McCulloch: Hatred is not the answer to frustrations amid pandemic
It is times like these that the words of the great philosopher, Martin, need to reverberate. “Can’t we all just get along.” What has happened to our community? Our state? Our nation?
For fifteen years, I have served this community in a variety of ways. From City Council to the Board of Education, I have found myself in the middle of several contentious issues. In the end, the issues were resolved, and we moved onto to the next big thing.
There is a different feel with the current issue we face, COVID. For some reason, there is more anger and hatred that surrounds this issue. Instead of working on the problem together, we have built walls and defriended people we have known for years.
At what point did I become your enemy? Did I change who I am? Was it just because I agreed with only 97% of what you were saying?
Admittedly, I have found myself caught in the trap of hostility to an opposing viewpoint. These past few years have been emotionally exhausting for us all. I can totally understand the frustration that bubbles up, but we must get beyond that.
On Monday evening, the Port Huron Schools’ Board of Education adopted a resolution supporting the St. Clair County Health Department. Personally, I supported the resolution not because I agree with every decision they have made, but because I believe they are trying to do what they think is best.
Years ago, I worked at the health department. In my time there, there were no secret meetings about how to take away a person’s rights. We did not conspire to make the community a worse place to live. The workers at the health department are your neighbors and friends, not your adversaries.
Did I choose to be vaccinated? Yes. Do I agree with mandates? No. Do I heed advice from those in those in the health field? Well . . . most of the time.
There are lots of different answers to the questions out there, but the one answer that will never help is hatred. Instead of being at each other’s throats, let’s look each other in the eye and figure out a middle ground for a way forward.
Tim McCulloch is a Port Huron Schools Board of Education trustee.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: McCulloch: Hatred is not the answer to frustrations amid COVID pandemic
