Editorial: Saying it is so, doesn’t make it so

Over the past 30-days, we’ve observed three residents obsess and conspire, provoke hard feelings, engage in juvenile name calling, cajole others to disrupt the legitimate operation of businesses unrelated to their complaint, and generally demoralize a community of otherwise law-abiding citizens to sink to their level of malicious, poor judgment.

Informed people can disagree without resorting to name-calling, harassing behavior, and abusive personalization of anyone who doesn’t see things “their way”.

Regardless of what you think, there is always someone else who thinks differently — to believe otherwise is irrational. Saying that “your way” is the “right way” doesn’t make it so, and raising your voice doesn’t make it more so; in fact, typically it alienates others who might have been inclined to listen to any civil argument that might have been made.

When it comes to the fence on the north property line of the Anchorage Inn, the time is past for civil disagreement; because the self-appointed advocates who oppose the construction have chosen not to speak with an educated, unified voice, but rather to adopt a mob-like mentality — ostensibly to intimidate city leaders, management staff, and elected officials to succumb to the power of a small handful of angry people, most of whom don’t even live in the neighborhood.

That reality was driven home last night when a few citizens, who make up in volume what they lack in standing, put the city commissioners on the hot seat — for their individual three-minutes of fame.

Despite previous communication in phone calls, email and in person, those who feel this is a great opportunity to demonize Virginia Whetstone, ignored the very first instructions proffered by city officials — the City of St Augustine does not own the Bridge of Lions.

Also, the property owner has the right to erect a fence and have a properly obtained permit from the city to do so — whether you or I think so, or not. And further, the City doesn’t want to get involved, officially, as doing so would assume potential consequences for overstepping those limited functions over which it does have jurisdiction.

If the dissenters are going to get any relief, which is at least doubtful at this point, calling for the commissioners to fire the city attorney, or for the city manager to fire the director of planning and building, is not the way to do it — I don’t care how loud they raise their voices or rhetoric.

If you aren’t happy with how your elected officials handled this matter, elect new commissioners — the mayor and two other commissioners, including the vice-mayor, must stand for re-election in November of next year.

This is a matter that will be decided by the Florida Department of Transportation, who controls the bridge, their staff, and their attorney in Lake City.