Follow the Golden Rule

To the Editor:

I am not on Facebook and have not seen any of the comments, but many have been reported to me.

I feel the need to comment about the recent meeting of the Weston County Health Services board.

First, you as the community had every right to come to any meeting and voice your concerns. However, vitriol and personal attacks against individual board members is always inappropriate and frequently misplaced, as it was in this recent meeting.  

In the current situation, I can tell you that Jamie Farnsworth and Dottie Briggs do not deserve any personal attacks on their character. These are two good people with great hearts and impeccable integrity. They are members of this community who have stepped up when asked to and worked hard to do the right thing.  They have volunteered countless hours and given up much in their personal lives and families to serve their communities. You have every right to disagree with the process we used as a board or the individual decisions we make as board members, but your criticisms should be constructive and delivered with grace. 

You should not be attacking the character of any person. Jamie Farnsworth and Dottie Briggs are kind, caring, compassionate people with hearts of gold. If you take one minute to look at their actions and speak to their hearts, you will find this is an indisputable fact. 

Jamie Farnsworth did an absolutely wonderful job on Quality Committee. Any member of that committee could tell you of the good work and valuable feedback she provided. Dottie Briggs, as a new resident to our community, stepped up to the plate when asked, and volunteered countless hours getting to know our hospital and this community. 

Jamie and Tom Farnsworth are trusted members of the Weston County Republican Party, the Weston County Right to Life, and many, many other organizations in this community. Please do not direct your anger at them. Instead, thank them for trying. And thank them for every day — every day — of working to make Weston County a better place. If every one of us put in as much effort doing good as Jamie and Tom have, can you even imagine how much this community would thrive?

In closing, please give grace to all elected officials. You have every right to tell your elected officials what you want from them — and I encourage you to speak out regularly. But, you must speak out constructively and in accordance with the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.   

Please reach out to Jamie and Dottie and thank them for their service. They absolutely deserve your thanks and they absolutely deserve your respect.

Lastly, please speak out against anyone who attacks individuals uncivilly, be it on Facebook, in meetings, or in any other interaction. There is no place for incivility in a polite society. Please do your part to show that we are better than that kind of behavior.

Best regards,

— Kari Drost, Chair, Weston County Republican Party