[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified resident. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of South King Media, nor its staff. The writers of this Letter have campaigned and contributed to candidates Patricia Hudson, Cydney Moore, and Krystal Marx.]
On behalf of Community Visions and ACLU Burien People Power, we would like to remind you to vote by November 7th. Your ballot this year includes seats for city and county council, school board, judges, and commissioners for port, fire, water and sewer districts; in addition to the person who oversees our elections. The people we select to fill these roles will make policy decisions that impact your life most immediately.
Local elections are important. Democracy takes teamwork and there are no tryouts. We hope you will join in.
We don’t think the damage that has been done to our democracy in the past several years can be overstated. Sources of credible information have come under attack. The rule of law and the role of nonpartisan public servants in ensuring free, fair, and well-informed elections have all been undermined. Major political figures declare that elections only count if they win. We have witnessed attacks on history, on education, on science, on public health, on journalism, on healthcare, on bodily autonomy, on the basic acceptance of neighbors of differing religions and races and cultures and gender expressions. There’s an openly anti-democratic majority on the US Supreme Court. Voting rights, civil liberties, and proportional representation have been undermined by anti-majoritarian forces. Governing bodies like the US House of Representatives and the Tennessee State legislature have tried to use disciplinary actions against public figures for engaging in advocacy they do not approve of.
Burien is not an island, isolated from these national trends. We are susceptible to the same risks, and every member of our community has a duty to exercise their right to a free and fair election.
A functional democratically representative government of, by, and for the people is not a guarantee. It is an aspiration that requires leaders who are responsive to the needs of all community members—and that requires an engaged and informed electorate. We urge you to take time to learn about the positions on the ballot and the people running to serve us in these roles.
Irene Danysh & Nancy Kick
Community Visions & ACLU Burien People Power
Resources:
- The B Town Blog’s “10 Questions” for Burien City Council candidates
- People Power Washington’s 2023 Public Safety and Policing Voter Guide
- The League of Women Voters’ Candidate Forums (includes city council and school board)
- You can also refer to each candidate’s website or social media for more information on their positions.
Community Visions: https://www.facebook.com/CommunityVisionsBurien
ACLU Burien People Power: burienpeoplepower@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook @BurienPeoplePower
EDITOR’S NOTE: Do you have an opinion you’d like to share with our highly engaged local Readers? If so, please email your Letter to the Editor to scott@southkingmedia.com and, pending review and verification that you’re a real human being, we may publish it. Letter writers must provide an address and phone number (NOT for publication but for verification purposes). Also, because we’re getting a lot of Letters during this 2023 election season, we will also attempt to include what writers have contributed to candidates via the PDC website. Read our updated Letter to the Editor policy here.
