Accomplishments, but also inclusion | Inside Politics

We live here for a reason. Not in Dallas, Orlando or Chicago.

We live here for a reason. Not in Dallas, Orlando or Chicago.

The Pacific Northwest is like nowhere else in the world. The mountains, Puget Sound, the beautiful flowers and green trees. Seattle is too expensive and too crowded, and big cities are a group of different neighborhoods within one city that lacks a feeling of connection. A suburban city is one community. We are so comfortable that we risk forgetting the problems the rest of the country faces, as if they have no relevance to us.

Each city has its own history and culture. Auburn, Kent and Renton are all different, but they’re also the same, with over 100 years of cityhood. Federal Way just had an extraordinary few weeks that reminded us of what we like about living here and that we are still maturing as a city.

The Fourth of July event at Celebration Park was its usual success, enjoyed by hundreds of the young and old alike, all watching children gain memories that will become part of the stories they will share with their children. I lost count of the number of different languages I heard and how many ethnic groups I saw sharing the same space and experience.

The holiday celebration was followed by the opening of the new downtown park, dubbed Town Square Park, to much fanfare. The park cost too much, it was originally done more by impulse than through thoughtful planning, it may become a beacon to the homeless if the city lets any stay, and it might be more appropriate for a neighborhood than for downtown. But 10 years from now, if our downtown grows with more multi-family opportunities and fills in with retail shops and restaurants and the park continues being used as it was last week, those criticisms will be forgotten.

And the Performing Arts and Events Center, even more controversial than the park, will be finished soon and will provide another visual milestone of our changing landscape. It will be a short-term success, and the questions surrounding it will not get answered for at least a decade. But for now, the brick-and-mortar progress in our community is evident and will be the focus of next year’s city elections, for both incumbents and opponents.

But as I wandered both Celebration and Town Square parks a week apart, I wondered about the inner soul of our community. Did the fun, flags and patriotic moments serve as a contrast to our community needs and possibly mislead us into thinking that what happens elsewhere can’t happen here? We know that’s not true — Lakewood and its painful memories are just a few miles away. But will our tolerance, understanding and inclusion of others be as much a part of the political debate as our downtown improvements? And are we as inclusive as we think we are?

In a courageous step, Mirror Publisher Rudi Alcott, Editor Jason Ludwig and the Mirror staff added a new section highlighting our community’s diversity. Reporter Raechel Dawson’s touching story of love between gay and lesbian couples provided readers a firsthand look with warmth and understanding. Would that have happened a few years ago? Can we face a discussion about the use of bathrooms? Are we ready for the changes that are on suburbia’s doorstep?

The evening news has been full of shocking stories from Dallas and Georgia reminding us of our own vulnerability. Blacks killed by police and police killed by ambush. We hope the Mirror’s focus and our own understanding makes Orlando as far removed from happening here as the distance it takes to get there. But there are warning signs that we need to watch for, and some of our leaders are moving to ensure hatred gains no foothold here.

Some see the hundred different languages in our school system as a financial burden rather than an opportunity to revel in the learning experience the differences provide. Many of our students need support, and Federal Way Public Schools Superintendent Tammy Campbell is on track with trying to build a new mentoring program.

Many of our citizens blame crime on those who live in apartments, forgetting that they may have lived in one at an earlier time themselves, or may live in one in the future when age or income make living in a single-family home unaffordable. The city’s moratorium on apartments lacks a believable policy rationale and sends the wrong message at the wrong time. When will we have the discussion about the disparity between income levels?

Dawson’s equally compelling story of a father’s grief when he learned his daughter had been raped here in Federal Way is noteworthy. Police may be frustrated with the lack of help from the victim, but we cannot allow even the appearance of insensitivity to become acceptable when dealing with crime victims.

There was an outpouring of support for the police department recently during a public meeting on the three murders, but the trauma that this young rape victim and her family felt when dealing with the same police department brought forth different viewpoints of police interaction that need attention. Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang has been working to bridge the gaps between races, perceptions and experiences. But having the police lead the effort to treat the homeless as unwelcome interlopers undermines his department’s efforts with a mixed message.

Our city leaders should reflect on, and enjoy, the moments that their accomplishments have provided. They have earned it, and downtown will be different. But they should also be mindful that many in our community may feel disaffected, and their experiences may be very different from the echo chamber those close to City Hall provide. We need to ensure that our internal spirit of inclusion and compassion grows at a rate equal to our bricks and mortar. What direction will our compass take, and will we all be on the same road together?

Let not race, type of residence or community standing be lost in the discussion that determines our political direction. Demand that they be an equal part of the debate.

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is the former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.