Walking out of Layton meeting solved nothing

Editor,

An opportunity was missed. On Oct. 10, Layton city sponsored a public forum at Layton High School to allow open discussion regarding all aspects of the West Layton Village ordinances. I attended to try and understand how the village center would adversely affect farmers and farming on the west side of the city, as claimed by the opposition. Mayor Curtis opened the meeting and introduced the major players. Two men, representing the opposition, got up and read statements defining their positions and concluded by asking everyone interested in knowing the truth to get up and walk out of the forum in protest. A few in attendance did just that; they walked out.

This was the opposition’s golden opportunity to convince Layton city residences that their claims were valid and the Village Center was going to be as bad for Layton as they have stated. All of the questions were asked by the residents in attendance, several were directed to the opposition, but they were across the street in the park rather that at the microphone presenting their facts and data.

America’s democratic process is one that demands honest, open dialog between opposing ideas ending in compromise. The opposition didn’t convince a single Layton voter to vote against Prop 2 and 3 by walking out in an ill-conceived protest. We were there to hear the facts.