We are fortunate and blessed to live in a vibrant and robust community which affords us a wonderful quality of life, complete with terrific schools, parks and libraries. It’s the common denominator that unites us.
The disgraceful altercation at this weekend’s street fair, further fueled by the orchestrated aftermath, marked a new low for what is a wonderful and diverse community.
The unfortunate behavior of one particular individual was, simply put, unflattering to us as a community, and disgraceful. That individual should offer an apology and as a community, we should move on.
Let me be crystal clear. I condemn intolerance at the highest level.
There are a few opportunists among us who don’t want us to move on. Healing doesn’t support the narrative that they are spinning. It’s hard to fathom someone wanting to create conflict.
These individuals, who have taken to social media, the press, and their own personal blogs, have chosen to capitalize on an isolated, unfortunate, and disgraceful incident by using it as a vehicle to divide the community to gain political points, are sorely misguided.
They have attempted to piggy back on one individual’s poor behavior and crafted an ill-conceived, destructive plot to divide our community for their own personal gain. Some individuals thought it clever to alter a group photo, share on social media to bolster a political agenda.
By the way, elected officials that are asked to pose for photos by would-be supporters do not screen nor do a back ground check.
The Great Neck peninsula is full of cultural diversity, and to that end, our fabric as a larger extended community is that much richer for it. Our common goals for our families, juxtaposed against the myriad of cultural distinctiveness here in Great Neck is a beautiful thing and should be a cause for celebration.
Pay no heed to the bloggers that have routinely spewed hatred in the wake of fear of change and shifting demographics. Rather than being threatened by change, they should be embracing it and actively seek to bring people together.
We may not always agree on issues, and that’s okay. One thing that defines us as a civilized society is how we handle ourselves in moments of discord. What happened to the notion of civil discourse? Where did the phrase, “let’s agree to disagree,” go?
We need to remain steadfast in what unites us. What we share, our love for our families and community, our respective cultures and faiths, are far greater than any differences that divides us.
Dr. Pedram Bral
Mayor, Village of Great Neck
