I am exhausted by a trend in America of taking an important idea, dumbing it down to single-syllable words, repeating it over and over again, and presenting as an explanation of a complex problem.
I am now horrified to see it happening in the Village of Southampton. There are ridiculous signs contaminating our beautiful landscapes that say “Save the Police” and “Village in Crisis.” Both statements are a perfect example of this dumbing down of American society.
The Village of Southampton no more needs to “save the police” than it is a “village in crisis.” Both are simplifications of complex disagreements that are legitimately taking place in the village. Yet, when stated that way, it’s nothing more than fear-mongering. It does not educate, it does not clarify, it does not help anyone make an thoughtful decision about their position — it just gets some people scared, some confused, and people like me pissed off.
What further deeply offends me is that multiple generations in my family work in law enforcement. So using the police for a fear-mongering and disinformation campaign angers me deeply.
If you don’t like the policies of Mayor Jesse Warren then don’t vote for him. Make sure you educate yourself about what he stands for, and if you don’t like him, vote him out of office. That’s what we do in America. Don’t buy into the simplistic phrases, because it makes no difference how many signs are on the streets if what they say is incorrect.
So let’s all behave like adults and not fall for the nonsense that’s going on in the village. It’s bad enough we had to live through it for over five years in the country as a whole. I would like to believe that Southampton Village is just a little better than that.
Make sure you vote, but do so based on facts — not how many signs are littering the village.
Paula Angelone
Southampton Village
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