Dear Editor:
In response to FOIA request that is being circulated on various social media platforms as an attempt to discredit my candidacy for Chelsea School Board, I would like to make the following public statement regarding a threatening incident nearly 9 years ago from Mr. Hills.
On January 10, 2014, I entered the parking lot shared by the Ugly Dog Distillery and the Martial Arts studio where my children were taking classes. As I entered the parking lot, I was stopped by a contracted worker, who was using a motorized blower to clear the parking lot of rocks and debris in preparation for an asphalt repair project.
He shouted orders at me to leave the parking lot and I matched his energy with my verbal response. He escalated the situation and turned his blower toward me and sent the rocks and debris onto my truck which lead to a heated verbal argument where Mr. Hills insinuated he owned a gun.
I was in possession of my firearm and my concealed carry permit that evening and immediately informed Mr. Hills I was carrying a firearm and then called the police. And as it states in the police report, I was the one who initiated police intervention and also informed them of my CCP and firearm. The police arrived, de-escalated the situation, and Mr. Hills and I parted ways without any further conflict.
In today’s political environment it is rare to see candidates for public office take ownership of mistakes they have made in the past. As a father of 3 amazing children, I’ve always tried to lead by example. I raise my kids with the belief that people always do the best they can with the resources they have available, and we should always take responsibility for our actions, regardless of the outcome. I will never avoid an opportunity to reinforce those lessons.
So, here’s my take on the situation between myself and Mr. Hills and the outcome I hope it creates.
No matter how rude someone may be, it doesn’t justify being rude back. That night, I wasn’t tapping into all my available resources and I was equally rude to Mr. Hills. I apologized to him that evening, and if given the opportunity to meet him person-to-person today, I wouldn’t hesitate to apologize still.
I have no animosity to Mr. Hills for how he treated me as I’m sure he wasn’t tapping into all of his emotional resources that evening either. We are both reasonable men, who that evening, behaved unreasonably. I regret that, and I’m sure If you asked Mr. Hills he would probably feel the same.
As a Physician’s Assistant specializing in cardiothoracic surgery, I’ve interacted with families during some of their most stressful times. Sometimes that stress understandably brings out the worst in them. That has taught me to realize that the wholeness of a person should never be judged by their lowest day.
Mr. Hill and I shared a low day on January 10, 2014, but it would not be fair to either of us to be defined solely by our behaviors that evening. And I’m sure if you were to ask Mr. Hill, as a reasonable man, he would agree. I feel we should, however, evaluate the character of a person by their consistent repeatable behaviors. And I have a track record of treating people with courtesy and respect and serving my community. My wife and I have consistently volunteered our energy and resources to the schools of Chelsea for over 14 years. If you want to know the kind of person I am, ask the students and their parents who work alongside me to create a positive impact on our community’s children.
As a volunteer baseball coach for the children in Chelsea, I teach the importance of fair play, competitiveness, and giving 110% to your goals. I teach them the importance of handling defeat with respect and celebrating victories with grace and humility. And now I find myself in a new world of competition – campaigning for the privilege to serve my community in public office. And in this political competition, I will give 110% to this goal and always exercise fair play, regardless of how my opponents for Chelsea School Board choose to run.
Tough times foster strong minds. We all have the ability to allow adversity in our lives to become opportunities for learning and growth. I’ve chosen to grow and become a better person as a result of my interaction with Mr. Hills and I’m sure he has, too.
Ross Greenstein
Chelsea
