In defense of a friend

This community once again owes a debt of gratitude to Chamber Director Becki Day, her staff and volunteers for another outstanding Independence Day Parade.

Locals and visitors alike enjoyed this slice of our sweet little island community.

She pulled off this feat in the face of the most ridiculous abuse from the group called Indivisible. Under the guise of the Constitution and Free Speech, they undertook what I can only describe as harassment, intimidation and threats toward the Chamber leadership, pushing to be allowed in their parade. There were weeks of phone calls, letters and visits from their representatives, including local public officials, threats of going to the press in Seattle and bringing Indivisible disciples from Orcas over to protest at the parade. After all of that, under great concern for what they might do at our holiday celebration, Becki relented at a stressful meeting led by their attorney. The Indivisible contingent was described as demanding and condescending, with their leader ending the session by telling Becki that she “has now been educated.”

Who would behave this way here, especially when the primary goal of the chamber director was just to put on a nice parade free from political divisiveness? What kind of people would treat Becki Day, a woman held in such high esteem by islanders across the political spectrum, so poorly? Neither Becki’s desire for a parade everyone could enjoy nor personally did she deserve such incivility.

Thankfully they were just a quiet blip of nothing in an otherwise wonderful parade. This unethical “big city” behavior has no place in our tight-knit San Juan Island neighborhood. A most sincere apology is owed to Becki by anyone who took part in her maltreatment, and a huge thank you is owed by all to the many kind, giving, positive forces that gave us such an extraordinary 4th of July.

Lauren Cohen

San Juan Island