We are lucky to live in a small community where individuals and groups volunteer their time and energy to make this place better.
Differences of opinion and alternate methods for solving problems are inevitable, but for the greater good, we usually find ways to compromise and, in so doing, listen to and treat one another with respect. We're neighbors. We often know one another's families. We see one another in stores, on the streets, and at local events.
Because ours is such a close-knit community, issues that tear at our central institutions, like the Rockingham Free Public Library, are all the more painful.
Words can't be taken back; confrontations can't be forgotten. But the healing can start at any point, and that is what we urge members of the library board of trustees to help facilitate before any further damage is done.
An open, respectful atmosphere in which people treat others the way they themselves would like to be treated is essential to this process.
All the staff at the RFPL are committed to serving the needs of our community. The library board of trustees is a powerful body, charged with overseeing the links between the community and the library.
Each citizen, regardless of where she or he stands on the issues, will benefit from cleansing the atmosphere that has recently plagued us, so we can once more work toward our common goals and shared future.