Letters to the editor for Nov. 16

Let Dems do it too

The U.S. Constitution prohibits government officials from receiving anything of value from foreign governments without the consent of Congress. It is clear from numerous testimonies that President Donald Trump asked Ukraine for help smearing his potential presidential rival Joe Biden in exchange for releasing foreign aid already approved by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Recently, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler along with all Congressional Republicans voted against an impeachment inquiry into Trump’s actions. That is, Beutler and other Republicans think it is OK for Trump to solicit help from a foreign government to interfere in U.S. politics.

If it’s all right for Republicans to do this, it’s all right for Democrats to do the same. So I urge Democratic candidates running for President to seek the help of England, Canada, France, Norway, Germany, Spain, Japan, etc. Nearly all countries (with the exception of Russia and Saudi Arabia) are appalled by Trump’s capricious and corrupt behavior over the last three years. They would be only too happy to help defeat him.

If the U.S. political system is now for sale on the international market, all parties should be able to participate.

An involved clergy perspective on the Fourth Avenue Bridge encampment

Slower than we want, less than we have, harder than we thought. A mantra for all sides.

That’s been my experience the past months as an involved Olympia faith leader and member of Concerned Clergy of Olympia (CCO) as we work with the residents of the Fourth Avenue Bridge encampment and representatives from the city of Olympia helping in the process of relocating this encampment community.

The journey into relationship with both the residents of the encampment and the city has felt like a dance of building trust and defining the relationship as we go. Yet there is no other way through this than relationship itself.

And we are making progress. The city is working toward solutions amongst the myriad codes, budgets, and stake-holder tolerances as various sites and conditions are vetted. The residents of Fourth Avenue Bridge encampment are doing good work, showing up for weekly meetings with members of CCO to draft rules, guidelines, good-neighbor policies in anticipation of a cooperative relocation.

They want to help write a new script. The CCO holds space for these meetings, inviting process and vision among the residents of the encampment even as we maintain respectful, vigilant witness and support to the city in our weekly meetings with them about the relocation process. It’s hard work. It’s heart-breaking work, for everyone. But there’s no other way through this.

And then I remember, sometimes a mantra is more about working with what is here than hoping for what might be.