Democracy rebuttal

To the editor:

Running for office, even the school board, is daunting – in many elections, there is only one candidate – is it hesitation about the significant responsibility, not having the time, or apathy? Who knows, but it is always a struggle to get community members to run for this or any office.

Yes, school boardmembers who are not running in the next election typically make room for another community member to be appointed to the board in order to get them comfortable with the role and learn about the many aspects of elected office. However, they must still run in the next election, face any other candidates, and win their seat. Mr. Greene should know this, as he ran for the school board a few years ago and overwhelmingly lost.

Just because we don’t agree with his values doesn’t mean we don’t practice democracy – in fact, weighing the candidates and then voting according to our values, both as individuals and as a community, is one of the most democratic things we can do.

Mark D. Emerson

Bainbridge Island

Flamingoes make me smile

To the editor:

A few weeks back, when I was going down High School Road to Safeway, I noticed that someone had placed some little pink plastic flamingoes on the roundabout. I laughed out loud and smiled all the way to the market since this old world is so sad and so many good people are hungry, homeless and suffering.

I welcome anything that makes me smile. I love the sign by the green light garage!

So a big hurrah and cheers to whoever placed those flamingoes! The purple flowers are pretty, and I love the color purple, but the flamingoes made me smile.

Helene Montroy

Bainbridge Island