Last night’s council meeting was another reminder of just how far this town has drifted from the version of itself many of us once loved. People removed from meetings. Residents repeatedly talked down to. Public service turned into power plays, PR spins, and endless attempts to rewrite reality in real time.

And honestly? HONESTLY. People are beyond exhausted. Right?

Not because disagreement exists. Disagreement is healthy and important. People are exhausted because nobody seems willing to just say the obvious thing out loud anymore.

At this point, some officials seem far more focused on managing the narrative than actually repairing the damage. We are watching carefully crafted stories designed to absolve certain people of responsibility while critics get painted as “divisive” simply for asking questions.

We are watching public criticism treated like betrayal instead of a normal part of seeking leadership.

And meanwhile, the town itself feels more fractured by the week. The “Mayberry” slogan of yore keeps getting thrown around, but you cannot brand your way into community while simultaneously fueling hostility, suspicion, and performative outrage.

You cannot keep asking residents to calm down while leadership keeps escalating the temperature.

You cannot demand trust while refusing accountability.

And you cannot keep selling people a “Mayberry” fantasy while this town is actively being pulled apart in real time.

I think that’s what people are reacting to now. Not disagreement. Not politics. Not even mistakes.

People are reacting to the complete refusal by the majority to acknowledge the damage they’ve caused while demanding everyone else move on from it.

At some point, this stops being about politics and starts becoming about town culture, about what kind of town we are creating for ourselves and for the people quietly watching all of this unfold.

Right now, I don’t think many people recognize or even understand the version of Purcellville we’re becoming.

For my part, I’m no longer interested in feeding the outrage machine. I’m interested in building the kind of town I moved here for. One rooted in accountability, honesty, humility, and actual neighborliness — not tone deaf slogans and tabloid-style spin campaigns.

Let them posture, perform, and podcast.
Let them try to control the story.

The rest of us should focus on becoming impossible to divide.