In Your Opinion: Attend Township Council Meetings, Let Your Voice Be Heard

By Bill Connell, Somerset.

The “Peace and Nonviolence” statue park situation has me reflecting on why I do what I do. I have been participating in local government since 2006 because I had a bug up me arse about something selfish. This is how most people get engaged. That’s how it starts. It opens up a world of how things work. As my kids grew up I not only participated in their lives I learned how the Board of Education works as well. If you have the patience it’s interesting. If you don’t, that’s understandable, too. The woman I made babies with doesn’t either. She just tolerates the stories and coaches.

I can thankfully say not one of our Township Council members has a brain disability. It’s when you add personality that things get complex. That is where we are now. I have enough accumulated knowledge I might make a great councilman or board member. I just don’t have the right temperament and patience. That is the real issue at hand, giving the job the respect it deserves. Fixing locally what is a problem nationally. You have to start somewhere. Come to council and tell them how you feel.

I am confident in my beliefs but they are mine. I am one voice. In a town of 65,000 people its useless. Many people commented on Facebook but that’s like yelling at a wall. Facebook is a communication device, not a participation device. I write these letters for the people who are too busy to notice. I write these letters for my good friend who lies on a red couch watching reruns of Law and Order instead of coming and sharing his original thoughts at council. I write these letters in hope someone will disagree with me and discuss. I write these letters because it makes no sense to me in a town of 65,000 people , five or 10 motivated people can hold sway.

Here’s a shout out to Neil Purcell who commented thoughtfully on what I wrote recently. My answer to you sir is my comments are Masters and Ph.D. level, not High School. I can only say so much and try to be respectful to people’s attention spans.

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