To the Editor:
Though the General Election is behind us, a general sense of disorder remains. Snohomish County’s hip deep in a civic health crisis. It hasn’t magically appeared. It’s been imposed and welcomed. Instead of cavilling, let’s guide solutions by admitting to some realities?
Can we agree:
• Three generations of kids have been exposed to, if not baptized in a toxic stew presaging delinquency. Replete with violence glorification, misogynistic filth, egregious parental neglect in discipline, absentee fathers, overburdened single mothers, and a permissive pedigree of indoctrinated victimhood and defeatism.
• The disrespect manifested toward police is outrageous. Miscreants are toying with law enforcement. They bolt with a bird flip because officers, including Everett’s, often (still) cannot pursue. Talk about sending exactly the wrong message. The stop pretext doesn’t matter. “Do not pursue” emboldens the riffraff. Period. It isn’t “fomenting division” to say people fleeing police are a threat to public safety. What’s this “perceived status” business? “Hoodlum” cannot be a protected class. They must know with certainty they’ll be pursued, found, arrested, tried, and imprisoned if they jet. All collateral damage, including injury and loss of life, rests upon the person eluding.
• The impacts of bad policy aren’t anecdotal, they’re obvious. Leadership must put public safety first. Elected or appointed, any officials handcuffing the cops must be replaced post haste.
Paul Keller
Inmate, Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Aberdeen
Formerly of Snohomish County
