|
Letters: Why Oppose a Library? |
|
|
|
by Daniel Segal
|
|
Friday, 25 January 2008 |
 Lansing Library opponents have raised a smokescreen of specious arguments: Cost (in fact, reasonable, if not downright cheap); existing school libraries (for many reasons, security high among them, the public cannot use school libraries); and the most absurd, insinuating voter fraud or other shenanigans, regarding voter registration and the common practice of a second vote after a very narrow first-vote defeat (failed by 32 votes). Any vote decided by such a narrow margin might reverse if voted on again (passed by 65 votes).
Encouraging voters to express their views and influence an election's outcome-by voting-is as basic as democracy gets. This should never be criticized, nor confused with registration and election procedures, logistics that should be easy for Lansing to resolve. Suggesting the first vote was the "real" vote ignores the ability of any group to speak up and change minds. Suggesting the outcome of a second vote can only change with fraud or trickery is cynical and untrue.
The real questions in Lansing: why are the opponents of an
affordable, fledgling local library so vehement in their crusade to
keep it from becoming part of the community? Why have they adopted a
hostile misinformation campaign? It's not about legitimacy of the vote,
or cost -- their desperate and aggressive tactics suggest it's the library
and its supporters they resent. The opposition owes Lansing and your
readers an honest argument, instead of the smokescreen they hope will
gain them more minions.
Daniel Segal
Lansing
----
v4i4
|
Archive Opinions 
