As I re-listened to the Town Council meeting from Tuesday night, I finally figured out what it was that was bothering me (like a sore tooth) about the discussion on anonymous statements by citizens.
(See Christiansburg Pet Peeves & Other Stuff blog.)The fact of the matter is that there are people, who for whatever reason, do not want to talk to Council members or Town Administration directly but feel more comfortable having someone else present their concerns. Most of the Town Council were against the idea of listening to these concerns because they are anonymous.
What bothers me about it is that these people are saying things that could be very important. It really would not take that long to simply listen to them then do a bit of digging to find out if they had any substance. Furthermore, if they are telling one person, they are likely to be telling others. This can open the door for a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings. When these issues are not acknowledged, it gives the perception that the Council does not care enough to even look at concerns. If it spreads far enough it ends up like some of the comments about Christiansburg that I have heard when I've been visiting other cities both in and out of Virginia, casting Christiansburg in a light that does not show its best side.
Anonymous sources were some of the best sources I had as an Investigator. They meant I had to work a bit harder to find out information, but it also meant I was not likely to be biased by someones relationship, place in the community, etc. The information was simply the information. Either there was evidence to support it or there wasn't.
There is a certain level of safety in providing information without identifying yourself. And, there are some people that need that comfort zone in order to express themselves. (Isn't there a psychologist out there somewhere reading this who would like to share some input?) Just because the information comes from an unidentified source does not mean it is not valid information.
Guess I would rather know the Council was looking at stuff like this rather than waiting to read about it in the paper when it gets passed around by individuals until it becomes a major issue.
Just my little old shy, withdrawn opinion.