The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
By Bill Connell, Somerset.
Enough has been written about the situation on the Township Council, but its actions Tuesday raise an interesting question: At what point does the integrity and trust of the institution outweigh common kindness.
Township Council, Board of Education, Pop Warner, Little League , recreational coaching, theater and many more are all volunteer positions. They are institutions that strengthen the muscle and tendons of Franklin. They were here when you got here and they will be here when you leave, hopefully. If you are involved you are just caretaker for a moment in time. The goal is to leave them better then you found them.
If you do volunteer, you know there is usually one guy or one woman who goes a little too far, or takes themselves a little to seriously and it affects the output and outcomes of the group. Managing these personalities can be tricky. This is a lesson I learned from my father. I took this lesson to heart, and be it volunteering or even at work, I try to have serious fun. It usually leads to a better outcome.
Here is the question I struggle with. The Township Council tried to soften the admonishment because they thought the word “dishonor” was too strong and possibly culturally insensitive. It is a perfectly good word as it relates to a governing body. The word was used in the protection of a long-standing institution; it was not an indictment of a culture. I think the average person sees that, and the Council over-thought it.
I personally feel watering down the resolution would have contributed to the malaise of accountability you see on a national level. I wonder if I am right.
This commentary is not a talking point for the recall movement, it is a question for the average person who’s just trying get through the day.
