Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance reacts to the declaration on community harm, public safety, and human dignity made by the members of the Vancouver City Council
Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today
Members of the Vancouver City Council have irresponsibly reinforced irrational fears being experienced by a small percentage of people when they released a public declaration on Tuesday (Jan. 20) “on community harm, public safety, and human dignity,” criticizing federal immigration and law enforcement bodies.
Here is the official news release from the city, which was sent out Tuesday afternoon, and a link to the full declaration for you to read in its disgusting totality:
“Vancouver, WA – Today, the Vancouver City Council issued a Public Declaration on Community Harm, Public Safety, and Human Dignity formally denouncing the conduct of federal immigration enforcement agencies and affiliated law enforcement bodies operating under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The declaration outlines the City’s position and affirms its intention to respond to this crisis with the full force of its legal authority.’’
Obviously, you can tell, this fires me up. It’s one of the most biased, inflammatory and politically motivated actions I’ve ever witnessed by a body of elected officials representing a municipality.
Members of the Vancouver City Council say they were forced into issuing the proclamation because “these actions have generated widespread fear and a pervasive sense of terror among residents; fractured trust between community members and law enforcement; contributed to significant declines in mental and emotional well-being; disrupted families and educational stability; and produced negative economic consequences for workers, businesses, and essential services.’’
Let me first say this. I have no doubt that there are residents of the city of Vancouver who are afraid. They’re being told by their elected officials and city leaders to be just that! However, if the people are here legally, they have absolutely no reason to be afraid.
The biggest reason for their irrational fears is the ridiculous narrative kept alive by Trump Derangement Syndrome patients – such as the members of this pathetic City Council – who prey on citizens in the attempt to build and maintain opposition to President Donald Trump. By the way, one of the main reasons we elected Trump as president is because we wanted him to secure our Southern Border and deport the millions of illegals and criminals the previous administration allowed to enter this country completely unchecked.
I challenge these seven incredibly irresponsible elected officials to provide evidence of the claims they have made in this proposition starting with: “These harms reflect patterns of enforcement activity that include brutal reports of physical force and intimidation, lack of clear identification of federal law enforcement officers, limited or absence of transparency or due process, and actions that disproportionately impact individuals based on perceived race, language, occupation, or presence in certain public spaces.’’
Brutal reports of physical force and intimidation? I get every single news release produced by the city of Vancouver, including the Vancouver Police Department. I read every one of them and I publish an overwhelming majority of them so you can absorb the information and make your own decision on how to interpret it. Councilors, please show me the brutal reports of physical force and intimidation that you speak of! Prove your libelous claims! You can’t because they don’t exist.
These progressive politicians are just parroting the narrative being spewed by their liberal brethren throughout the region and the country. If they truly wanted to serve the citizens of their city, which continues to be more and more intolerable on their watch, they would tell area residents that they have absolutely nothing to worry about if they are here legally.
If you are approached by any form of law enforcement, whether local or federal, cooperate and you will be fine. I will never understand how elected officials and staff members of a local municipality believe it is in their best interests to undercut the legs of their own law enforcement.
I am a big fan of Vancouver Police Chief Troy Price and his officers. I can only imagine the horror they are living with behind the scenes, thwarting the irrational demands and expectations of these councilors and Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle.
I live in the city of Vancouver. I’m in my 39th year as a journalist in Clark County. Whether you agree with me or not, you all know that I don’t hide my conservative ideology and support for law enforcement. If you want to call me biased, feel free. I sleep very well at night with the decisions I make as the editor of Clark County Today. But, if you think I’m aware of evidence of the outlandish and wildly inaccurate accusations made by the members of the Vancouver City Council, and I’m choosing to ignore them and not report them, you are as deranged as they are.
Law enforcement in many forms isn’t all wine and roses. It’s ugly. Crime is ugly. Law enforcement officials, whether local or federal, are tasked with jobs that most of us can’t even fathom. What do you expect the result to be when they conduct a traffic stop, or other enforcement or investigative action, and the suspect doesn’t cooperate? It’s going to get ugly. I watch law enforcement videos all the time. It absolutely amazes me how suspects behave, thinking they have the right to refuse lawful orders and not face the appropriate consequences. I’m so thankful these law enforcement officers are there to protect us.
That includes the actions of ICE and DHS. We elected a president to do exactly what is being done. Until you can prove they are not carrying out that lawful mandate then stop throwing gasoline on the fire and let them do their job. The residents in this city who are living in fear are doing so because of your actions, not because of those enforcing the nation’s deportation efforts.
“We reject actions that cause fear and harm. We reject practices that fracture families and communities,’’ the Vancouver councilors stated in their proclamation.
But that’s exactly what THEY’RE doing.
Members of the Vancouver City Council almost always speak as one voice. I find that to be a shame. Either they don’t have the courage to tell us how they feel individually or they have allowed themselves to be bullied by the majority and the leadership. If there are any of the seven who don’t agree with this declaration, I challenge them to speak out. If you don’t, you deserve to be judged by those you’ve attached yourselves to in this disturbing declaration.
Also read:
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The Washington State House passed House Bill 2034 to terminate LEOFF 1 and transfer $4.5 billion, drawing sharp opposition from House Republicans. - VIDEO: Income tax bill passes WA Senate after hours of heated debate
Senate Bill 6346, imposing a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million, passed the Washington Senate after hours of debate and multiple rejected amendments. - ‘Absolutely good news’: WA financial outlook brightens as budget talks heat up
A new forecast projects $827 million more in revenue for Washington’s current budget, offering relief as lawmakers finalize a supplemental spending plan.
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