Letter: Moses Lake police protect our community

Thank you, Moses Lake Police Department. Thank you to our Moses Lake police chief and to all our police who patrolled in their cars and other vehicles while the protest formed on Sunday and throughout the march route and even after too. Because of our caring police actions, our local protest march remained safe, without dangerous looters. Minneapolis and other such areas could take lessons from the way our police do actually defend and protect our community, residents and visitors.

To Moses Lake residents: Did you join the protest march last Sunday, June 7? If so, then I ask you, besides the protest march, what do you do in our community each week, each day to make our city better? If you have seen areas that need improvement, have you gotten personally involved?

It is easy to hold a sign and join others for a get-together event (especially after having to have stayed in our homes for two months or more), but if change is needed, the following is needed: 1. Take time to find out where change is needed; 2. Attend and speak and share your thoughts at a city council meeting, taking time to be well prepared and able to speak wisely about what you want to say to the council; 3. Find out areas of our city where you can volunteer to help others (there are many areas).

So protest as you might have done on Sunday, but take your time to gather with others to make our community the best it can be.

Personally, I have lived in many states and communities in my 75 years of living. I have lived in the East, South and West. I do know that Moses Lake, Washington, is a unique community in that respect is found throughout our community. We have all ethnic groups of people living here. Each group is free to live out its ethnic cultural activities. Our community even comes together to celebrate such activities; Cinco de Mayo is an example of this. Any person going to shop in our stores does not find someone watching them suspecting them of being there to steal. They are not looked down upon and disrespected anywhere they go in our community. Our police do live up to the motto “To defend and protect.” I have observed police doing an arrest and each time, they have done it in a caring way. I have never seen a person being arrested slammed into the ground, or the horrible practice of using their body to control anyone.

Remember, what we do each day does affect our community. May we seek to make our community and its people better always.

Linda Curran

Moses Lake