Consider the following (true) situation:
A group of people were disgruntled that their governing body was unresponsive to their needs and was rude and dismissive to them when they spoke up. They had no place at the decision-making table and felt ignored and belittled.
Their solution? They banded together in a grass-roots organization and rewrote the rules. As a result, they were vilified, threatened and the opposition spread lies about them and their new proposed law of the land.
In spite of all of this, our Founding Fathers continued as the activists they were. They declared independence from an overbearing and remote government (King George III) and created a new world. A world of democracy.
Activists created our country and Constitution. In fact, activists have created most of what we value most: civil rights, voting rights, gender equity, a less polluted planet and so many other accomplishments.
Without activists, our world would be in much worse shape.
Which brings us to Laguna.
In the recent city council Candidates Forum, Peter Blake criticized the same group of activists showing up to City Council meetings, as I’m sure King George criticized the Founding Fathers.
Both seem to have missed the point: activists are democracy in action. The alternative is hate-filled speech, intimidation and bullying. Peter Blake says he’s proud to be a bully.
Activists brought us the Constitution and local activists have brought us Measure Q. Both are expressions of the democratic process.
Measure Q empowers Laguna residents to vote on out-sized development projects. Vote Yes to Measure Q.
Merrill Anderson, Assistant Treasurer of Laguna Residents First PAC
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If that was all Measure Q did — “empowers Laguna residents to vote on out-sized development projects” — it wouldn’t be opposed by so many people like me with no skin in the game. We are activists as much as Mr Anderson, and we will fight anyone who tries to mess with the unique qualities of our hometown. That includes the people who are pushing a cure for a disease we don’t have. “DON’T BE FOOLED: VOTE NO ON Q.”