Editor,
When Jon Kean decided to pen the letter to the editor entitled "Damning Statement" in which he attributed off color anti Semitic remarks to long time community activist and POL Oscar DeLatorre, I must admit that I had to think about what was being alleged?
Not because I necessarily accepted what Kean claims, or did not believe it for that matter? So I decided to read on and I am glad that I did.
And based on what I read, what we all may have read? I still don’t know what to make of it all still and here’s why? Please indulge me the opportunity to respond?
In the first place both individuals, Kean & DeLatorre, are players in the political arena of our time? A time of unusual sharp elbows and hyperbole, rancor and discord of claims and counter claims, would you agree?
In this example the small town local geographical and political demarcation lines dynamics cited by Kean are framed in the veiled oblique terms of North of Montana,
Versus south of the McMansion lifestyles of the presumed rich and famous and not so rich and famous that I would argue prevail North of Ocean Park and even west of Lincoln blvd as well?
The point that I’m trying to illustrate is that we are an inherently marginalized small town to begin with which whose potential conflicts are multiplied in this instance by the frictions of religion, or even no religious pre disposition and it’s influences or lack thereof at all, and dare I say with a heaping ladle of hyphenated heritage identities and supercharged political party persuasions.
So much so are the socio, politico, economico, racial, and even gender differences that it’s a wonder to me that we even co exist in any semblance of harmony, peace, comity, sense of community and common purpose sometimes?
Here and now in this singular example of hearsay, damning innuendo, and character assassination is one such time?
Wherever the truth exists in this he said, he said, they said what was said in which context it was allegedly said, none of it serves to achieve much, if anything towards the ultimate common good for which we all yearn for and are called to strive for our community.
So let us once again re dedicate ourselves to the imperative to agree to disagree without being disagreeable because I do believe there is more that binds us than should be allowed to divide us in the time in which we live?
Stewart Resmer, Los Angeles
