ACLU position re: “Border” checks

The following Letter to the Editor articulates the position of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington regarding the Border Patrol’s questioning of passengers at the Anacortes ferry terminal.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington continues to monitor the actions of the Border Patrol in conducting suspicion-less questioning of passengers departing intra-state ferries at the Anacortes ferry terminal. The position of the ACLU of Washington is expressed below and is endorsed by the San Juan Island Chapter of the ACLU of Washington.

In a free society, individuals should be able to expect that they may travel in public without being stopped and questioned by law enforcement, unless there is reason to believe that they have broken the law or pose a threat to security. Government agents should not stop and question people who have given no indication that they are doing anything wrong.

If the government can stop and question people engaged in purely intrastate travel without individualized suspicion, the same logic could be used to expand stops by other law enforcement officials to any state highway.

Enforcement of border laws is important, but for law enforcement simply to say that they are acting in the name of border security should not mean that basic rights automatically go by the wayside.

Suspicion-less mass stops is a scattershot approach – a fishing expedition – that is not an effective use of our resources to promote security. While citizenship checks are touted as a way to protect national security against the threat of terrorism, in practice they are often used to arrest and deport non-citizens who have no connection to terrorism. The result is to sow fear in immigrant communities, as individuals – typically hard-working individuals, often with families – worry that a misinterpreted response will have dire consequences. This does not make our society safer.

ACLU of Washington and the San Juan Island Chapter

Three Cheers for Coach Bobby

Just a quick note from a pair of very grateful parents to acknowledge all of the hard work and incredible results achieved by the Orcas High School Golf Team this year. The team sent eight local high schoolers to the WIAA State Golf Championships, where the team placed second overall. Coach Bobby Olmstead, together with his wife Bev and his friends, Terry Moran-Hodge and Justin Taylor, struggled through many “off” days due to significant health issues and the unending chores associated with running Cafe Olga, but with all of that, they never missed a beat when it came to selflessly providing their time and support to the kids of our island. At an awards banquet held just last week, the real magic of what Coach Bobby and his team have accomplished became readily apparent; it was not just in the way a championship golf team performed, but in the positive way his personal guidance and support has affected the lives of the kids he so obviously cares greatly for. It is largely because of people like Coach Bobby and the values and sense of self worth that he instills in our young people that the San Juan Islands are such a wonderful, unique and healthy place to raise a family.

So again, thank you Coach. Your efforts made on behalf of the OHS Golf Team this year were immediately apparent; the real wonder, however, lies in what you have instilled in these young people, and that is a gift that will continue to blossom and grow throughout their lives, and the lives of all those whom they will in turn touch. What greater accomplishment can there be than to so positively impact the life of a young person, and thus, the future. You should be very proud; please know that we are very thankful.

Jack and Kiki Coe

Eastsound, WA

First, do no harm

Last Thursday, a meeting on the San Juan Initiative was held to make builders and real estate people aware of environmental issues. These organizations are generally the first contact that people moving to the county have. Their counsel is important in advising clients of the sensitivity of environmental issues, especially those who are building new building codes that make sense in addressing environmental issues will you achieve the cooperation and support of these organizations.

When ordinances and codes defy common sense, I question the wisdom of our bureaucracy. Hatching now is another plan of how to raise six million dollars for a storm water abatement plan in Eastsound to mitigate and prevent pollution and storm water damage to our environment. The first thing that I asked of Public Works and our Council members was how much damage are we doing. Like how much are we polluting the waters around Orcas Island? No one has yet offered that assessment. And therefore it seems these same people are willing to spend millions of our dollars with no idea of the cost-benefits of such an expenditure.

People cause pollution. So perhaps it might be better to spend our six million by extinguishing many of the developmental rights of lands in Eastsound. That would certainly mitigate storm water runoff and at the same time provide the land to recharge the aquifer, and besides there would be no on-going and reoccurring costs to maintain the costly storm water infrastructure.

Maybe that seems like a farfetched solution. But I sure would like to hear more justification than: we have to do it because Big Brother says we have to. It sure isn’t Big Brother’s six million to pay back.

Walter Corbin

Olga

Don’t miss this movie

An A+ flick is coming to Seaview Theater! The documentary movie “Young at Heart” is about growing old and holding onto a passion.

Between the touching story and the close up photography, it is incredibly poignant. The showings are June 13 through 16. With all the nonsense out there, this film truly depicts what is real. Please enjoy it.

Amy Cole

Olga

Consider all sides

What makes a good newspaper a great one is the intention of the newspaper to ensure that their reporters obtain all sides of a story prior to publication of an article. It is my hope that the Sounder will always consider that premise in the future.

Liane Olsan

Orcas

Reject stimulus payment

Applying John F. Kennedy’s advice, “ask what you can do for your country…,” I recently spent $450 for something I did not need but did want, to help the economy. I am not applying for the “Stimulus Payment,” which just adds to the national debt and to the foolish spending of Congress. Do they need encouragement?

Ruth Pihl

Eastsound

Blood drive successful

Thanks to all who donated at the Orcas Island Blood Drive. At your blood drive on June 5, we registered 78 donors and collected 72 badly needed units of blood. This will help up to 216 patients.

Your donations are critical to maintain a stable blood supply for medical emergencies and to support patients battling life-threatening illnesses like cancer.

Special thanks to Paul Losleben organizing the blood drive, the Orcas Island Lions Club for their support and the Orcas Island Fire Station for providing the blood drive location.

The following are just some of the many patients who received blood from Puget Sound Blood Center in the past few days.

The blood was available for them, thanks to blood drives like this one:

• 6 month old patient (motor vehicle accident) has been issued 10 units red blood cells, 2 units platelets, 10 units plasma and two cryoprecipitate pools.

• 37 year old patient (caesarian section) has used 18 units red blood cells, 6 units plasma, 1 unit platelets & 1 cryoprecipitate pool.

• 51 year old patient (cardiac surgery) has been issued 18 units red blood cells, 16 units plasma, 2 units platelets and four cryoprecipitate pools.

• 36 year old patient (motorcycle collision) has been issued 52 units red blood cells, 13 units platelets, 72 units plasma and 11 cryoprecipitate pools.

• 47 year old patient (liver transplant) has been issued 12 units red blood cells, 10 units plasma and two cryoprecipitate pools.

• 35 year old patient (bone cancer) has been issued 28 units red blood cells, three units platelets, 12 units plasma and three cryoprecipitate pools.

Next drive is Thursday, July 31

Carol Rondello

Puget Sound Blood Center

Mobile Drive Representative

Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit Counties