‘Warwick Manners’

Editor, 

  Recently, a friend had an unsettling experience. While driving, another driver cut her off. As he pulled in front of her, he gave her “the finger” and pointed to the sticker on his car. His sticker showed support for one presidential candidate, while her car sticker expressed support for the other candidate. 

  My friend wondered if it was safe to show support for her candidate. I understand the feeling and am sure that she is not the only person to feel this way. 

My family moved from the Midwest 14 years ago. We quickly settled on finding a house in Warwick. Although it was a longer commute for my husband, we loved the friendliness of the people. As my realtor explained, in Warwick everyone always gives the right of way to the other driver. I found this to be true, and I found that there was always somebody to hold a door open at a store. 

  Our first year, a child on my daughter’s bus invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. No one asked my political party, or my religious beliefs. We were outsiders and made to feel welcome. My family has come to call this “Warwick Manners.”  We always comment to each other when somebody does something kind or helpful, that they have “Warwick manners,” even if they have never been to Warwick.

   With the nastiness of this political season, I’m sure I’m not the only one who wonders how we are going to become a united country again.   Let’s start locally, please use your Warwick Manners. Let this be a place we don’t consider members of another political party, the “other,” where humanity counts more than politics. 

  DIANE ROWE

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