Whatever happened to brotherly love? Despite what we see in national politics, how we treat others matters.
Close to home, I’m referring to the decision of Southampton Town to again sue the Shinnecock Nation to prevent them from developing commerce on their land [“Sticker Shock at Cost of Lawsuit to Town Over Shinnecock Gas Station Project,” 27east.com, June 4]. What is opposed are billboards and a gas station, both of which would economically benefit the tribe.
The Shinnecock Nation is fed up with the treatment by the Town of Southampton and the economic cost of these lawsuits. Sadly, the relationship is at an all-time low.
I live off Hill Street on the west side of the Village of Southampton, so the decisions of the Shinnecock Nation directly affect me. They are my neighbors.
But, down the block, I am also affected by the decision of the Village of Southampton to approve a large resort hotel at 71 Hill Street, in the middle of the village — another neighbor.
For me, it is again a question of values. Is it okay for white American developers to benefit economically, despite how their choices affect their neighbors, but not the Shinnecock Nation?
Is it okay to discriminate against people because we consider them to be “the other”? Is it okay to promote the economic prosperity of wealthy people but not those who have less? Is it okay to treat our neighbors with disdain because we don’t like what they’re doing?
I hope the taxpayers, our neighbors of Southampton Town and beyond, consider these questions. Because, nowadays, values matter, and decisions are being made all around us based on values. If we don’t agree with these values, we had better speak up.
Paula Angelone, Ph.D.
Southampton Village
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