The tragedy that took place in Orlando put me in mind of how important the concept of community is. Events that horrific often prompt reevaluations about some of our basic understandings of how the world works, or how we wish it would). My partner and I are members of a small and very tight knit community where we have all bound together in common purpose to accomplish things many thought not possible. With that history in mind, where it has been proven that people can come together to accomplish great things, I continue to have faith that the greater community that is CBRM will be able to come to terms with the immense challenges we face. Somehow we will find a way forward. Whether the port project rises or falls, Sydney will go on. The struggle to create greater opportunities for ourselves and our neighbours will continue. The need to overcome the sad reality of child poverty and economic inequities will also continue. The solution for many of these challenges will come more easily if we can overcome some of our divisions and figure out how to communicate better and to be more open to accept reasonable compromises. Even better, but what I think is a less likely outcome, would be that people who don't share our opinions on a subject would choose to give others the benefit of the doubt, rather than to condemn them and the opinions they hold. To that point, I have been guilty of some heated rhetoric, in response to what I believe have been some overly harsh posts and comments on port issues. If anyone was offended by my words or thought them condescending, I offer sincere apologies. From here on, I intend to take the advice of Susan Whitaker, who advised me in a comment to "dial it down". I will try my best to do so, in the interest of the future of the community, which all of us want to see succeed, to grow and to be strengthened. That we differ in our opinions of how to get there is, in the greater scheme of things of less importance than the fact that despite outward appearances, what connects us is far larger than that which divides us. Back to Orlando...during the Tony Awards last night, there were a few powerful tributes paid to and comments made about the obscene violence that took place in the Pulse nightclub two nights ago. One of the most moving was presented by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer and star of the hit musical Hamilton. He composed a sonnet about the tragedy and demonstrated to me through tears and his art that out of chaos, affirmation of life and love can emerge. For anyone who chooses to see the video clip of his sonnet, it is embedded in a Huffington Post news story linked below: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lin-manuel-miranda-acceptance-sonnet_us_575e0486e4b0e39a28adf831