How we will react defines us

People who regularly attend meetings of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors suspected that it was Barbara Hudson, a local attorney, who contacted the American Civil Liberties Union about pre-meeting public prayers by board members that included references to Jesus Christ.

When the lawsuit was filed, the plaintiff was identified in court papers only as Jane Doe, an anonymous female resident of Pittsylvania County who regularly attended the meetings.

Who could that be? People wanted to know.

On Valentine’s Day, we learned that Jane Doe was Hudson.

The symbolism of that date represents a challenge to those people who are frustrated and angered by this lawsuit. At the very least, Hudson should be treated with tolerance, regardless of how one feels about this lawsuit and the core issue of public sectarian prayer by elected government officials.

This community will be judged, in part, by what happens to Hudson from here on out. Knowing her name shouldn’t change her life. She should be left alone. That’s not an endorsement of her stand against the Board of Supervisors, it’s simply the only decent thing to do.

It’s not enough to follow the words of District Judge Michael F. Urbanski, who recently wrote: "While citizens of Pittsylvania County and members of the community at large are free to express their opinions on this case, threatening or intimidating acts directed against anyone involved in this lawsuit will not be tolerated or condoned by inaction. Individuals that become aware of such conduct should immediately notify the court or the United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia."

It should never come to that — even for people who truly believe that Hudson has made a terrible mistake by pushing this lawsuit.

We know that people of faith in the Dan River Region want to find more ways to bring God into public life, not less. To them, this lawsuit against the county government is exactly the kind of thing they didn’t want to happen in their community. More than a few of them have noted with frustration how just one person was able to file this lawsuit.

That’s true, of course. One person can file a lawsuit that can affect society. But that’s part of the American legal system. At this point, we don’t know if the attorney for Pittsylvania County, Bill Stanley, will be able to find a way to prevail. The odds are against it, but that’s not the point.

The point is that we have to live with one another, regardless of how we feel about this case. No community, including this one, can afford to allow its angriest members single out one person for scorn and ridicule, even if the majority believes she’s wrong about some of the most important things in their lives.