City Council is creating policy that would prevent future resolutions regarding “religious or international politics.” Because it’s internal policy, Council members could pass it without taking public comment. This would be offensively undemocratic.
This should be of great concern to all of us. This opens the door for City Council to silence us on any number of issues connected to our community that we may feel called to speak out on.
We’ve done so before. In 2007, Council passed a resolution calling for U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. It was a contentious debate with City Hall packed. Veterans from World War I, Vietnam and more attended. Council at the time made the dignified choice to allow for this important debate.
Today, we are complicit as U.S. taxpayers in Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza that has killed nearly 30,000 people, and is driving countless more into famine and disease. Jewish and Palestinian community members have spoken at Council meetings to share why this affects them, and urge members to take a stance. Yet, City Council is on the verge of making a cowardly decision to silence our community in a time when open debate is needed more than ever.
Pack City Hall again, Durango. The next meeting is Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. Prove this town still has the dignity to stand for human life and we won’t sit by as our local institutions try to silence us.
Keaton Reid Griffith
Durango
