Area patriot calls on County Council to pass resolution in wake of Charlie Kirk assassination

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

Clark County officials were questioned the morning of Thursday, Sept. 11 why flags at county buildings had not been lowered after the proclamation was issued by President Donald Trump to do so one day earlier.

A county employee e-mailed County Manager Kathleen Otto on the morning of Sept. 11 asking why the flags had not been lowered despite the president’s proclamation. The county confirmed the flags were later lowered at the county’s 10 buildings.

In an email response to a Clark County Today inquiry, Otto said the decision was made to lower the flags after the county received a proclamation from the office of Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson. 

“The flags were lowered pursuant to the Governor’s Flag Directive on September 11,’’ Otto wrote in an email to Clark County Today on Monday (Sept. 15). “I will share I did receive a question from one employee just after 8:00 (a.m.) on Sept. 11 and followed up with them to let them know that facilities was in the process of lowering the flag.’’

When Clark County Today followed up with a request for further clarification of why the flags weren’t lowered in response to the president’s proclamation, and the decision-making process the county went through, Otto again responded.

“The Presidential Proclamations regarding flag directives are sent to the state that sends out to local jurisdictions that have signed up for notifications,’’ Otto said. “Once we receive the notification, we begin to implement immediately. We received this particular one the morning of 9/11.’’

Clark County Today continued to seek further clarification on the decision and what county officials were involved. At that point, Communications Manager Joni McAnally took over the communications and later provided a response via email on Tuesday (Sept. 16).    

“Clark County subscribes to an email notification system via the state of Washington to receive information from the Governor regarding lowering flags,’’ McAnally stated via email. “This way, we are getting information whether it’s from the federal or state level. As you are aware, the governor also can decide to lower flags. An example would be if a state trooper dies in the line of duty.

“In terms of the county making the decision to lower the flags outside of federal or state authority, the County Sheriff can identify circumstances for lowering flags in the event of line of duty deaths for law enforcement officers and K-9s in Washington, Oregon and Idaho; and we have lowered flags in the past in these situations,’’ McAnally added.

“We received notification to lower the flags at 8:38 a.m. on Sept. 11,’’ she said. “Facilities staff was already in the process of lowering the flags as we had previously received notice to lower them for 9-11. Our Facilities staff lowered the flags on all 10 buildings. (I think we mistakenly said 11 buildings yesterday.) I’m sure you know this, but these flag locations are not all concentrated on the downtown campus. It takes time to get out to Public Works shops in Hazel Dell, the Fairgrounds, etc. Flags went back to full staff on Monday, Sept. 15. The original notice said to raise them on Sept. 14, but we were closed that day.’’

Clark County Today reached out to all five members of the Clark County Council. Chair Sue Marshall and Councilor Michelle Belkot responded that they were not aware of the situation. Councilors Wil Fuentes, Glen Yung and Matt Little did not respond. Marshall referred Clark County Today to the county manager. Belkot expressed her disappointment that the county did not respond to the president’s proclamation.

Unequivocal condemnation of Charlie Kirk assassination

In the interactions with Otto and the five county councilors, Clark County Today also provided each an opportunity to unequivocally condemn the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. Initially, Belkot was the only one of the six to provide a reply.

“I absolutely condemn the political assassination of Charlie Kirk,’’ Belkot said. “As public servants we should hold ourselves to the highest standard, not the lowest bar. Assassinating another human being is always wrong, regardless of differing political opinions.’’

Because Marshall and Otto responded, but declined to offer any condemnation, Clark County Today reached out to both to give each a second opportunity to respond. Later, McAnally provided a statement from Marshall.

“Violence has no place in our society. Whether it is politically or personally motivated or a random act — violence is never the answer. Clark County supports and encourages civil public discourse in our community, state and nation.” – Clark County Chair Sue Marshall

Councilors Fuentes, Yung and Little did not take the opportunity to respond to the request for condemnation of the Kirk assassination. 

Area patriot calls on council to pass resolution

Vancouver Attorney Angus Lee found the lack of response from Otto and three of the five councilors unacceptable.

“Murder is fundamentally and undeniably wrong,’’ Lee stated. “There is no gray area. Political murder is an even greater evil, striking at the very foundation of peaceful democratic discourse.

For elected officials to remain silent when asked to condemn the assassination of Charlie Kirk is unacceptable. 

“It is not enough to personally avoid supporting violence,’’ Lee stated. “Every public official has a duty to publicly and unequivocally state that murder is wrong, that political violence is wrong, and that the murder of Charlie Kirk was wrong. This is a very low bar.

“If members of the Clark County Council cannot summon the courage to clearly condemn this murder, then they are failing in their most basic obligation to the public,’’ Lee stated. “Silence in the face of political violence amounts to tacit approval. It emboldens those who commit such acts and makes future violence more likely.’’

Lee asked for members of the County Council to pass a resolution at their next meeting, while pointing out that in 2020, then members of the County Council passed a resolution in response to the death of Geoge Floyd in Minnesota.

“We strongly encourage the Clark County Council, at its next meeting, to pass a simple resolution declaring, without equivocation:

1. Political violence is wrong.

2. The murder of Charlie Kirk was wrong.

3. The Clark County Council condemns political violence and stands united in opposition to it.

“Any council member who refuses to take this position is complicit in normalizing violence as a tool of political coercion,’’ Lee stated. “It is incumbent on each and every elected official in this county to make clear, in one voice, that political violence has no place in our community or our nation.’’

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