As someone who was born and reared in Oxford and continues to work in Oxford, I have only three words in response to most of the individuals who spoke during public comment at the Oxford Township Board of Trustees meeting that took place on July 13 – shame on you.
I have never been so utterly ashamed and embarrassed at the attitude that was on display at this meeting.
Having had close friends, co-workers and now family who have fostered and adopted children from all walks of life and all kinds of devastating situations, I cannot believe the small-mindedness on display at that meeting by a handful of people who seem to feel that a group of children living in their beloved corner of the township is going to completely destroy their way of life.
I spent many days of my childhood on Delano Road and years of my young adulthood riding at Metamora Open Hunt and I appreciate the beauty of that corner of the township.
A group of children living in your “neighborhood” is not going to change that.
My father always told me that if you do not take a stand against wrongdoing, you are giving your tacit approval.
Well, I refuse to give my tacit approval to this group of people who cannot see beyond their own noses and what is truly important in this world.
I welcome House of Providence and I hope they know that this small group of people is in no way representative of the rest of this community.
Susan Bullen McCullough
Oxford born and bred
Lapeer resident
‘Utterly ashamed and embarassed’ by attitude added by oxford_leader on
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To Susan McCullough,
We’re you at the meeting that night, or are you just going by the exaggerated rantings of comments against the ” horse country folk”?
This isn’t just a private foster home. This isn’t a private, single family dwelling, like all the other homes around us. This is an institution they are planning, it’s a business they run. Not the same as a private foster home, there’s a big difference.
Well said Susan! As for Ginny..between the above comment and your few seconds on the news it is clear you aren’t knowledgable about what foster care licensing entails. Please- you are not the victim in this. Take a minute to look outside of yourself and think about children who have been abused, neglected, and abandoned and what the environment you hold so dearly could mean to them. It seems you are against therapeutic group home settings, as a foster parent I ask, what are you doing to eliminate the need…there are 13,000 children in our state alone, who are waiting for an answer.
Can I just say this….I live next to a group home on Ray Rd. If I would’ve known this prior to moving, I would not have bought the property. I came to Oxford because of it’s “country” feel and to get away from the crime rates in the suburbs. The workers drive across our lawn, play gangster rap on their break in their car, are always outside smoking, the “intellectually challenged” residents are seen outside wondering for hours at a time (on our property and around our house) and the cops are there to help handle the ones that get out of control. I can’t even let my children play outside without worrying if one of the “special” residents got out. Last week, they just broke a window in a fit of rage. Yup, this is great “country” living. To think, I pay $7,000 in taxes a year. These centers do not bring value to the area, only raised crime rates, out of town riff raff and more use of our already limited community resources. Take them to Detroit or Flint. There’s plenty of property there for these kids. I don’t care if I sound greedy but we worked hard to get where we are and we are trying to protect our community from getting overrun by troubled citizens. It’s a part of life, deal with it. You don’t live here and you don’t have to deal with the repercussions. I like that my house isn’t broken into by troubled teens, let’s keep it that way.