To begin, thanks must be given to the Ellenville-Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of a recent public forum to discuss a proposed Wal-Mart at the Napanoch Valley Mall. Chamber president Holly Houghtaling and the event's other organizers did an excellent job, providing area residents an opportunity to openly discuss a very charged issue. While the meeting was a needed remedy to months of rumors and accusations, what occurred that night only seemed to deepen the divide between those who welcome Wal-Mart and those who oppose it. What was heard were two vastly different visions of who we are and what we need, with very little common ground. And drowning it all out were the jeers and insults of a few in the audience who clearly came ready for a fight.

At first, the heckling of the pro-Wal-Mart people was quite disturbing. Who were these rude people who had no respect for anyone who disagreed with them? Their behavior was an embarrassment to the community and an insult to those who organized and attended the event. But as the night wore on and their tiresome outbursts grew more predictable, it became clear that they were just a small group of narrow-minded agitators, deserving as much consideration as they gave, which was none. In the end, their rudeness took a lot away from the side they were trying to support, and pointed out how intolerance and intimidation underlies so many of the arguments heard for Wal-Mart.

Beyond all the noise, it was apparent that each side had little to offer the other. Those for Wal-Mart shut their ears to well-researched and compelling arguments against the development. Convinced of their own absolute correctness, Bible quotes replaced counter-arguments in a shameful display of anti-intellectualism and know-nothingness that was truly offensive. But those opposed to Wal-Mart were equally deaf, deaf to the frustration of many with a community that has failed them, and dismissive of their genuine desire to improve it. The anti-Wal-Mart side offered nothing other than 600 reasons why they shouldn't get what they want, with no viable alternative. Furthermore, the myth that local businesses are better employers was demolished by a question from the audience that remarked how one prominent local business offered no benefits and didn't pay well. All that was offered in response was a weak appeal to "job satisfaction."

In the evening's most bizarre twist of irony, Richard Peterson, of the pro-Wal-Mart side, used his closing statement to speak of the future possibilities of any community, large or small, and pointed to San Diego as an example of a city that has successfully reinvented itself to adjust to the challenges of the new global economy. Apparantly unaware that San Diego is one of only a handful of major cities left in America that have successfully stopped Wal-Mart from opening a single store, Mr. Peterson's final appeal to "faith-based" public planning was a fitting end to an evening with lots of talk but little communication.

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