To the Editor:
After attending last nights Keizer city council meeting (Monday, Nov. 9), I left with similar thoughts that I have experienced at times over my 37 years living in this great community.
There were times I would give the council the benefit of the doubt that the right decision would be made, only to witness that the fix was in. The majority of the council who were in attendance, led by the Mayor, decided to join with a small vocal minority of progressive supporters, led by Council or Roland Herrera, and added, what appears to be, a knee-jerk response to Keizer’s Value Statement that this group had insisted on. They did it just for appeasement, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many other Keizerites.
Frankly, it’s as if last week’s elections didn’t even come into consideration. Keizer spoke loudly that we preferred more conservative voices on the council than we did progressive ones. At times I felt lectured to, and at times I felt preached to, by two individuals specifically. Racism, hate, discrimination and violence toward anyone should, and is, roundly condemned throughout this community.
I felt at times they were being unfairly baked in with the “racist” label too frequently thrown out. Note that one speaker even encouraged the council to move quickly with this declaration, so it becomes effective before the new councilors are seated. Or does she mean the two elected by the majority in last week’s election? One thing will be absolute going forward. No matter what label you put in a value statement, it will do absolutely nothing to change the hearts and minds of those who already harbor hate in their hearts. And trust me, this won’t stop here from further demands being brought from this same group of “my way or the highway.”
Butch Dunn
Keizer