Letter to the Editor

Small-minded people,

     It is a shame that some people in our community have come to categorize our Hispanic population as the barrier that stops Hampton from being a “strong, vibrant, and beautiful community.” When I see Hispanic families at the park, taking their children for walks, watching their child’s soccer game, it makes me extremely grateful that we have such close-knit families in Franklin County. Up until recently, I was proud of our community for making all families – no matter ethnicity, sexual preference, or social economic status – feel welcomed.

     It is important to remember that there are a lot of hard-working Hispanic families, and to generalize them so negatively is appalling! Furthermore, to view Caucasians as the silver lining to the community is even more hypocritical. We house a lot of low income families – of all ethnicities. There will always be people who abuse the government programs, but there are also people who use them to get on their feet.

     As for the amount of tickets and arrests given to Hispanics, it makes me laugh to think that someone is so narrow-minded to the think that our Hispanic community solely bombards our police force with extra work. Apparently, Caucasians are not capable of breaking the law.

     Let’s look at what our Hispanic population has done for our community. We have wonderful kids in our school systems, who are participating in a NEW sport [soccer] that we haven’t been able to offer. Furthermore, we have businesses that are bringing people to the area. Car dealerships and restaurants, being some of the top benefits to our diverse community. If we didn’t have this group of people, our “white” students would be divided among several school districts to keep numbers up; while our buildings would go uninhabited, and a couple broken windows will seem like nothing!

     I, for one, feel that we need to be appreciative of the diversity, and embrace the families, who are making Hampton and the surrounding area a great place to live!

     Kelsey Chaplin

     320 Spruce Ave.

     Ackley