Mr. Armacost complained that he was unaware of paparazzi, and he felt being photographed in public was “being spied on.”
As the mayor, he is a public official.
He chose to wear a T-shirt meant to provoke and intimidate those who think differently than him.
Bedecked with guns pointed, flag-painted skull, the message is a thinly veiled threat to “get the (expletive) out of the country” if you don’t agree with him.
In the article, Mr. Armacost calls his message of posturing bravado freedom of speech, which it is, and as a public servant he is being transparent about his mindset, values and beliefs.
At the end of the article, he says “obviously the hate component (is alive); we used to have a healthy debate.”
I would suggest that this public discourse is a healthy debate.
He sounds like he feels victimized because of loss in revenue due to negative press.
Taking responsibility for our actions is one of the hallmarks of maturity.
It is what we expect from our children.
As a public official, Mr. Armacost may benefit from careful consideration of how his actions represent and reflect upon the community that he serves.
Elvina Taylor
Port Angeles