Stand up for community

The recent resignation of Nick Lawyer from the Board of Public Health is a travesty of justice and counter to the overall well-being of our community. A bullying crowd of people attended a recent county commissioners’ meeting threatening commissioners and demanding the resignation of an excellent, thoughtful, community-minded medical practitioner from his position on this board.

Nick has repeatedly and rightly informed and spoken out to support well-researched, medically sound practices. To ask for a resignation without this being on an agenda, deprived the greater community and other lay members of the Public Board of Health to provide their input and denied the chance to hear a balanced perspective. I, for one, am exceedingly happy with Nick Lawyer’s medical care and stand by the science Nick espouses. I want that type of person on our public health board.

To the many quiet, considerate community members: there is something powerful you can do to help. Our local boards are made up of human beings, not machines, and they need our support and backing to continue to make decisions using sound information and clear thinking, rather than responding to mob rages. I urge you to “adopt” a local governing board you are interested in. Commit your reasoned voices to being at every meeting of the governing board of your choice – the commissioners, city councils, school boards or our county’s Public Board of Health. Keep track of the agendas. Attend each meeting. We can no longer stand by in the background; we need to counterbalance this unruly minority who is directing a path in ways that are not in the best interest of our county or our community. Stay steady, stand up, speak out for scientific and rational thought. Our community is counting on you.

Mindy Ferrell,

Trout Creek