My name is Sarah and I am 16 years old. On Monday night I went with my dad and younger brother to the County Council meeting. That meeting was not at all how I expected a meeting to be. I saw lots of things going on there that both confused me and even made me a little bit scared. It seemed as if everything I have been taught my whole life was flipped around that night. I have always been taught to respect my elders, love my neighbors as myself, control my tongue and my body when I’m angry, think about others above myself, to have grace and forgiveness. I could go on and on. But Monday night, I saw adults doing everything that I have been taught not to do. I saw our town’s “heroes” — firefighters, police officers, others that I respect — treating others terribly.

My little sister thinks that firefighters are the greatest thing! We will be driving down the road and my whole family will say, “Look! Rachel, there’s a fire engine,” just so she can wave to them!! But I am very glad that she wasn’t there the other night when we saw adults acting selfishly, acting with no grace toward each other. I was angry with those “heroes” that evening as we were leaving the building. I hadn’t imagined anything like would happen. None of what I’m saying may be anything related to the tax that the meeting was all about, but I wanted to let this city know my perspective on what happened in that building on Monday evening. It makes me sad to see how the people that so many kids and even adults look up to, can act in such a way.

I’m not even coming close to saying that I’m perfect. I’m not. I have a LONG way to go. And it’s HARD. But I want to be salt and light for this city and there is no way I can do that if I don’t make a decision to try harder. I hope that you will think about the little kids in this city. What do they think? What would they do if they were at that meeting Monday night? What would they have learned? Think about it.

Sarah Grace Smith

Anderson