I would like to sincerely thank the citizens of the town of Lewis and the surrounding areas who attended the forum on the missile silo the evening of Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Lewis Fire Department. Approximately 80 people attended, and I deeply appreciate the time all of you took out of your busy schedules.

I went into the meeting with a great deal of trepidation, based in equal parts on the portrayal of town halls in news reports and on the high level of emotion exhibited in many of the social media comments that news articles on this topic have attracted. I expected the meeting to be chaotic and aggressive, with little respect for my and others’ input. I was completely wrong, in large part based on inaccurate and misrepresented news reports of other town hall events (a pattern that continued for this meeting); the event as portrayed in the news was nothing like the actual meeting, and for that I am deeply thankful.

Far from the aggressive confrontation portrayed by press, I met with a group of respectful, thoughtful citizens who had legitimate concerns and were seeking information and insight. With only two real exceptions, the people in attendance respected each other’s right to talk and ask questions, and everyone seemed to have an opportunity to ask their questions and air their concerns.

For my part, I did my best to answer the questions posed to me as clearly and completely as I could. For the record, I wish to correct one statement I made: I stated that no aircraft landed at the Battlelab as part of the Jaded Thunder event. I wish to correct that statement: Aircraft landed briefly to discharge personnel, departed and then briefly returned to land and pick up personnel. My apologies, I was thinking of a different event when I made my initial statement.

The environment during the meeting, where people can legitimately and respectfully disagree and openly discuss their concerns, is what this nation is about. That ability is unique in the world today; it only exists in a small handful of nations. It is a right that must be earned, on an ongoing basis, and it is the reason that I, and my colleagues, do what we do. It is not something that can be taken for granted. Otherwise, we will lose it, as certainly as so many others already have.

The defense of that right, and others, is why our military exists, and why our military must remain the greatest and most powerful in the world. It’s why the men and women who act to protect it must practice, train and research continuously. And that is why the Battlelab exists: to support the men and women defending us.

I would also like to highlight what was, for me, the most important part of the meeting: a family attended with their children, and one young lady felt comfortable enough in the venue to ask a question. The question was about a neighbor who may be frightened by the noise because he has PTSD from prior military service. Her question was not political or self-serving; it was a show of quite legitimate concern about a neighbor who she wanted to help.

The fact that she felt comfortable, respected and safe enough to ask a question, without fear of ridicule or retribution, is a tribute to all who attended. Thank you for creating an environment in which that could occur. This occurrence and what it represents, more than anything else, and contrary to the news portrayals, gives me hope for our future.

Meeting outcomes broadly fell into two areas: (1) improved communication and (2) concern about noise. As I promised during the meeting, Unconventional Concepts, Inc. will modify our notification protocol to include local newspapers as well as the town, per our stated intent to more widely disseminate information in a timely fashion before events occur. With respect to noise: I welcome continuing dialogue, but I again reiterate that the event noise of concern is no more intense and of no longer duration at nearby homes than noise from other sources (such as rifles or mine blasting). However, I thank you again for raising the concern and being willing to discuss it; UCI will continue to work with the community on this issue.

Again, I thank you all for taking the time to attend the meeting and discussion, and for showing the respect that you did. I am heartened that what occurred that evening is still possible in the polarized environment in which we find ourselves. I only wish our government could do the same.

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Michael Hopmeier is the owner and president of Unconventional Concepts, Inc., a national security consulting firm.