Codger’s Column: Us vs. Them

After “transparency,” a term that has been carefully muddied on the Island, the go-to political word is “divisiveness,” which seems to be a way of accusing someone with strong opinions of fomenting civil war by creating Us vs. Them stand-offs.

Codger doesn’t like those words. So right now, in the middle of the early voting in next week’s Democratic primary election, he thinks it’s time — for starters — to figure out just who is Us and who is Them here.

Growing up in the 1940s, Kid Codger’s understanding of Us vs. Them was simple. Us was the Allies, Them was the Axis Powers. Survival was at stake. Such moral clarity! Everything he did measured his loyalty to Us and hatred for Them, from saving tinfoil to singing songs slurring Japanese and Germans until, of course, Americans began buying their cars.

By then, Americans were hating Commies as the new Them. Despite duck and cover, Red Scares and the arms race, the Soviet Union turned out to be harder to hate than the Axis. Fresh Us vs. Thems were promoted, even Hippies vs. Hardhats, until construction workers began growing their hair long and wearing necklaces to get chicks.

Standard oldies were revived and hyped. Rich vs. Poor, Blacks vs. Whites, Men vs. Women, were found still workable. Christians vs. Muslims has shown some legs lately. The most obvious and dangerous one, Humans vs. Mother Nature, has never gotten the traction it deserves because it would mean confronting climate change and the call for inconvenient lifestyle alterations.

Hating must be made easy, witness all the people who are not required to read the books they want to ban.

The country has currently been settling for Democrats vs. Republicans, complicated by Trumpism and intra-party squabbles. Meanwhile, Us vs. Them on the Island seemed like a nasty recurrent undercurrent without clear definition. Codger hoped to learn who to hate during the League of Women Voters’ Democratic primary debate three weeks ago.

Codger was delighted when the excellent moderator, Jo-Ann Robotti, said that “development over recent years seems to increasingly cater to exclusive wealthy clientele resulting in a widening us versus them divide.”

When asked by Robotti how he would “balance the Island’s economy and opportunities for all Islanders,” Gordon Gooding, who is running for supervisor against the incumbent Gerry Siller, blamed Us vs. Them as part of the problem. He called for more open discussions and input from all segments of the community, from “well-heeled people” to a “Harelegger.”

Codger was on alert. Was he about to get a clue? But it didn’t quite make sense. Were people with waterfront estates they occupy two months a year versus full-timers who need two jobs and clandestine rentals to stay here really a match-up? Are all their interests that much different? Which one is against clean water?

In his turn, Supervisor Siller said Robotti’s question had a “very simple answer” which was “affordable community housing.”

Really? Although Codger liked the “simple” part, he wondered about that answer, too. Wouldn’t the well-heels support community housing to provide workers and volunteers? And wouldn’t the Hareleggers support it so younger members of their families could afford homes here?

Codger hoped the three Democratic candidates for Town Board might have an answer. Robotti smartly kept her question in play.

Ben Dyett, a lawyer and former chairman of Sylvester Manor, sidestepped Us vs. Them. He said: “There has to be every level of demographic here on this island for it to be healthy. And by catering to one or the other — like I said, I’m not sure I agree with that premise — but I will agree that we have to work harder to make sure that everyone who wants to be here can successfully be here.”

Former Town Board member Albert Dickson said: “Unfortunately, what’s happening in Washington, D.C. has come to little old Shelter Island, much to our chagrin. I think we need to be more inclusive. We need to pay attention more to each other and work together.”

Bert Waife, a bayman and businessman, said: “We all have our bubbles and our comfort zones. I’m well known in some arenas, and not so much in others. And then there’s a whole D and R divide. None of that is important on this rock since we are all affected by the same major issues. Solve the water quality problem in the Center, protect our wetlands, build affordable housing — absolutely critical — promote controlled commercial development and make town government more transparent and responsive.”

Codger felt exhilarated. Nobody to hate. He felt disappointed. Nobody to hate. There was common ground. He couldn’t wait to tell Crone.

Now he would have to wait for the Republicans to tell him who is Us and who is Them. Or not.