what is happening to us?

a group of well intentioned intelligent people in my community tried to get a bond issue passed to relocate our library- which is very small- to a new site. i became part of this group because i liked the fact that they were going to take a 'brownfield site"  and reclaim it for the library. this would clean up an area of our city that needs it plus it would keep our library located close to the center of town. this did not happen over night. a committee was formed over 5 years ago to look into a larger library. lots of time, effort and volunteer hours were spent on the project with two years spent on planning for the final chosen site. everything was OK until one man - just one- decided he didn't like this idea at all and he started a one man campaign against the project. he took out quarter page ads in the local newspaper. and when he was asked to have a sit down discussion and debate his views with the people who had been working on this project he refused. yet he continued to bully the community with propaganda and fear. did i mention that money was no object in his campaign- he personally funded his bully campaign.

 those of us who wanted to see this new library happen were able to generate over 1Million dollars in pledges and grants towards the project.

the bond issue was resoundingly defeated. the next day this bully had the audacity to call the president of the library board of trustees to ask if she wanted to work with him on his plan for the library- and it was OK to say no- she said no.

he then took about another quarter page ad in the newspaper and basically said we were poor sports about the vote so we  "took our ball and went home".

now, i don't know about you but when i was a kid i avoided  bullies. they didn't play fair and someone- usually me or my friends- got hurt. so we would pack up our things and leave. it wasn't easy to confront a bully.  and it still isn't.

i keep shaking my head and asking myself what is going on?


 i really would like to know.

why do we put up with this kind of behavior?