Letter to the editor: Questions for county commissioner after courthouse protest

Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope,

I was really hoping to get your attention by showing up on Aug. 25. Even though I’m pretty sure you weren’t there, I was pleased to see you responded to one of my statements in the comments section on The Chronicle’s Facebook page with a dismissive, but not outright hostile tone.

That was much kinder than that coward Joel McEntire’s comments about how many insane Lewis County residents there must be.

Now that I have your attention, I would really like you to ask how you reconcile some of your positions.

I question how your interpretation of your faith influences how you rationalize your decisions.

I don’t understand why you don’t advocate for the most data-driven harm reduction when it comes to equipment to inject drugs.

I don’t see how you can align with the president when his poorly planned, authoritarian immigration policy is causing so much harm to people that have been living here and don’t have a path to legal immigration because of our broken system.

I don’t see how you reject state funding for homelessness because Lewis County will become a “sink hole.”

I have utilized public transportation for years of my life. I have lived near mental health and addiction services for years of my life, and I have a lot of neighbors where English is their second language or they do not speak any English. All these people deserve the most dignity and kindness we can offer.

As a non-religious person, the morals imparted to me say I need to prioritize the care of these humans (regardless of legal status) over an economic argument. I own a home and I understand a budget, Sean, so please don’t condescend to me.

How we spend our money is all about what we choose to prioritize. Should we arrest and deport criminal illegal immigrants? Yes, and Washington state already complies with the federal government to do that.

Your priorities do not align with mine. I clearly also do not believe they align with Christ. What I really want to know is how much of a sycophant you are for Trump.

I pose questions on other issues.

Will you consider looking at data and science and reassess your position on syringe and other addiction services?

Will you stand against other fear mongers in your party and fight to preserve mail in voting? Will you stand and fight to protect your state if the federal government tries some sort of illegal occupation?

Or are you just a boiler plate Christian and lap dog for Trump?

Brandon Tucker
Chehalis

Editor's note: The letter writer was featured in The Chronicle earlier this week for a protest outside the Lewis County Courthouse.