Where do you draw the line between doing your job and doing what's right? A difficult, and sometimes dangerous, choice. The question represents a gap the size of the Grand Canyon, and how do you transition from the left side of simply doing what your boss may tell you to do, to the "right" side of doing what your job really IS, which may also be the morally right choice? It takes a huge leap of faith and a great deal of courage to make the jump, and it sometimes results in a plunge to the canyon bottom rather than a secure landing on the other side.

The recent firing of Roy Bysegger and another key individual at Sultan City Hall by Mayor Rowe would, on the surface, appear to be casualties of the leap. That is not true. What is ironic is that these individuals were simply doing their jobs and the mayor did not like the results. He then proceeded to have a temper tantrum.

Each one of us, in the middle of the night, or in the morning when we rise and look in the mirror, must be held accountable for our actions in the toughest court in the world: Self-image. Whatever our actions may LOOK like to others on the outside, it's what we feel within ourselves that matters. That's where the moral rubber meets the road we've chosen to follow. Because it's our ACTIONS, not our words, that define us, and the world we live in.

Councilmember Perry McPherson said in a Herald article that, "I wish I had a magic wand I could wave and bring everybody together." Well, I do, too, Perry. We all have a lot of work to do together.

In a recent Letters to the Editor, Bob Ostrom said: "May I suggest to those supporting the recall, withdraw the petition, draft a list of grievances and arrange for a meeting with Mayor Rowe and Councilmember Porter." Mr. Ostrom, please do not insult the intelligence of Sultan residents. We asked months ago for a meeting to discuss some of the concerns we and other residents have had, with not even the courtesy of a "Thank you, no." This offer of a meeting, and volunteer help to the community, has been a continual posting on our website (www.ittakesgrit.org) ever since. It is still there. The silence of the response has been deafening.

I'm sure there are many in Sultan who believe that I and my husband, Ray, as co-founders of G.R.I.T., have had a significant role to play in the fractionalization of Sultan. There is, sadly, perhaps a bit of truth to that. But we began G.R.I.T. for one reason: To make the government of Sultan accountable for its actions -- which we, and others, viewed as destructive -- by getting the truth out to its residents. And with the passage of time, it is becoming clear that there is a lot of truth to be told. And truth-telling is a painful process, sometimes. Removing a cancerous growth from a living organism is going to be costly and will hurt. But it is ultimately necessary for the entity's survival.

I believe in the basic goodness of people. Ray and I have met many moral and ethical individuals who are working hard for Sultan's future. I have no doubt they will continue to do so, and will forge for Sultan a reality different than the one seen by those who currently have a stranglehold on our city.

Thanks and appreciation to all in Sultan who are working for a brighter future, and a better self-image reflected in their own moral mirrors.