Dear Fellow Orcas Islanders,
I write this open letter as an individual, as a concerned citizen of Orcas whoʼs lived here for the past 26 years, and as a grandfather of three Orcas children whoʼve only recently moved off-island.
When I first read the news of the shootings in Newtown Connecticut the morning of December 14th, I was struck by townspeople who were quoted as saying,
“We never dreamed something like this could happen here”…
and
“I thought Newtown was the safest place in the whole country”…
In the space of only TEN MINUTES that illusion was shattered. Iʼm thinking about how often I hear islanders talk about how safe the Orcas community is and how itʼs such an optimal place to raise a family. My friend in Doe Bay, Joe Symons, remarked to me, “…ten minutes like that around here would change the lives of all Orcas Islanders forever”.
As I continue my attempts to come to terms with the tragedy in Newtown, Iʼm aware of various proposals being made across the country regarding citizen access to deadly weaponry, and the placing of armed officials in all schools. Although some issues fall within the jurisdiction of Federal and State government, many aspects of how a community could act to minimize the risks of a repeat of Newtown will be determined on the local level. As I write this letter, I see that our Sheriff and his deputies held an “Active Shooter” training exercise at the Orcas School campus on December 27th…
My grandmother used to say, “…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…” so Iʼm wondering what could we do to lower the risks of a Newtown tragedy ever occuring here on Orcas…(?)… What if a group… say fifty citizens of all ages and a cross section of our diverse community…met with the intention of reaching a consensus on recommendations for actions we can take together?…the premise being that such a consensus would reflect and embody the fundamental values, priorities, and wisdom of the community at large. And finally, what if such a consensus could be reached in a series of meetings held over ONE WEEKʼs time, rather than for us to settle for the squabbling and seemingly never ending paralysis which has characterized the national conversation about weaponry and the safety of our children and our communities? Or worse yet, keep silent in the face of a potentially divisive issue and do nothing. Consider the power of our collective voice, our strength when we are all pulling together on the same end of the rope.
Fortunately, Orcas has successful examples of consensus-based action, most notably the consensus-based recommendations for funding improvements for the Orcas schools, a contentious issue which had deeply divided our community, following voter rejection of two proposed bond issues. A similar process was used in the creation of our Stage on the Green in Eastsound.
So this is an invitation…to YOU…to help craft a consensus as to what changes to local practices and attitudes we could make in order to lower the risk of a tragedy like Newtown (or Columbine) occurring on Orcas Island. Ideally, the group will include persons with special insight into our schools, local law enforcement, mental health, domestic violence, youth and senior services, and firearms used for hunting, sport, and self defense. I hope you find this topic sufficiently compelling for it to be worthy of your time…Steve Verthaler, our recently retired Sergeant of SJCSD, gives this event an enthusiastic “two thumbs up”.
And hereʼs the rub…reaching a consensus on such a potentially contentious subject wonʼt happen without some real soul-searching…and this will take some TIME. An outline of the proposed consensus process follows; please read it thoughtfully. Please forward this information to your friends and neighbors. If you would like to be part of the team to make this event happen, or would like to get additional information, please call me at (376-5377) or email: fklein@orcasonline.com using “Consensus“ as subject line of email.
Thank you for your kind attention…
Fred Klein
As a participant in the group that dealt with then then completely stuck school bond issue I can vouch for the power of 40 citizens working under Fred’s consensus format. We managed to work through and together eventually lead the community to solving that one. Perhaps another gathering of divergent thinking can help us find ways to avoid the wrong guns, in the wrong hands, that opened the door for the horror of Newton. Please consider joining this group to help our community come to agreement on what might be done to avoid what is now clearly possible anywhere, in any community, in America.
I completely agree with Martha. I was a member of the school bond “Way Forward” group. It was a productive and consensus building forum. This is another important chance to shape the future of our schools — and community in a meaningful way.
This issue is extremely important to everyone in the community. It is also extraordinarily complex in that any solution touches on the First, Second and Fourth Amendment Rights of all Americans. It is crucial, however, that we, as a diverse community discuss the implications of seeking to prevent such a tragedy here.
The absolutely worse result is doing nothing. An open, honest dialog by as diverse a group as possible can lead us to changes that will protect our children. Such tragedies CAN happen here !! How do we minimize that possibility?
Please, please, please at least sit in on the first discussions and express your thoughts. The alternative of doing nothing makes us vulnerable to the wrenching tragedy of Sandy Hook. As a grandfather, my heart aches just thinking about such a situation.
Response procedures are important, however, closing the barn door after the horse has bolted doesn’t reverse the tragedy. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
Please come !! EVERYONE. Speak to your concerns !!!
Student and staff safety are a top priority for the Orcas Island School District. Our ongoing efforts to evaluate our school safety and security procedures have been given new importance in the wake of the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut. We would like to thank Fred Klein for his efforts in bringing our community together to discuss a topic of the utmost importance to all of us. We welcome the opportunity to be active participants in the proposed community meetings and look forward to a constructive process that we hope will provide a chance to clearly define the role that we all can play in ensuring the safety of the most precious members of our community. The results of these meetings will play an important part in the re-evaluation of our current policies and procedures. We hope that you will join us in participating in this important discussion.
Fred another great idea! I was waiting to comment to see if the Schools had been included. I see now that at least the Orcas Island School District has embraced this. Please reach out to our smaller/private schools for their comments, the Funhouse, the and the “summer camp as well. I believe staff and administrators of these programs may also contribute some insights! Good luck on this important issue.
Good idea – would like to attend – but unable to attend the last two meetings as will be at the birthing of my 1st grandchild out of state – is there a way to let interested folks chime in at the beginning – or at the 1st meeting so that the widest range of ideas for a starting point could be heard?
We cannot afford to think we can “walk between the rain drops” anymore as events have shown. I will support any effort to inform, organize, train and prepare our people for the
unexpected. In my experience, training and the
will to act saves lives. What to do, how to do it, and when to do it gets us up and moving. That
way, at least, we have a hard chance.