To the editor:
Your February article, "Local Teacher Pitches Tent in Solidarity," is disgraceful. It is filled with innuendo bordering on libel, guilt by association and reads as if it were written by the PR flack for SHARE/WHEEL and Tent City 4.
Nowhere does the article identify Ms. Peggy Hotes as a well known left-wing operative with a long track record of supporting radical causes. No, it simply pegs her a tad lower than Mother Theresa.
Yet the article billows over with snide accusations against those who question the whole fraud of TC4. The numbers engaged in weekly protests are minimized, unfounded accusations of misconduct are printed without question or an opportunity for comment from those accused, and Ms. Hotes' vicious personal attack on scores of friends of mine goes unchallenged.
The weekly informational pickets are designed to bring accountability to the whole TC4 fiasco on Finn Hill. At no time have any picketers yelled obscenities, been vulgar or disrespectful. On the contrary, they've been the victims of single digit salutes from some St. John Vianney congregants. So much for their spiritual condition.
But interestingly enough, the majority of those leaving the St. John Vianney parking lot who have expressed an opinion have smiled, waved, and given the thumbs up to the demonstrators who, by the way, are entitled under the federal and state constitutions to be there and voice the opinions. Oh, and the number of demonstrators you report are wrong, too.
Your article allows unfounded allegations of mischief and criminal assault to be associated with anyone who is "less than sympathetic to (TC4's) presence..." Joe McCarthy is smiling up at you from his special place in the depths of perdition for this classic smear job worthy of his name.
No where in your article is there any indication that you sought comment from anyone who questions TC4, any representative of King County Communities For Fair Process, or anything. Yet it's as easy as wiping your nose to go to www.tentcitysolutions.com and get scores of contact information, names and other data. But, you would do that only if you cared to be intellectually honest and present an even handed portrayal of the facts, now wouldn't you?
Ms. Hotes is giddy in her praise of TC4, which seems to be her idea of an extreme adventure vacation spot or theme park named "Habitat for Inhumanity." She gushes about the "community and...built in support group."
What community? Ms. Hotes, these are people with desperately serious life issues who need intervention, treatment, therapy, job help, and, yes in some cases, a good, hard, swift kick in the seat of learning. And what support group? Alcohol and drug treatment? Mental health therapy? Job training? Spiritual counseling? Transitional housing assistance? I don't think so! SHARE/WHEEL, the activists who run this circus, don't provide any of this and aren't interested in doing so.
And we all should swoon over Ms. Hotes conflict in whether to move along with TC4 when it leaves St. John Vianney or not. After all, as she says, "It does take some time from my life...." For you, Ms. Hotes, it's an inconvenience, but to those souls trapped in the terrible prison of homelessness, it's their life! You, with your condescending attitude, are electing to extend their term of imprisonment by not doing anything of substance for anyone but yourself.
Any newspaper with an article like this isn't worthy to line the bottom of a birdcage since it would be a grievous offense to the bird.
Scott St. Clair
Finn Hill
A brief reply:
While normally the Courier lets letters stand without comment, in this case a few words of clarification are in order.
Regarding Peggy Hotes, she readily admits to being a non-violent peace activist and makes no apologies for her views.
Also, Russ Zabel quoted a member of Tent City 4 when he detailed some of the harassment the group has experienced. The number of demonstrators came from two sources.
As for contacting someone at tentcitysolutions.com, while the site contains contact information for city officials, among others, it does not contain any contact information for members of the organization, as Mr. St. Clair contends. There is a list serve link; it should be noted that the Courier was dropped from this list following the publication of the paper's first article on Tent City 4 in December 2004.
In any event, the Courier stands by its story.[[In-content Ad]]
