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Editor, Asbury Park Sun,

The AP Dialogue Group’s Post Election Event was a great success. Thanks to the candidates who came, the people who brought food, all those who showed up, the “D” Group that planned the event, and Trinity Church who hosted it. I suggest that considering the disruption that most persons felt following the presidential election, regardless of who your candidate was, this event and other post election events served to restore our sanity.

Let the Historians who write about this era in Asbury Park, view this event as a model for every city and town in the nation. Democracy requires mature candidates and a mature electorate. There was more adult maturity in the campaign and election in Asbury Park, than there was in the presidential campaign and election. Post election events can help to cure the “hangovers” left over from the stress, strain and disappointments of elections. We tried it, and we liked it.

[Below a video by Tracy Rogers shot during the event. Excuse, the transmitted quality and slant]

A personal learning. We began the event by being asked to remember persons, places, and events from “back in the day” in Asbury Park. I heard again as I had heard before of the clubs, stores, parades, people, etc., that were remembered. There was the joy of recognition in the remembering that I heard in the voices and saw in the faces as people talked about what used to be. Racial and ethnic diversity was mentioned as a reality during those days. But, then someone mentioned that there was racial segregation in those days as well. I learned that as wonderful as were those memories were for those who had them, we in Asbury Park dare not adopt the slogan; “Make Asbury Park Great Again.”

Neither in the USA or AP, the past was never as “Great” as we imagined it was. That creates the Joy of this moment in time. We have the opportunity to create a nation and an Asbury Park that has not yet been, but can become!

My next letter about the Post Election event will focus on “Love” as defined, interpreted and expressed by Bob Marley, John Coltrane. Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, and the Bible. I hope the Asbury Park Sun will publish it even if it is viewed as being “X-Rated”. (Just kidding).

Gil Caldwell

a.k.a. Rev. Gil

Ocean Avenue

[These letters represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]

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