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3 <br /> 1 For those that are not familiar with the brand of Linda Sarsour- she traffics in some of the most <br /> 2 hateful ideas available in the public square — antisemitism, radical Islam, terrorism, and the <br /> 3 demonization of women that speak out for their rights. She is smart, well-spoken, engaging, <br /> 4 and dangerous to free people everywhere, particularly, Jews and Muslim women. Having said <br /> 5 this, Linda Sarsour does have a Right to Free Speech, and I support her Right to propagate her <br /> 6 hateful ideas through speech, media and print, but she has no such right to use Orange County <br /> 7 as her vehicle. You gave her that opportunity. What occurred was made possible only through <br /> 8 the actions of the Orange County Commissioners. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 As I stand here today I still cannot fathom how our County decision-makers concluded that <br /> 11 extending this invitation was a good idea. One would have thought that somewhere in the chain <br /> 12 of approvals, authorizations, budget requests, cost estimates, invoices and check issues <br /> 13 someone, anyone would have said "... Wh000aaa! Maybe this is not such a good idea!" <br /> 14 However, if the Sarsour episode was in fact a well thought out event then we are all in serious <br /> 15 trouble as we have just witnessed the weaponizing of Orange County Government against its <br /> 16 own people. <br /> 17 <br /> 18 Does it have to be this way? No! <br /> 19 If not, how do we fix it? <br /> 20 The answer lies within our nation's founding documents, legal traditions, history and culture. <br /> 21 Or, simply go with respect and logic: <br /> 22 <br /> 23 First Respect—We should not turn the County treasury into a piggy bank for someone's ugly <br /> 24 propaganda. The Sarsour incident diminishes confidence that we will be treated fairly by the <br /> 25 government on other matters. Loss of trust in our government is the most damaging result of <br /> 26 disrespect. We start asking whose side is our government on? What do I need to do to protect <br /> 27 myself and my family? This makes us all more tribal! The glue that holds us together starts to <br /> 28 dissolve. People will start to seek resolution outside the political process. <br /> 29 <br /> 30 Second Logic— Linda Sarsour is the radical Left's David Duke. Would you have permitted <br /> 31 David Duke to Speak? Of course not you say- the idea would be absurd. But why? The logic <br /> 32 of your actions regarding Sarsour suggests otherwise. The views of both Sarsour and Duke <br /> 33 are highly offensive and unacceptable to the majority of Orange County citizens? Please note, <br /> 34 many options exist for Sarsour's local fellow travelers to organize a nonprofit or use an existing <br /> 35 nonprofit to sponsor speakers with the most extreme ideas and beliefs. Just don't use our tax <br /> 36 dollars. <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Conclusion <br /> 39 If your goal is to tear the social and political fabric of our County then you have succeeded. <br /> 40 You have used the power of government for a truly destructive purpose—to divide the people. 1 <br /> 41 can assure you that going down this road will not end well, for you, for us, for our children, for <br /> 42 no one. <br /> 43 <br /> 44 On the other hand, if your goal is to unify our citizens into a functioning body politic then agree <br /> 45 that the Sarsour incident was a terrible mistake and commit never to repeat it. Please don't <br /> 46 waste your most precious resource, OUR TRUST, on what I hope was just a bad idea that <br /> 47 somehow slipped through the system. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 Kathy Zimmerman read the following email from Bob Randall, who was unable to <br /> 50 attend tonight's meeting: <br />