“If you get, give. If you learn, teach.” – Maya Angelou
As Republicans gathered in Cleveland two weeks ago, I imagined what GOP leaders might dish out against Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee had the subject of his re-election been on the convention menu.
The Federal Way Mirror’s Diversity Section has been a great addition to the newspaper and a great motivator for learning and researching the challenges that are faced as communities grow in diversity across the country.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, keeping with your recent comments supporting the idea that “important politics are local,” including school districts, what is your opinion of the large number of senior employee turnovers in the Federal Way school district? Has the school board hired another superintendent by mistake?
Federal Way was racked with several shootings earlier this year, the first in February. However, at a neighborhood meeting at Sacajawea Middle School, some city leaders felt community concerns were overstated and presented a picture of relative safety. It wasn’t until May, after three more shootings followed in a 48-hour period, that residents, feeling a shared kinship with other parts of the country, demanded action. Some citizen suggestions were unrealistic or impractical, but such was the level of fear within the community.
Taking a cue from the Grand Old Party’s four-day fete in Cleveland, consider the case Republican leaders in this state might make against Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee if given a convention pulpit from which to prosecute.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, Pokemon Go is quite the craze. Do you play? If so, do you know any good PokeStops in Federal Way and do you think the game is as dangerous as people say it is?
With several incumbents choosing to retire or run for a different office, the Aug. 2 primary ballot is crowded with new candidates for statewide office.
I posted on Facebook recently that I had scheduled my annual mammogram, and I asked what others with breasts were doing to care for them – unfortunately, there’s still a lot of avoidance of this health care practice, and it costs lives. Anything I can do to encourage folks to go get screened is important to me.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, it seems like all the roads in Federal Way are under construction right now. It’s dumb, because traffic’s already bad. Are they even accomplishing anything?
The races with the biggest impact on the future of our state may not be for governor, superintendent of public instruction or the Legislature. The educational future of our state’s children will be in the hands of next year’s state Supreme Court.
It’s hard to watch someone, or something, you love go through a rough patch.
I recently returned from a five-week road trip with Captain Commando, aka Vic Magruder.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, why did the Federal Way Police Department comment on the police shootings in Dallas but not on the shootings of innocent black men in the past? Federal Way’s diverse – shouldn’t they also acknowledge national issues like racial profiling and police brutality?
We live here for a reason. Not in Dallas, Orlando or Chicago.
Q: Mr. Federal Way, you haven’t really said anything about the presidential race. What gives? You have an opinion on everything else, but not the biggest issue of the year?
I receive a lot of questions, and I like to share and answer them every so often since others may have similar questions. Here are a few:
Dear Federal Way straight, white, cisgender people:
“Native people are extinct.”
Q: Mr. Federal Way, one of our neighbors is a fireworks enthusiast. And although many of us have spoken to him, explaining that fireworks are illegal in Federal Way and that his use of fireworks puts all of us at risk due to closeness to our many trees, he ignores us and continues to let off bottle rockets, small fireworks at the tree level, and very large fountains where sparks often touch the tree branches.