Email from Tom Bell

Printed here with the permission of Tom Bell. The text below is presented unedited. The letter was sent to the full Board of Commissioners, June 10, 2011.

Relative to the proposed HRC and Ordinance, I view myself more of a philosopher than politician therefore; my intent is to stimulate thought more than generate support.

As a business owner, I am painfully aware of the devastating affects that an over zealous government can have on people and businesses, by dampening or stifling the spirit of entrepreneurship, prosperity and community, even though that government body may have thought, at the time, was appropriate or good.

Springfield consists of over 19,000 individual personalities. In a sense, a personality is as unique as a fingerprint, (or in a modern sense, a strand of DNA). It is my belief that our personalities develop as a result of our pursuit of happiness or fulfillment and in Springfield, those 19,000 personalities make up our Community of Springfield.

With this view in mind, (and in my opinion), the Springfield’s proposed HRC/ordinance acts to separate certain individual personalities, (which have blended so successfully within the Springfield Community Fabric), into segmented groups and metaphorically, tearing at our community fabric thus rendering our community incomplete, (As I have stated, “Dividing our community.”)

In my opinion, the Springfield BOC is on the verge of passing legislation that may fan flames of resentment of one segmented group from another because, society as a whole is more likely to accept individual personalities than segmented groups, (especially when society is forced to do so and not of their own free will),

At the hearing, I heard Jeff, say several times; ‘The idea for this ordinance is a result of watching what other communities are doing.’ Does this imply that those, on the BOC, that vote to pass this legislation are not acting as leaders but followers of foreign leaderships? The future Springfield I envision will be a township to be emulated and nothing less!

As I have stated in public; We should strive to; “Educate/Enlighten, not Legislate.” And I think we can all agree to the value of education and enlightenment and in this case, the education/enlightenment I refer comes from having many friends, relatives, coworkers and neighbors of all unique personalities.