Ex-city council candidate pushes back on editorial
As a private citizen, holding no public office, I take exception that my remarks on Twitter concerning bigoted calls and e-mails to our city leaders by sports fans were “over the top”. The actual calls and e-mails were “over the top”.
As you recall, after our city council made a land use decision on a street vacation for a sports entertainment complex in SoDo, our city leaders were lambasted with hundreds of hateful and bigoted e-mails and phone calls from supporters of the Hansen arena project. These were generated as a result of weeks long dog-whistling from commentators in sports media. Those are the facts.
During and after Donald Trump’s campaign for US President, a similar phenomenon took place, and some of it--again, was directed toward electeds in Seattle, and other leaders in our community. What your editorial clearly missed is that bullying and threatening speech--whether it is from a supporters of a White Nationalist presidential candidate, or from supporters of a building project, is cut from the same cloth, and as such is equally reprehensible. I called it out for what it is, because we cannot allow it to be normalized.
More than ever, our elected officials need to be supported in making good policy decisions, so that thoughtful, researched, and rational decisions can cut through the signal to noise ratio. If hateful vitriol is how special interests want to influence policy makers, they need to own the spoils, or move on.
John Persak
Seattle
The power (and importance) of protest
Protest is a great American tradition. Protesting is a human right. The bill of rights guarantees the freedom of speech, and the freedom to address grievances to the government by protest. Effective means of protesting should be thought to every student in this country.
American history has many examples of famous protests. The Boston tea party and the Boston massacre are examples of successful protests that lead to the American revolution. Another example of a successful protest is the suffragettes. These women protested for the right to vote against violent oppression. The Black lives matter protests are another example of a prevalent protest. Black lives matter is in the great tradition of the freedom riders from the 1960’s. Modern protests for modern change should be encouraged.
Citizens should exercise their rights, or they might be in danger of losing them. The constitution included those rights for a reason. They were also included for all people, and all points of views. Citizens should not receive negative consequences for exercising their rights. This will inhibit their use of the rights. These basic human rights should be celebrated, not punished.
Jan Ciganik
8th grade
McClure Middle School
Congrats and a message of support for Jayapal
Congratulations to Congresswoman-elect Pramila Jayapal. (‘Jayapal to Congress’ by Joe Veyera, Queen Anne & Magnolia News, November 15, 2016) She is correct in asking her constituents to stand together in the coming years. Our voices will help her extend the Earned Income Tax Credit to childless working adults so they are not taxed into poverty. Our voices will help make sure the safety net works to aid the hungry and the homeless until the underlying causes can be dealt with. She will need our support to accomplish important work for the people of Washington, America, and the world in the future.
Willie Dickerson
Snohomish