Red Stevens - Election - Letter to the Editor

A few days ago I stopped by the Republican party campaign center downtown for a voter pamphlet, and just to chat. As I was leaving some one called out to me, “Be sure to vote for Rich Mays— he knows what to do about these Black Lives Matter people!” I’ve been thinking about that. I know Sheriff Lane Magill and his Department do seem to know what to do about BLM people. They’ve shown the same efficient, respectful and responsive attention to logistical and traffic management of BLM activities that they do for all The Dalles downtown street events. Probably shows why Lane Magill is running unopposed for reelection. What more does Mayor Mays need to do? Come by and heckle demonstrators? Really, heckle them? Such sophomoric behavior ill suits a chief executive whose duty is to preside impartially over The Dalles civic life, especially when The Dalles has long chosen to designate his position as nonpartisan. Might be harmless “fun” if it didn’t raise such echoes from our nation’s—and Oregon’s own—not-so-distant past. Perhaps this hints at why Mr Mays is not running unopposed. During this tense pandemic time, it’s all the more important for us to hang together. Maybe we need a more respectful, unifying leader, like Solea Kabakov, one who exhibits a more compassionate response to the needs of all our citizens. If we find it too difficult to love our neighbors, we should at the very least maintain (as the Declaration of Independence says) “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind.”
Red Stevens