Editor, The Smithfield Times:

What we think, and what we become, are connected.

Surry County Board of Supervisors Chair Robert Elliott posts on social media, “If the warfare is intense, the worth of it is immeasurable!” When challenged on the warfare metaphor, he references Ephesians and spiritual “weapons” (“The weapons of my warfare are not carnal!”). When a pastor preaches non-carnal weapons, but as board chair desires his personal firearm at meetings, how do we reconcile that? A gun is certainly a carnal weapon.

Chairman Elliott’s “intense warfare” quote isn’t even in Ephesians — it’s closer to something Napoleon said: “War must be made as intense and awful as possible in order to make it short, and thus to diminish its horrors.” Is that the model we want for civic disagreement?

Citizens don’t want intense, awful conflict. Extremism is a political tool designed to divide us.  What we need are peace, love, truth and understanding. If county spokesperson David Harrison believes that our “political climate” is so extreme that safety is at risk, he’d be wise to recommend cooling the violent conflict language from his most fervent supervisors.

The Surry County Code of Ethics requires avoiding “personal charges or verbal attacks upon the character or motives of the public,” respecting one another, and creating a positive, constructive environment. Like Chairman Elliott, Supervisor Walter Hardy also over-uses violent language, belittling citizens and repeating divisive and unwise terms like “fight.” I counsel caution against negative soundtracks that encourage what we fear. I ask Mr. Hardy to take responsibility for his own role, rather than preemptively blaming others with words like this text recently sent to me: “God forbid any of the youth of my family get hurt, I hold YOU personally responsible.”

Framing issues as good vs. evil is effective politics, but unwise leadership. Different perspectives are NOT inherently evil. Disagreement is healthy, when we use it to seek understanding and win-win outcomes. Let us pray for peace, not war – and let’s find a path to it, together.

 

Dr. Daniel A. Shaye

Surry