Month: January 2008

My response to the mudslingers

Mudslinger

I thought that I would post a response to all of the garbage being said about our city leaders. This is a repost from the comments section on the WacoTrib.com website (click here).

Fellow McGregorites:

Everyone needs to step back, take a deep breath, and calm down. As the mayor has reiterated time after time, no decision has been made. The sheriff is one option. Do you honestly NOT want city leaders that will explore alternatives and do due diligence on all options? Are you satisfied with the status quo? I’m not, and you should not be either. We should all want more for our town. As a fourth generation McGregorite, I want more for this town. When did it become so wrong to investigate all alternatives?

There were many business analogies used at Monday night’s meeting, so let me use one myself. If you ran into a problem that was hurting your business, would you:

(a) continue to do exactly what you’ve done for years
(b) make a change, but do the first thing you thought of without investigating all of the repercussions
(c) listen to everyone’s opinion and then base your decision ONLY on those opinions
(d) solicit opinions, explore all options, and then make the best decision once all of the facts were gathered

I hope you would choose “D”. Most rational people would. That is all we are doing.

This nasty, shrill rhetoric [as seen on the Waco Trib website] has no place. It serves no purpose. It honestly does reflect much more on you than on those you accuse. As I read through the pages of comments, I was a little angry at first. Then I was somewhat amused at some of the wild accusations. Then I was just saddened. I’m not talking about people that disagree on this issue. That is perfectly fine. What saddened me was knowing that there are people out there who honestly believe that we have corruption in our town and that our city leaders are either inept, dishonest, or power hungry. I know this is a tiny minority that feel this way about the city leaders, but it really saddens me. I’m being completely honest when I say this (and I hope it does not come across and condescending or holier-than-thou): it saddens me not because of what you may think of us, but because of what it reveals in your hearts, minds and lives. I cannot imagine living with that bitterness. I don’t know if I could get out of bed in the morning. Wow–that did sound condescending despite my best efforts. I don’t know how to word it any differently, so just take it for what it is worth and call me self-righteous if you must. :-/

Two pertinent quotes spring to mind. Read them. Ponder them. Let’s all be a little more introspective. I think the simple fact that almost everyone has posted anonymously should clue you in on some things. Most of you would be embarrassed to say what you’ve said under your own name because you know just how ridiculous it sounds. Before you post something, examine your motives. Examine your heart. It is difficult and not something I’m particularly good at myself. Nevertheless, I try to do it often.

“Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society” –Thomas Paine (Patriot and author of ‘Common Sense’. 1737-1809)

“Suspicion is not less an enemy to virtue than to happiness; he that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly become corrupt” –Samuel Johnson (English Poet, Critic and Writer. 1709-1784)

Sincerely,
David Taylor
david@davidtaylorfamily.com
McGregor City Councilman, Ward 3