The Gull's Call - April/May/June 2024

President'sColumn by Bill Pai, Community Board President

and in some extreme cases even physical threats have been made. These are unfortunate and show that CHBI is not immune to the declining standards of civility in society at large. As Board president, I request that all homeowners respect that the board and staff members are working to the best of our ability to fulfill our responsibilities promptly and ethically. Also, that it is impossible to accommodate everyone’s wishes in every situation that arises. We all share a common goal of preserving property values and the quality of life in this community, and sometimes efforts to do so require flexibility and compromise. As Judge Learned Hand said in a famous speech in New York’s Central Park, "the spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias." President John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural speech that “Civility is not a sign of weakness.” Nor does the effort to be civil during disputes mean that strength of conviction or clarity of expression must be sacrificed. Differing points of view can still be expressed passionately, but we can disagree without being disagreeable. In closing, I provide an example of a civil debate that occurred on the floor of the British Parliament in 1862. Although bitter political adversaries, note how the two participants were unfailingly polite, yet still able to clearly express their opinions of each other: Gladstone: You, sir, will either die on the gallows or of some loathsome disease. Disraeli: That depends, sir, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress.

I N RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN MUCH HAND wringing by various commentators about the decline of civility in American culture. Examples can be seen all around us; from the political sphere to everyday interactions between strangers running errands. No longer does it seem sufficient to debate an issue on its merits, partisans now regularly attempt to disparage and demonize the character of those who disagree with them. A dearth of civility is unfortunate in any society, but none more so than in a democracy, where informed debate and compromise are essential. Our Founding Fathers had strong disagreements on many issues during their debates over independence and the drafting of the Constitution. Despite those, they managed to reach consensus when it mattered, and forge a new country that was unique in the history of the world. The passage of time has only increased our appreciation for the magnificence of their achievement. During my tenure as a member of the CHBI board of directors over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to hear from many homeowners on matters important to them. These include issues that impact the entire community (such as rising sea levels and housing), and those that may concern only one homeowner and a neighbor (such as architectural applications). It is altogether fitting and proper that this type of dialogue take place, as the board is in place to serve the interests of homeowners and the community in general. However, on occasion some homeowners have felt it necessary to verbally attack CHBIOA board members, the Community Offices staff, or their own HOA board. There have been accusations of incompetence and corruption,

6 April | May | June 2024

The Gull’s Call