SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Leavenworth mayor explains letter comparing COVID to racism
May 28, 2021, 7:18 AM | Updated: 9:18 am
The Village of Lights in Leavenworth runs through Valentine's Day. (Nicole Jennings/KIRO Radio)
(Nicole Jennings/KIRO Radio)
While researching the mayor’s decision to change Leavenworth’s lighting celebration this year, Dori discovered that Mayor Carl Florea wrote a controversial email last year that compares COVID to racism.
“In truth, this is a disease in which all of us who are white are carriers. We all spread it, most often unwittingly, (I would hope), but at times very blatantly,” Mayor Florea wrote in his letter to Leavenworth residents. “I can’t imagine what it would be like every time you walk or jog in public to be accompanied by fear.” Read more.
Dori pressed the mayor on why individuals who work hard at inclusivity and equity must be labeled racists, or if he believes people are automatically racist based on our collective identity.
Listen to the full interview and Mayor Florea’s explanation on the changes to the annual lighting festival:
Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.
