Bert Dirschell
Centertown
Dear Editor:
Many were outraged over the COVID-19 threat posed by a few peaceful Michigan protesters; people who only wanted to start working again so that they could support themselves. Where is the outcry over the COVID danger being posed by the current protests/riots/looting?
More than 80 percent of Seattle voters have voted for Democratic presidential candidates during the past four elections. They have elected a Democrat to be mayor for more than 40 years. Voters in the state of Washington have elected a Democrat to be their governor since 1984. What have the Democrats done for them? Who controls the police department in Seattle? Who is responsible for the manner in which a city police department operates? It sure isn't the president of the United States.
More than a week ago rioters and looters took over at least a six-block area of Seattle. The takeover included driving the police out of the East Precinct station. The Democrats running the state and city are preventing police from enforcing state and local laws. The politicians care more about being politically correct than they do about the welfare of local business owners and the populace (Seattle Police Chief Best said that 911 response times have tripled since rioters shut down the precinct station). Can you think of another time when rioters and looters have chased police out of a precinct station during "peaceful" protests?
During the ongoing "protests" the Seattle mayor and the City Council of Seattle ordered the police to stand down and let the area be taken over by rioters. You can read about the "peaceful" protests on Seattle.gov's website spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/06/07/timelines-of-police-responses-to-demonstrations/.
During Seattle's May Day rioting in 2013 eight officers were injured and 17 people were arrested for assault and property damage. The "protest" cost Seattle taxpayers $300,000 just to pay for police department overtime.
In November/December 2014 "protests" cost taxpayers another $600,000 for police overtime.
The police overtime, damage to public and private facilities and the business losses experienced due to the "peaceful" Seattle protests will no doubt cost tens of millions of dollars.