Squeaky wheels: Want change? Make sure you take a stand.

Forget for the moment whether or not the county commission should address the issue of conditions at the Wayne County Animal Shelter.

That question is for another day.

Today, think about how to effect change in this community.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that to get lawmakers to focus on a particular problem in a county, there has to be more than a little outcry from the community.

The slowness with which government takes action should not be a surprise to anyone. That reality comes from having so many priorities, limited funds and many other interests clamoring for attention.

So, if county animal lovers really want to get the commissioners to put the shelter conditions on the front burner, they should make sure someone knows they are not going to go away.

A petition, attendance at commission meetings, concentrated phone calls and maybe a letter or two are just what they need to do to get their message across.

And they need to keep at it.

Then, later, when the issue is on the agenda, they have to be willing to participate in discussions regarding how to solve the problem and become part of that solution.

Making this community better is everyone’s job.

Those who are fighting to correct the conditions at the animal shelter have the right idea.

When you care about an issue, the best way to get action is to get attention.

It is a lesson many of us should remember as we strive as a community to set a course for the county’s future.

Published in Editorials on November 14, 2005 10:29 AM