DEAR WEHO: Residents step up to defend Myra Friedman

Sepi-

I have held my tongue but can do so no longer.  To read that Myra Friedman resigned because you allege that she was disrespectful has pushed me well over the line.  I have watched you in a multitude of meetings reacting to community members with clear disdain registering on your face.  When every other council member approached Larry Block and his team receiving their recognition for community service you stood back and approached nobody.  You have made insulting comments about others in council meetings and to the media.  

In a December meeting when I raised the question of whether it made sense to delay the allocation of funds for a study on reparations as two were already underway you simply chose to look at the camera and call me out as a privileged white can who just couldn’t understand…knowing absolutely nothing about my background including the fact that my mother ran a commission for underprivileged youth in the city of Chicago throughout my childhood and my father was a friend and consultant to Louis Farrakhan.

You, Ms Shyne do not understand the meaning of respect nor have I seen any sign since the very first time I interviewed you that you are deserving of any respect.  You are unworthy to sit as a public official and it is an embarrassment to our city that you will now serve as our Mayor.  

Keith Kaplan

Respect is Earned, not Something You’re Entitled To

Hi Yola and Myra! I’m Jordan.

I’ve unfortunately never gotten the chance to meet either of you in person, but I’m going to change that very soon! I want to start by saying thank you for what you’ve done for our community. As someone who isn’t disAbled, there are many things that happen during my day that I don’t think twice about, because they don’t affect me, or they don’t cause an issue for me (other than maybe some annoyance).

I’ve constantly reiterated that I am not an expert, nor do I pretend to be, on every issue.

This is a perfect example; I rely on people like you to bring those issues to my attention so I can help fix them.

Thank you for everything you’ve done, and I know will continue to do, to make sure the needs of people with disabilities are met. Apparently, I grew up with a very different definition and outlook of “respect” than most people do. I don’t respect my mom JUST because she’s my mom.

She stands up for what’s right, she sets a good example for me and for others, and she’s a good person. For those reasons (and many more) I respect her.

This goes further than the topic of our article, but the same goes for love. I love my mom for those reasons. If she was a bad person who hurt people and cared about no one other than herself, I would feel no obligation to love her just because she’s my mom.

I know that others may feel differently when it comes to love, but those are my feelings. You have earned the respect of everyone because (from the stories I’ve heard, since we’ve yet to meet in person) you help people, you not only look out of for your neighbors and your community, but you use your voice to stand up for them. For that, you have my respect.

For someone, anyone, to tell you that they automatically deserve their respect because they’re an elected official, or simply because they exist, is absurd. We all saw the exchange you had with your representative, and there was no disrespect shown. You can say anyone is acting in a certain way without diminishing your respect for them. Hell, if my mom told you some of the things and the words I’ve used to tell my mom that she’s doing something wrong, you might think I hate her (if you only looked at those isolated incidents. Most of our exchanges, as you can see on Facebook, are full of love J).

It doesn’t mean I don’t respect her, it means that I think what she’s doing or saying is not appropriate, not sufficient enough, or crosses some sort of line. I have an immense amount of respect for my mom. She’s the reason that I’ve treated every constituent with equal treatment, whether or not we disagree on something going on in the city, or even if they’re on the other side of the aisle than I am.

It’s what built my reputation as being a good candidate during this last election, and why despite having no backing from any outside sources, I was able to gather as many votes as I did. You’re the same way. Resigning from a commission or board has become a way to protest many different things going on in the city.

While I wish you (Myra) would stay on and continue to use your voice to help your community, I respect your decision to do so. West Hollywood needs people with strong voices in elected and appointed positions to make sure that the needs of everyone in this city are being met.

Regardless of what your decision is, I know you will continue that fight, and I can’t wait to meet you one day. As always, I want feedback on my posts (constructive, preferably). Without that feedback, I can’t grow, and I can’t be of better service to West Hollywood. Speaking on the specific issue you resigned over; I will be writing a separate Op Ed with an idea to solve your problem.

Jordan Cockeram