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Steps to make Forest Lake inclusive
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Wednesday, 12 March 2008
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Susan Young
Guest Columnist
The Forest Lake Human Rights Commission condemns the lies and fear-mongering that characterized portions of the 2006 mayoral election.
These events painted Forest Lake as a community that is easily silenced or becomes fearful when differences between people are pointed out. Differences in religion, differences in background, differences in financial means, and differences in political philosophy are all differences that can be exploited in a changing community.
We believe that Forest Lake is not a community to be so exploited.
Forest Lake is a growing community that is struggling with that growth. Every growing community faces changes: the character of the community determines whether the changes are embraced as exciting opportunities, or condemned as different from “the way we’ve always been.”
Healthy communities embrace change while treasuring the history and traditions of the past. Successful communities look for opportunities to weave the contributions of many traditions and cultures into a stable community fabric.
Robust communities look for the business opportunities that a diverse populations can provide in craftsmanship, retail expansion and employment base. Strong communities reject fear mongering and divisive tactics, knowing that many branched roots, combining deep tap roots with wide ranging feeder roots, support the strongest of trees which weather storms gracefully.
As we move on from these incidents we must learn to judge persons by our personal knowledge of them as individuals, not by falsehoods or rumors.
We must learn to welcome new residents and their ideas, contributions, needs and visions, so that we can benefit from the experiences they can share with us.
We must learn that a strong community is made of strong individuals, who reject intimidation and harassment, and use their strength of character to demonstrate their values in daily life.
Forest Lake has an opportunity to be an example by rejecting the easy paths of fear and isolation.
The Forest Lake Human Rights Commission will be providing a monthly topic for thought and discussion in the community.
We invite you to join us as we explore topics of age, race, ability, talent, religion and values. We invite you to join us in our meetings, and we invite you to join the Commission, itself.
We are looking forward to being a part of a Forest Lake that is inclusive and accepting of differences, and that embraces a changing community.
The writer is a member of the Forest Lake City Council and liaison to the human rights commission.
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