Description

Messages such as the large "Black Lives Matter" painted on Winslow Way is accepted as a moral statement but is also viewed as political speech that advocates the defunding of police departments and other actions that ultimately impact public safety. Remarks by members of our City Council favor exploring the defunding of our Police Department as documented in the Bainbridge Island Review. These public statements by the City Council should make us all ask ourselves if we are being responsibly represented. Since painting messages on public streets now appears to be accepted as free speech it will be interesting to watch which speech we tolerate and whether free speech actually exists in Bainbridge Island at all.