Protect right to dissent

Reporter Nick Deshais may have missed the reason for the crowd at the Spokane City Council briefing last week. He assumed that most people present were vaccination opponents. I believe the large majority were concerned with freedom of speech issues that arose when Council President Ben Stuckart was quoted in The Spokesman-Review as saying he would support removing Councilman Mike Fagan from the Spokane Regional Health District board unless he changed his views to those of the majority of the board.

Although I disagree with much of what Fagan has been quoted as saying, I strongly believe in his right to say publicly what he believes even if unpopular. Dissent is a critical pillar of any democracy and the right needs to be vigorously protected.

People who accepted Stuckart’s invitation to testify at the briefing on this issue felt that political sleight-of-hand was at work when a motion was introduced that precluded us from weighing in on the matter. Procedurally correct but callous toward the public.

Al Payne

Spokane