A letter-writer here last week said the quiet part out loud in noting that, over a period of years, the Arlington Committee of 100 seems to have drifted away from its historic role of presenting programming that discusses multiple, often contravening, viewpoints on key community issues.
Too often, the writer opined, the organization now is just toeing the line, presenting speaker lineups all on one side of the issue being discussed. Dissenting views too seldom are found up on the dais, and sometimes even those attending have a hard time squeezing them into the conversation.
The letter, to us, had at least some ring of truth to it. And rather than getting irked by the appraisal, we hope Committee of 100 members take it to heart.
We’re old and gray enough to remember some really interesting back-and-forth on issues at Committee of 100 meetings. The GazetteLeader’s editor (long before there was a GazetteLeader) once was invited to moderate a debate on gay marriage (long before there was gay marriage). The two speakers were then-Arlington County Board member Jay Fisette on one side (guess which one and you win a prize!) and then-Del. Dick Black (R-Loudoun) on the other.
That event, if memory serves, was proof that one indeed could disagree, vigorously, without being disagreeable. Both speakers made their points, questions were asked and answered, and attendees, though likely not swayed from the views they had entered with, came out of the gathering with things to think about.
We suspect this more recent drift in the organization’s direction largely has been unintentional, and perhaps has come about because it’s not always easy to find spokespeople for dissenting points of view in a politically ever more dogmatic community all the way down to local issues.
True, but that simply means that those ranging from civic groups to media organizations – and yes, even to inside-the-bubble elected officials themselves – should work harder to hear from, listen to and value those who may not all be playing for the same team on any given issue.
Let’s all make it a resolution for 2024!
