Ah…the infamous editorial. It should be used as an avenue where people can write an informative article expressing their opinion on current affairs and/or bring additional light to important situations. What last Wednesday’s letter-to-the-editor did was to inflame a situation by making some very harsh claims under the veil of race. Rather than discussing the merits of each argument, members of this community have now been tagged as racists. When someone makes such a claim, it immediately puts the accused on the defensive to prove otherwise.
I don’t feel like I have to prove anything and I am not going to be bullied to do so. I believe it is the letter writer’s responsibility to provide facts, dates and names when she claims that race has something to do with the disagreement on the Sanford Lofts project. Who is this “white” former government official who suggested race has something to do with the opposition to this project? When did this person suggest this? Instead of using your opportunity to add additional facts, you have made claims without proof and that is a cowardly act.
I have never thought that the Sanford Lofts project was a good idea in its proposed location…and the color of one’s skin has never been mentioned by me or those with whom I have discussed this project. In fact, I never knew who was spearheading this project or that Florida SPECS was involved. It’s inconsequential.
I, and many others, agree that this project, or any other low-income project, doesn’t belong in a downtown environment. We need proposed projects designed for downtown Sanford to add value, not only to the existing business, but to also add infrastructure to the future of downtown. I just don’t see how a low-income project in the middle of downtown Sanford will add the type of financial building blocks needed to grow the downtown business footprint. It is just not a smart, long-term decision if our city wants to continue to see the downtown area grow financially. We need to find another, more profitable idea for such a prime piece of property.
This argument has been the foundation for those who have voiced their disapproval and expressed their opinions. If there were facts to support the claim that someone has objected to the development for reasons based on race, I would welcome them at anytime. Last week’s letter-to-the-editor missed a great opportunity to add to the conversation. Instead, the letter stirred up anger and hate in Sanford and took the focus off the debate of this project. It was irresponsible and rather than helping Sanford, it just sent Sanford back many years in the eyes of people in Central Florida.
Chris McLeod
Sanford resident
Sensibility, civility urged in Sanford Lofts public debate
I was shocked and appalled by the tone and venomous nature of the letter that appeared in the last issue of the Sanford Herald. I know of few places in the country, other than Sanford, where white and black people have worked together over the years to better their community. I especially find fault with the outrageous charges of “elitist,” “racist” and “classist” leveled by the letter writer against people who happen to disagree with her on what is best for Sanford.
It’s said but laughable that she would single out former Mayor Linda Kuhn, who has spent her entire career working for the betterment of Sanford. I would wager that the writer goes to the bottom of the barrel frequently to vent that kind of venom. I would suggest that her modus operandi is “hit low” and hit dirty.”
I don’t know what will finally happen with the Sanford Lofts project, but I pray more reasonable and cooler heads will eventually prevail. I am a senior citizen and I seriously doubt I would want to live in the middle of a business section with all the noise and inherent confusion. Also, I can’t imagine that “low-income individuals” will be rushing into the stores on frequent shopping trips.
I suggest the topic be approached with a more sensible tone and cool the inflammatory rhetoric.
Nancy Kennedy,
senior resident of Sanford