Words Have Meaning So Use Them Cautiously

The former Getty gas station at the corner of Udall and Hunter is now vacant, but is it blight?

Words are very powerful tools, and when used in a cavalier manner can construe an unwanted meaning or paint an inaccurate picture about someone or perhaps a community.

A recent article on WestIslipPatch.com reporting on a meeting of the West Islip Association (WIA) quoted one member of the organization as saying West Islip has blighted areas. The word blight caught my attention. When I think of a community with blight, the South Bronx of the late 1970s comes to mind. Empty, dilapidated buildings, perhaps burned out in a low-income neighborhood is the picture I conjure when mentally defining blight.

The dictionary definition of blight is: (noun), the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay: urban blight. This does not sound like West Islip to me.

Yes, there are a handful of vacant buildings, and town codes make it challenging for some property owners to develop the parcels of land such as the former West Islip Florist, the former True Value store and even the gas station at the corner of Udall Road and Hunter Avenue. Ironically, the WIA opposed a proposal to redevelop the gas station to a 7-Eleven.

But to say West Islip has blight is far from correct.

Local groups, especially those that desire to speak for a community, must understand that it is imperative that they accurately represent the challenges faced by their hometown and not exaggerate its current condition. And it’s also easy to point out what needs to change, but more challenging to work to find solutions.

West Islip is fortunate to have a number of community-based organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, West Islip Summit Coalition, Beautification Society and the WIA each playing their part to maintain and improve West Islip. But when working to impact change in our hamlet, it’s necessary to take great caution when using verbiage to describe the challenges we face. Otherwise, an inaccurate picture of our community may be painted.