Previously, I had agreed with a local newspaper to participate in an “Ask the D.A.” column. That effort was not widely utilized by readers, and went away several years ago. Lately, I have been asked many questions in the community, and I believe it would be useful to briefly resurrect the “Ask the D.A.” concept at this time. Please see below:
Q: In your letter in June 2020 about Black Lives Matter and local social justice demonstrations, and then again in your September 2020 letter endorsing Joe Biden for President, you repeatedly asked people to vote. What are your thoughts on the Presidential election results?
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpi q=24< H@>6? D2G65 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @7 p>6C:42] x? 255:E:@?[ r@?8C6DD>2? y:> r=J3FC? @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 W7@==@H65 G6CJ 4=@D6=J 3J $E24J p3C2>D 7@C 96C H@C< :? v6@C8:2X 56D6CG6D 5:DE:?4E C64@8?:E:@? 7@C 9:D =6256CD9:A 2?5 4CF4:2= C@=6 :? E96 a_a_ AC:>2CJ 2?5 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?D] %96 2?2=JD:D @7 E96 G@E6C 52E2 2G2:=23=6 E@ 52E6 D9@HD E92E q=24< 4:E:K6?D @C82?:K65 2?5 E96J G@E65[ 2?5 5:5 D@ :? C64@C5 ?F>36CD] x? 5@:?8 D@[ 56>@4C24J H2D AC6D6CG65] %9:?< 23@FE E92E] pD 7@C>6C q@DE@? r6=E:4D r@249 s@4 #:G6CD 6=@BF6?E=J D2:5 62C=:6C :? a_a_[ :E :D 2DE@?:D9:?8 E92E q=24< 4:E:K6?D 2C6 6G6? 23=6 E@ =@G6 E9:D 4@F?ECJk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmF?56C 2== 9:DE@C:4 2?5 4FCC6?E 4:C4F>DE2?46D H9:49 D9@HD E92E E96J 2C6 ?@E =@G65 324<] s6DA:E6 E92E[ E96J =@G6 E96 :562=D @7 @FC 7@F?5:?8 5@4F>6?ED 2?5 4=62C=J 5:D46C?65 E96 AC@7@F?5 DE2<6D :? E9:D DA64:7:4 6=64E:@?] %96J 2DD6>3=65 :? 9:DE@C:4 ?F>36CD[ 2?5 2=@?8 H:E9 @E96C G@E6CD[ AF==65 E96 C6DE @7 FD @77 @7 E96 3C:?<] $@ J6D[ >J q=24< 3C@E96CD 2?5 D:DE6CD >@C6 E92? >2EE6C] p?5 ?@H :? E96 27E6C>2E9[ H6 D9@F=5 36 9@CC:7:65[ J6E ?@E DFCAC:D65[ E92E :E :D E96:C G@E6D :? @FC >2;@C 4:E:6D :? A2CE:4F=2C E92E 92G6 366? 56DA6C2E6=J 2?5 72?2E:42==J 492==6?865 2D :?G2=:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx? E96 5:D:?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 =:6D H9:49 H6C6 A6CA6EF2E65 6G6? 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@? 2?5 FA E9C@F89 y2?] e[ a_a` W6G6? 3J |6>36CD @7 r@?8C6DD ;FDE 9@FCD 27E6C E96 2EE6>AE65 4@FA^:?DFCC64E:@?X[ x 2> =:<6H:D6 AC@F5 E92E @FC yF5:4:2CJ 5:DA=2J65 :ED G:E2= C@=6 :? @FC ?2E:@?] %96 #F=6 @7 {2H C6>2:?D G6CJ DEC@?8 :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @7 p>6C:42[ ;FDE 92G:?8 366? AFE E@ 2? F=E:>2E6 2?5 F?AC64656?E65 E6DE] p== 4:E:K6?D D9@F=5 766= D276 2?5 D64FC6 E92E H6 92G6 E9:D C6D@=FE6 3F=H2C<]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"i $A62<:?8 @7 D276EJ 2?5 D64FC:EJ[ H92E 2C6 J@FC E9@F89ED @? E96 2EE24< 2E E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D r2A:E@= @? y2?] e[ a_a`nk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpi u:CDE[ r2A:E@= !@=:46 ~77:46C qC:2? $:4<?:4< H2D >FC56C65 :? E96 =:?6 @7 5FEJ H9:=6 =:E6C2==J[ A9JD:42==J 5676?5:?8 @FC s6>@4C24J[ 2?5 :? 9:D G2=@C[ E96C6 :D 9@A6 7@C 2== @7 FD] %9@F89 E96 42DF2=EJ ?F>36CD 4@F=5 92G6 366? 72C H@CD6 @G6C2==[ H6 42??@E :8?@C6 E96 24EF2= 52>286 2?5 24EF2= :?;FCJ :?7=:4E65 6G6? :? E96 :>286CJ @7 E92E 52J] u@C 6I2>A=6i 2 r@?7656C2E6 7=28 H2D :?D:56 E96 r2A:E@= WPX 2=@?8 H:E9 >6? H62C:?8 G:=6 2?E:\$6>:E:4 D9:CED[ 2? p>6C:42? 7=28 H2D E9C@H? E@ E96 8C@F?5 2?5 C6A=2465 H:E9 2 “%CF>A” 7=28 2?5 2?@E96C p>6C:42? 7=28 H2D FD65 2D 2 H62A@? E@ 2EE24< 2 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E @77:46C] p 7=28 H:E9 E96 H@C5D “y6DFD” 2?5 “%CF>A” H2D 5:DA=2J65 :? 7C@?E @7 E96 r2A:E@=[ 2 >2? 5C6DD65 2D v6@C86 (2D9:?8E@? H2D A9@E@8C2A965 AC2J:?8 :? E96 >:5DE @7 E96 2EE6>AE65 4@FA^:?DFCC64E:@?[ 2?5 2?@E96C H2D A9@E@8C2A965 9@=5:?8 E96 w@=J q:3=6 :? E96 >:5DE @7 E9:D G:@=6?46 2?5 :?DFCC64E:@?] x D2H 2E =62DE @?6 “y6DFD $2G6D” D:8? 2?5 2 4CFD256 7=28] %96C6 >2J 92G6 366? @E96C D:>:=2C :>286D[ H9:49 x 92G6 ?@E A6CD@?2==J G:6H65 J6E] $@ @?46 282:?[ x 92G6 A6CD@?2==J D66? >J @H? 72:E9 AF3=:4=J >:D2AAC@AC:2E65[ ?@H :? E96 >:5DE @7 EC62D@?@FD G:@=6?46 :?4:E65 3J E96 !C6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] x H2D D92<6? 3J E92E[ 2?5 x 7F==J 2?5 F?6BF:G@42==J 56?@F?46 :E] ~E96CD >FDE 5@ E96 D2>6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96C6 :D 2 D:4<?6DD :? @FC ?2E:@?[ H9:49 >FDE 36 E9@F89E7F==J 2?5 D<:==7F==J 4@?7C@?E65] s:D:?7@C>2E:@? 92D =67E 72C E@@ >2?J @7 @FC 76==@H 4:E:K6?D 3C@<6? 2?5 F?>@@C65 7C@> C62=:EJ] |2?J 92G6 @3G:@FD=J 366? C25:42=:K65] (9:E6 DFAC6>24:DE 6IEC6>:DED 2C6 2 5@>6DE:4 E6CC@C:DE E9C62E 2?5 “46CE2:?=J E96 >@DE A6CD:DE6?E 2?5 =6E92= :?E6C?2= E9C62E” :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @7 p>6C:42[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :?E6==:86?46 6IA6CED 2?5 @FC s6A2CE>6?E @7 w@>6=2?5 $64FC:EJ] u2C E@@ >2?J 92G6 2? :?D64FC:EJ @C 762C @7 492?8:?8 56>@8C2A9:4D 2?5 2 5:DCFAE:@? @7 H92E :D 2E =62DE DF34@?D4:@FD=J AC@46DD65 2D H9:E6 @C56C] $@ C646?E 42==D 7@C 6BF2=:EJ 2?5 F?:EJ 92G6 366? 4@>A=6E6=J 5:DE@CE65 3J “=6256CD” 2D 42==D 7@C |2CI:D> @C $@4:2=:D>] %9:D :D 2?@E96C =:6 E92E 92D 366? C6A62E65 @G6C 2?5 @G6C 2?5 @G6C 282:?] %9:D <:?5 @7 >2?:AF=2E:@? 2?5 DE@<:?8 @7 762C 92D 366? 52?86C@FD=J C64<=6DD] %96 p>6C:42? 4:E:K6?CJ 92D 366? ADJ49@=@8:42==J 23FD65 7@C 72C E@@ =@?8] (92E H6 2C6 =67E H:E9 :D H92E H6 H:E?6DD65 @? y2?] e[ a_a`] s:>[ D>2==[ :?256BF2E6 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H9@ 92G6 2D46?565 E@ =6256CD9:A A@D:E:@?D 2?5 H9@ 2C6 5C:G6? 3J E96:C @H? 2>3:E:@? 2C6 4@>A=:4:E] p== A6CD@?D :?G@=G65 >FDE 36 96=5 7F==J 244@F?E23=6 2D 2AAC@AC:2E6 7@C E96:C DA64:7:4 C@=6D[ =6DE @E96CD ECJ 282:?] |@G:?8 @?H2C5[ E96C6 >FDE 36 ?@ >:?:>:K:?8 @C 5:DE@CE:?8 @7 H92E 92AA6?65 @? y2?] e[ a_a`[ @C H92E 4@F=5 92G6 92AA6?65] %96C6 42? 36 ?@ DF3>:DD:@? @C A2DD:G6 DJ>A2E9:6D H92ED@6G6C E@ 2 C25:42= 2?5 G:@=6?E :56@=@8J] s:C64E=J @FED:56 @7 >J A6CD@?2= @77:46 :?D:56 E96 s:DEC:4E pEE@C?6J’D DF:E6 :? E96 4@FCE9@FD6[ E96C6 :D 2 e\3J\e D:8? H:E9 E96 H@C5D “$E2J uC@DEJ]” %92E >62?D H6 >FDE 2=H2JD 36 G:8:=2?E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%92E D@36C:?8 D6?E:>6?E :D ?@H 2D :?DECF4E:G6 2D 6G6C] (6 92G6 4@==64E:G6=J E2<6? E96 3=6DD:?8D @7 =:36CEJ 7@C 8C2?E65 2?5 @FC D@4:6EJ 92D 3692G65 :? 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2C:=J D6=7:D9 >2??6C] xE :D FA E@ 2== @7 FD E@ F?:E6[ 2?5 4964< E96 2K:>FE9 @7 @FC >@C2= 4@>A2DD[ E@86E96C] p?5 E@ <66A 4964<:?8 @FC 2K:>FE9[ 6?DFC:?8 H6 5@ ?@E DEC2J 7C@> E96 A2E9 @FC u@F?56CD 92G6 D6E 7@C FD] x 2> 6G6C 9@A67F= E92E H6 ECF=J H:==[ 2?5 E92E E96 =:?6 @7 s6>@4C24J H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 9@=5] x?5665[ x 2> 23D@=FE6=J 46CE2:? @7 E92E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm"i *@F 2C6 2 C68:DE6C65 #6AF3=:42?] w@H 5@6D E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ C:89E E96 D9:Ank^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmpi x 2> ?@E 2 #6AF3=:42?] ~? }@G] `b[ a_a_[ x DF3>:EE65 2? @?=:?6 2AA=:42E:@? E@ 492?86 >J G@E6C C68:DEC2E:@? DE2EFD E@ “?@E 277:=:2E65[” @7E6? C676CC65 E@ 2D “x?56A6?56?E]” x 2> 2 AC@D64FE@C 2?5 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6I6C4:D6 >J 5FE:6D[ D6CG6 >J 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 ?2E:@? 2E E9:D >@DE 4C:E:42= E:>6[ 2?5 4@?E:?F6 E@ DE62572DE=J DFAA@CE 2?5 5676?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D @7 p>6C:42 2?5 E96 r@?DE:EFE:@? @7 E96 r@>>@?H62=E9 @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2] %92E :D >J AC:>2CJ 7@4FD[ 2D :E >FDE 36]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.