Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor | A personal attack disguised as civic duty
Let’s be clear from the start: personal attacks disguised as political commentary have no place in a healthy democracy. The recent opinion piece targeting Jesse Young wasn’t just a smear, it was a calculated hit job, written with venom and devoid of truth. It says more about the man who authored it, George Young, than it ever could about Jesse.
George wants you to believe he’s performing some civic duty. He’s not. He’s lighting rhetorical fires and walking away, hoping no one notices the smoke is coming from a pile of half-truths and distortions. He doesn’t speak for our community. He speaks from a place of bitterness, where cruelty is passed off as courage and contempt is mistaken for concern.
But this community knows better.
Jesse Young has served with vision and backbone, even when it wasn’t easy. He’s shown up for tough conversations. He’s rolled up his sleeves and stood by people who often feel ignored by those in power. You don’t have to agree with him on every issue. I don’t, but he doesn’t deserve to be slandered.
What we witnessed in that op-ed wasn’t journalism. It was an emotional outburst with a byline. A personal vendetta parading as public service. It wasn’t a critique. It was an attempt to humiliate and isolate someone because they think differently.
Let’s talk about extremism for a moment, since George brought it up. You know what’s extreme? Declaring someone’s entire public service invalid because you hate their politics. You know what’s extreme? Using inflammatory labels to shut down discussion and whip up fear. You know what’s truly dangerous? Believing that faith, values, and a willingness to challenge the status quo are threats to democracy.
We don’t do that here.
Not in Gig Harbor. Not in the kind of democracy worth fighting for. We challenge ideas. We debate fiercely. But we do not torch someone’s character just to score political points.
This community values decency. And decency demands we call this what it is: a malicious, divisive hit piece that doesn’t speak for who we are or where we want to go.
So let me say this to George Young directly: You don’t get to define Jesse Young. The people do. The voters do. The folks who’ve worked with him, been helped by him, stood with him in times of trial, they define him. Not you.
And Jesse? He doesn’t need a defense team. His life and service speak for themselves. He’s been consistent, unflinching, and honest, three qualities too rare in today’s political landscape. He’s answered to his constituents, not to people like George who hide behind a keyboard and call it courage.
To the rest of the community, I say this:
We are better than this.
We can disagree without dehumanizing. We can debate without destroying. And we can stand up and say: enough. Enough with the politics of personal destruction. Enough with the smug moral superiority. Enough with pretending that tearing people down makes the world better.
This op-ed didn’t expose Jesse Young, it exposed the ugliness that creeps in when we stop treating each other like neighbors. It exposed a style of politics that has no place in a functioning society: one where insults replace arguments, and hate masquerades as principle.
Let’s make this the moment where our community draws the line. Where we say: we don’t do this anymore. We’re tired of the shouting. We’re tired of the smears. And we’re tired of voices like George Young pretending to speak for us while doing damage in our name.
This isn’t strength. It’s not truth. And it’s certainly not leadership.
It’s time we reject it, not just for Jesse’s sake, but for all our sakes.
Because this is not who we are.
Charles Limwis
Gig Harbor