— from Office of the Governor —
“I want to thank President Barack Obama, who served eight years with a level of grace, dignity, diligence and humor that inspired a renewed confidence and respect in our nation from people around the world. His legacy will be marked by his passion for public service, justice and fairness and by his genuine love for his country and its people. I wish him and his family all the best.
“Today we witnessed the peaceful transition of power. And today we are reminded that the best thing we can do is concentrate on protecting and promoting our values in our state, whether in Carnation, where I’m visiting schools this morning to promote more education funding or in Spokane, where I spoke yesterday about the need to protect our health care.
“Nothing will diminish our irrevocable commitment to our state to represent who we are at our core. Our state has a proud history of inclusivity and compassion for all — regardless of class, race, gender, ethnicity, immigration status or sexual orientation. This legacy is integral to the character of our state and a foundation for what makes the Evergreen State so exceptional.
“No president or administration can change that. We’ll continue our fight and ensure that whatever happens in the other Washington, this Washington will remain a beacon of hope, progress and opportunity for all.”
**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**
I appreciate the spirit of Governor Inslee’s words. But let us not forget that Washington state has not always had the “proud history of inclusivity and compassion for all.” Let us not forget segregated Seattle and how Japanese Americans were treated during the Second World War. These are exactly the forces and prejudices and fears we must now be vigilant about. It can happen here.