Letters to the editor

To the Editor:

In my ongoing effort to learn the truth about what the WMC board has or has not done with respect to discharging its responsibilities to the people of Wrangell, I have been somewhat frustrated by more than one board member. They appear to be incapable of giving me a straight answer. I am left to make my own sense out of circular responses that reveal more about the person speaking than they do about the facts I was seeking. Regardless of the conclusions I eventually reach as to the truth about the WMC board’s actions, the process of fact-finding in and of itself has destroyed my trust in the WMC board.

What the heck is going on with these people? Why can’t I get a straight answer?

Several possibilities come to mind as I contemplate the reasons people talk in circles. Here are four that scream the loudest to me:

1. They are trying to conceal something, most likely the truth. They wrongly believe they can imprison the truth behind a wall of deceptive words. Bill Clinton comes to mind. Remember that embarrassing day for America when we heard our president say those slick words to the grand jury: “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” These folks believe they are smarter than you are. They believe they can tell you anything and you will either believe it or they can bully you into submission, turning your disbelief against you later.

2. They don’t process what they hear well. Their ears function correctly, but there is a disconnect between their ears and their brain leaving them incapable of understanding what you meant.

3. Their brain gets the message clearly but is unable to process it. They think in circles, therefore they speak in circles. Some people, bless their hearts, are incapable of reasoned, logical thought so they are incapable of coming up with a reasoned logical answer. These people might jump to conclusions so they can avoid their confusing thought processes. Or these people might allow their emotions to rule so they can avoid their confusing thought processes.

4. They are poor communicators. Their ears and their brain function well on the intake and processing end, but they cannot get their thoughts across clearly and succinctly.

I have to say that I don’t want anyone representing me who has any one of these challenges. We the people have the right to expect and demand straight answers to our questions. We have the right to expect and demand open and forthright communication. We have a right to know the facts and the truth. I want someone representing me I can trust.

Judy Kay Allen