Doing the right thing

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(This blog was written by Jennifer Sammartino, Deputy Chief of Staff)

I recently had the pleasure of seeing “To Kill A Mockingbird” on Broadway. It is one of my favorite books, and for my own edification I’ve read a lot about Harper Lee, Truman Capote and others of that time.

The first time I read the book, I recall being shocked by its content. I was young, came from a mostly-white neighborhood, and didn’t understand – or have the capacity to understand – the history of our country as it pertains to racism.

I’ve re-read the book a few times, saw the Gregory Peck film, and never lost my luster for it, despite having also read “Go Set A Watchman,” a “lost” work of Harper Lee which was published in 2015.

However, after seeing Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation come to life at the Shubert Theatre I found a new love for the work. But this isn’t a review of the play – this is about the message I took away from it: Trying to do the right thing is the right thing to do.

In the play’s final scene, Scout comes to the realization that although we are all flawed in one way or another, we must do our best, be our personal best. She says, “Trying to do the right thing is the right thing.”

​This hit home for me because this is what we do every day at Borough Hall. We try to do the right thing. Whether it’s a reading initiative for children, a health initiative for adults, railing against plans that don’t make sense for the Island, or getting a pothole filled, at the core of everything we do – led by Borough President Jim Oddo – is the will to do good.

Recently, as my role at Borough Hall has changed, I have had to learn a tough lesson or two that I had previously resisted. The fact is, we can’t win every battle. But we can make a difference. We can make a huge impact by trying. Doing nothing is the ultimate failure.

​But this Borough Hall team does something- many somethings – every single day. We try to make Staten Island better by listening to our constituents; we try to make improvements based on what we see and hear and by borrowing ideas from other municipalities. We try to make plans that make the most sense for the Island we love while preserving its unique landscape. We try. We try because we care. And we’ll keep trying. Because it’s the right thing to do.