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My parents live in Front Royal, VA where I spent my last two years of high school. Front Royal is a small rural town in northwest VA, 60 miles but worlds away from Washington DC. Suburban sprawl is slowly but surely spreading farther and farther out and Front Royal is fast becoming a commuter town. Up until this past summer people had to drive 30 minutes to Winchester for any kind of shopping (other than Kmart and antiques).

There is a pretty deep divide between long-time residents and newer residents. This became very visible when Front Royal planned to put in a Walmart. Some people wanted the walmart, other people didn'twant it at all. Some people wanted the Walmart, but just in a different place (the original plan was to build it basicaly on a flood plain right on the beautiful Shenandoah river. This has all already happened and eventually the Walmart came, but was not built on the river (which I am personally content with). However, I'm gonna play devil's advocate here and say that I am trying to keep the community from expressing it's will.

I would plan a public meeting to look like I was trying to reach out to the community. However, I would plan it during the day so most working citizens wouldn't be able to come (especially those pesky, liberal commuting city folk who don't want the walmart on the river). I would also make sure to stay in a large group in auditorium style seating as much as possible. This would make it difficult for everyone to voice their opinions. It would be intimidating, but also there simply wouldn't be enough time to hear from everyone. I would try and pick a location on the opposite side of town as the proposed site for the walmart. That way it may be less likely that people directly affected would come. Publicity prior the the meeting would be minimal, but I would make sure that it was publicized in the paper the next day. Again, to keep the appearance of reaching out to the community, but really trying to keep participation down. I may even ask some leading questions if I'm really "manipulative"...

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