— from Blythe Simpson —

Susan Malins’ confidence in the Port is shaken. My confidence in some members of this community has certainly fallen. The Port’s Master Plan process has torn this community apart. Hurt feelings on both sides, but more importantly the misinformation that continues to flow. Many people want to blame Tony for his lack of public interaction. Yes, he is my husband, so right up front you know my bias. No, he doesn’t have a “poker face”. I would think that might be refreshing, though sometimes painful to some. He is not a politician, but he sure understands this process and unfortunate bureaucracy that comes with the job.

Rather than blaming anyone or anything, I would like to propose that we as a community don’t let this happen again. Social media is part of our culture now, for better or worse. Unfortunately, many in this community have not learned to differentiate between opinion on social media and fact. Case in point, read through some comments here and see how those latch on to statements with no facts to back them up. Read through comments that are hailed as “great journalism” yet when the port manager tries to clarify a very complicated bureaucracy, his statements are blatantly ignored. This is someone who knows the facts and can back them up.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I would like to propose that we as a community don’t let this happen again.[/perfectpullquote]

We as a community need to rise above the rumors on social media and pay attention to a “guest column or opinion” rather than assuming it is fact just because it is printed. I thought we learned this lesson. We are certainly teaching our children of this community how to differentiate. I hope we as adults can relearn this critical and important skill.

Orcas Issues is not a place to ask questions in the comments section and expect factual answers from random community members. It is a place to ask questions and get opinions. If you demand answers, go to the source.

My hope for our community is that we can rise above social media. Use it for good. Not look at is as “journalism”. What may start as “community journalism” quickly turns into social media with as few as 2-3 comments.

We can do better. We must to better.

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