Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16

Elected officials should be exemplars

I was dismayed to learn that Representative Jesse Young “… has been restricted from dealing with his legislative assistants for at least a year after accusations of mistreatment” (Peninsula Gateway, Feb. 2).

Not only that, but the House Counsel noted a “… pattern of hostile and intimidating behavior” and further stated that the “… allegations (against Young) are both credible and serious.” Representative Young has evidently been asked to complete an “… anger management program, a management training program and respectful workplace training.”

I believe that citizens have the right to expect our elected representatives to be people of strong moral character. I feel that a state representative who is barred from eligibility for a district office due to his behavior toward his own staff is not the right person to represent us in Olympia. While appropriate behavior toward one’s subordinates and co-workers is important for every one of us, I do hold our elected officials to an even higher standard. In fact, I believe they should serve as exemplars in civility, self-discipline and in showing respect for others. In my opinion, Representative Young has not exhibited the kind of character which should merit our support for his continued tenure as our legislative district’s state representative in Olympia.

Interference in elections is nothing new to US

We are told Vladimir Putin may have interfered in the recent election. For sure the Pope did, and first time in ages, the Catholic vote went Republican, 52 to 48 percent. Interference in others’ elections is such a shame? Whoa! As I recall, the U.S. has a long record of such interference. Harry Truman, then Most Powerful Man in the World, along with help of Brits successfully mixed up in the Greek and Italian elections after World War II.

More recently, former President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009 interfered in the Honduran election, trying to get Hondurans to ignore their constitution and install a Hugo Chavez clone as president. When the Brit’s Brexit vote was pending, Obama, who early in his presidency had sent Winston Churchill’s bust packing, warned of dire consequences if they voted for the exit. Like Hondurans, the Brits ignored Obama. When Egyptians deposed President Morsi, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in an American George Washington-style election, for almost a year, Obama and John Kerry tried to get President Sisi to reinstate Morsi, an action that would have again placed Egyptian women under Sharia Law administered by a macho man- ruled religion.

In the most recent Israeli election, Obama and Kerry funneled over $300,000 of U.S. funds to Netanyahu’s opposition. In all four cases, Obama failed.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Letters to the Editor, Feb. 16."