"The one percent"

I am new to blogging and I swore I would never do it, I admit I read blogs, but wasn't interested in actually doing it until tonight. I watch Council Meetings online since I am disabled and it is difficult for me to attend. Tonight was awful to watch it and hear what a resident was saying. I was so very upset that I couldn't attend, or maybe it's better that I didn't. Lets back up to the last council meeting for a minute, someone named Jennifer stood to the mic and was complaining about people in a half way house living in her neighborhood, how she was afraid to let her children out to play because she feared for their safety. She made comments about them being possible alcoholic's and drug addicts.She went on and on, questioning why and who. and her outrage at the township for not notifying residents. I thought at that time it was a little over the top, and rude, but I thought once she had some of the answers, that would be the end of it. Council said they would look into the legality of the information she was requesting. This week, I almost went through the computer, I couldn't believe what I was hearing, the same woman got up ,I think she said her name was Jennifer, Donnel , or something to that effect, and she was still insistent on knowing the personal information of who these people are. It sounded to me that there was so much intolerance and nosey neighbor syndrome fueling her anger. Then another lady gets up and said she was delivered a flier to her mailbox in Erial. She said "Who are these people"? I immediately called a friend of mine and asked him if he received a flier, yes he did and he was very upset that some--- ----- tried to set fear into his neighborhood. He drove the copy over to me and I cannot believe what it read. I truly thought that this was pure hatred towards our fellow citizens by the "one Percent" who always shoot their mouth off before they do have a full understanding. I have live in Gloucester Township for many years and I am proud to be a resident and happy to tell people where I'm from. Tonight, I was a little ashamed that we have the "one percent" that really took it over the top by being so darn insensitive to others. The last woman who got up, explained who "these people"are. They are productive, hard working, law abiding residents who are recovered and just so happen to need a place to live. FYI, there are Veteran's with PTSD and recovering who live in group homes/halfway houses all over this state. This woman , with a cool head and knowledge of these residents, went into detail, and putting her personal experience of substance recovery. She explained she was a home owner, with a car, job just like the rest of us. I thought that was very brave of her to do that, to expose her personal life to try to explain to people who perhaps walked these fliers that they had nothing to worry about. There is no room in our town for the lynch mob mentality.I believe that the only ones who have to register are sex offender's under Megan's Law. I don't have the right to know who my neighbor is,or if they live in a group home, or a home with people who are getting their life back. There are things called privacy laws, and I believe a few lawbreakers have been wandering our streets, putting fear, and fueling hatred towards our fellow residents. There is no room for that here in our town, and it should not be tolerated by anyone. Com'on folks, were better than that here. Stop and think, you never know, that could be someone you love in that situation, would you want them to be treated like that? Can you imagine living there, working,abiding by the law and your neighbors do something like that to you? The woman who started this, I hope she learned her lesson and hopefully she will mind her business if she doesn't know what she is talking about. She sounded pretty aggressive when speaking and from the things she said, I'm not sure I would want to be her neighbor, but guess what, it wouldn't be my choice who legally live next door to me or down the street. I pray for those people who were drug through the mud publically and I hope someone out there could recognize who sent these fliers out and report it to the proper authority's. My phone has been ringing off the hook tonight and someone told me they were sitting near her and she was with the candidates for council. and that's fine, you can sit with anyone you want, what surprises me is why didn't one of them get up to the mic and make a statement of outrage and demand council look into finding out who distributed these fliers. The only thing I heard from one of them was Ms. Cline upset because Council looked at her all puffed up. Really? Now, I'm not saying this was a political prank by the Republican's because the Republican's I used to know would never endorse doing something this stupid and low, they are endorsing the candidates who are part of the group called the Tea Party and I've read about some of the crazy things they do. Whoever you are who did this, you have less than "one percent of Humanity".