Just a Thought...

...not a sermon.

Just a morning musing about how the year 2016 has been rocking us and kicking our butts and it still isn't over yet.

Yesterday Ellicott City Main Street was reopened to foot traffic and vehicular traffic. It is a sign of progress, to be sure, but it is also a bittersweet and tentative moment in what will be a long, long road of recovery. Our community has rallied around Ellicott City with money, goods, and services. That is something we can feel good about. But this was a huge and life-changing event. Sometimes it's hard for me to wrap my brain around the amount of damage and loss.

Rebuilding takes time. And so does grieving.

Meanwhile we have a sheriff in office whose racist and abusive behavior has gone on for years and has been documented and widely shared. I have to admit I've been trying to remind myself every morning--this man is still in office. I don't want to let myself forget how outrageous a fact that is. Every day Fitzgerald continues as County Sheriff is a day his employees continue to be victims, and the community at large is less safe.

This man is still in office. How can he still be in office?

2016 will also be remembered as the year that Board-approved attorney Mike Smith got up in a Public Forum and engaged in the slimiest, most hateful sort of smear tactics gainst Board Member Cindy Vaillancourt and no one stopped him. Citizens have written to the Superintendent, Board, the County Executive, the County Council, the Howard County NAMI--and no one has made a statement condeming his outrageous behavior.

We wonder how Fitzgerald lasted so long? Really? The silence from those in positions of power in response to the abuse of Ms. Vaillancourt has been deafening.

This has been one hell of a year, Howard County. You'll forgive me if I skip the gratitude this week.