[Vision2020] healing

[aaron ament]

Visionaries                     							 9-8-05
		
	I was sitting outside the One World Café this afternoon, drinking coffee with a friend.  Someone my friend recognized, but did not know joined us.  They talked about playing Texas Hold 'Em for a while and then our conversation turned to local politics.  The man who had joined us was fairly new to the area.  He mentioned two issues he was familiar with, one of which is the current controversy over zoning and learning institutions in our downtown area.  He thought colleges were an okay part of downtown while I maintained that zoning for downtown clearly prohibited them.  We talked a while, he was attentive and maybe a little swayed by logic of the downtown plan-a plan that promotes walk in commerce downtown, above all other uses.
	Further discussion revealed the newcomers somewhat tenuous connection to the issue.  He had a child in Logos School, knew students that attended the downtown religious school and was himself, obviously a man of Christian faith.  We had a pleasant conversation, the three of us, that ranged as these talks do over many subjects.
	This evening as I pondered the days discussion I realized what bothers me most about this situation we find ourselves in downtown.
	We have one man bent on personal martyrdom, personal megalomania and possessed by a personal disregard for any but his own interpretation of the law.  A man bent on dragging our town through hell so that he can have his way.  Because of this there are too many people in Moscow that must feel unwelcome and unwanted, people who are members of Christ Church, and students who attend affiliated schools.  I want to say to them that I welcome you into my community.  We have more in common than one man can split asunder.  Please understand that my issue is a purely legal one, not tainted by intolerance of you or of your religion.  I will fight the downtown schools, but I have no will or intention to fight with you.

Aaron Ament
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