Natchez-Adams County stands at a crossroads. One path leads to further community divisions; the other to reconciliation.

The path the community chooses to take may affect everything for decades to come.

Our community has approached many such crossroads in the past, some successfully and others not.

The latest intersection comes after the community has become deeply divided on the direction of the public school district.

School leaders have pushed through a $9 million loan measure, and a plan to borrow up to $25 million more for a school bond issue, in spite of voters handily defeating a similar measure in May.

The differences have resulted in name-calling, threats and other accusations, all of which are sad given that the entire discussion should center on the children of the district and what they need most, not the desires, wishes and whims of adults.

Emotions are running high in the wake of the recent squabbling.

We can choose the easy path of digging in, holding our respective ground and refusing to budge. That path will lead to greater community division and more problems.

Taking the more difficult path is the only chance we have to begin to mend those divisions.

That path starts with all sides agreeing to stop their present courses, seek first to understand the other sides of the argument, then to be understood.

Only then can common ground be found and perhaps a compromise reached.