hateful barbs or see their reputation dragged through the mud by political opponents and their supporters.
Is there any way there can be respectful disagreement on policy and issues? Can St. Augustine politics ever return to the time of gentility? Is there any way candidates can forget their own personal agendas and merely wish to serve to improve our city? It hasn’t always been this way. How long will this continue and how can it be stopped?
* Our St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections and Totally St. Augustine and The St. Augustine Record websites record that Georgia Garrett is a generous contributor to the 2014 campaign of ex-Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR., a/k/a "JOE BOLES", listing her occupation as "Community volunteer," and that she is one of the "Local celebrities [to] include two former mayors and one current county commissioner" performing in the 2014 production of The Nutcracker and that she is a socialite, Yacht Club member and also a past campaign contributor to perennially unsuccessful, pestilential St. Johns County Commission candidate Randy Brunson (R-St. Johns County Sheriff's Department PSA), former Yacht Club Commodore
lifeisgood 11/08/15 - 10:48 am 73couldn't agree more
I agree. I have lived in many (sic) places and have also never witnessed the level and intensity of disrespect (sic) that is shown here, not only towards our elected officials, but our public employees as well. Photoshopping unflattering pictures, making up crude and disrespectful "nick-names", trying to create (sic) some sort of false (sic) sense that their nonsense (sic) is what the "real" talk of the town (county, whatever....) is, is all, well, pretty (s9c) pathetic (sic). Seriously, what kind of adult spends time carefully searching for crude pics to crop and then add a public official's head to? at what point during this, I imagine, somewhat time consuming process, does something not kick in where you ask yourself, "geez, what the heck am I doing???" We currently have plenty of awesome and dedicated people out there who care very much about their community, who are working hard to make it a better place. They aren't trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. They aren't stealing. They aren't corrupt. They aren't orchestrating ways in which they can cheat everyone. They aren't banning (sic) together behind closed doors. I think part of the solution (sic) is is to reach out to them and let them know how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication. Let them know that you don't buy into what the haters (sic) and wannabes (sic) may be saying...also remind them that those people are in the minority (sic), and that the majority (sic) of people that (sic) live in our beautiful county are really quite positive, thoughtful and considerate.
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