Common Vision
Mar. 1 Editorial
By Derek Kilbourn
Monday, March 1 2010
There were two meetings this past week, both during which there was an opportunity for those with opinions on what is happening at the Commons to express their views.
The first was held on Sunday, Feb. 22, and with plenty of lead-up promotion, was specifically designed as a question and answer open house about the proposed community kitchen at the Commons site.
The conversation was lively, educational, and looked at a number of challenges which might be presented by the Commons.
The downside was that no one came out to express concerns.
‘No-one’ being the people who aren’t already involved in the Commons - plenty of those folks showed up.
As was pointed out to those present, one of the reasons for this absence might have been that the meeting was being held at the Commons. It is tough to come in to someone’s home turf and say you object to some of the things they are doing.
But another reason some folks may have not chosen to come out, is it is very difficult to express one’s opinion in any public forum when a non-profit organization is the group in question. Location may not be the only reason.
It’s fairly easy to show up for an anti-corporate discussion. Unless, of course, you are the corporation, in which case you are at least getting paid to take the heat.
A similar effect was seen at the Local Trust Committee-hosted meeting held on Thursday night. Many of those in the audience were either Commons supporters/users, or were those curious to know more about the Commons.
Few, if any, were detractors.
As the LTC Chair, Louisa Bell, pointed out ,however, there are a myriad of ways for people to communicate to either the LTC or the Commons board members themselves.
Letters, phone calls, emails, and any number of ways.
Come out to the meetings.
The people at the Commons are doing a good thing for the community. But for it to truly be ‘of and for the community’, everyone needs to voice their thoughts and share in the vision.
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