Letter to the editor: Unimpressed by columnist’s call for unity

I found myself unimpressed by the teary calls for faithfulness and unity in the commentary piece recently submitted by Chronicle columnist Brian Mittge.

I’ve been part of the Patron Coalition for Local Libraries, which is working to salvage the Timberland Library System after fiscal mismanagement has driven these valuable community resources to the brink of collapse.

Instead of embracing all the many diverse communities of the Timberland Library System catchment, Mr. Mittge has apparently been issuing notices to Timberland Library System leadership calling for what I might describe as a repudiation of diversity to win his support for a levy lift to restore Timberland Library System finances.

The memo I viewed calls for the Timberland Library System to “be beige, not rainbow,” and insisting leadership reject celebrations of minority groups and cultures. If that’s part of his message of “unity,” I for one would prefer not to read it in The Chronicle or have it infest our already beleaguered library system, which deserves every intelligent reader it can draw into its doors.

L.J. Cameron

Thurston County