During some of those extended debates, I sometimes learned a lot.
There was a famous meeting in the mid 1980s where the town was asked to accept a “Peace Pole” form Japan.
It was a Citizens Petition that no one expected to be very controversial.
Who would/could be against a Peace Pole?
It was my ignorance not to realize that many who had come from China or had descended from those who had, had very strong feelings about Japan.
Dr. An Wang was one of them.
He stood before us explain his powerful emotions at the thought-how it triggers memories of the brutal treatment he and his family had endured, and that other Chinese had endured at the hands of the Japanese during WWII.
We had a history lesson, but it did not end there.
Other got up and spoke to the need to heal -if the Japanese could reach out to us, after what they had endured too, surely we could all reach out teach other.
The discussion went on for some time…back and forth.
By the end of the meeting, Dr. Wang expressed his appreciation of our willingness to listen and that now he felt it was the right thing to do-to accept the Peace Pole.
You will find that pole planted in the SW corner of the town pocket park across from the mall that the Garden Club loving cares for.
At this recent Town Meeting, most were held to a strict 2 minutes, not goin on for 10.
In fact, one former town official has his mike cut as he hit the 2.5 minute mark!
I, for one, am willing to listen to my fellow citizens, all 15 or more.
Who knows, I might learn something.
