A Nightmare

I'm dealing with a nightmare. I don't even know if I can explain it in a blog. For the past two years I've been elected to be part of the NFL district committee. This is a group of three people that are responsible for planning the district speech and congress tournaments in which we qualify students for nationals. It is a horrible position to be in because we have two groups within our district that despise each other and nobody is happy with any decisions that have been made. I'm caught in the middle of it because I've always been relatively neutral and have stayed on good terms with both sides. Until today at least. We've had bickering via email going back and forth about decisions that have been made, questions that haven't been answered, and general nastiness from some very strong personalities. For the most part I've been a passive member of the committee and haven't really made an effort to be more active. Generally I do what I'm asked and offer my opinion when asked. Now I'm trying to step up and get some things done because it's not going very well. I sent out an email today first apologizing for my lack of stepping up to the plate and finding out the answers that needed to be provided. I also commented on the fact that the original email sent out should have be directed specifically to the committee rather than the entire district. I answered the concerns aired the best I could. A few people responded in support. Two of the original email people responded by questioning some things I said. A third called me a liar and said I should be ashamed. Ultimately it all boils down to a total lack of communication which is ironic since we all teach "communication." I'm just tired of trying to remain neutral, not tick anyone off, and keep everything going. I guess I have to realize that I can't please everyone. It's just very frustrating and disheartening. Well, that's my vent right now. The arguments are still going and I'm trying to stay out of it. I'm voicing my opinion to the committee as needed, but I don't know if I should continue to straddle the fence or choose a side. I hate the idea of burning bridges.