Refrain from politics of personal destruction | Letters | Sept. 10

Published 5:04 pm Thursday, September 9, 2010

We can do better. We are all passionate about our island and our world and that’s a good thing and sometimes we disagree and that should be OK regardless of point of view or political party. We should give each other space to disagree. We all … that includes me … need to listen and learn from each other.

However, instead of arguing the merits of the issues in an honest exchange of ideas some recent letters from some islanders have stooped to the politics of personal destruction by trying to demonize a candidate (James Olsen) they don’t see eye to eye with by referring to him with terms like “bigotry,” “intolerance,” “blunt,” “politically incorrect,” “ideologue,” “blatantly discriminatory,” “complainer(s),” “hyperventilating,” “divisive,” “extremist,” and “obstructionism.”

I’m sure Christine (Rolfes) and all other candidates for that matter appreciate all the support they can get but are no doubt embarrassed when their supporters behave like this and the press succumbs to publishing these personal attacks. We can do better.

Thomas R. Greene

Bainbridge Island