Comments

2
What is there to do in such a situation? Yell at him? Flay the soles of his feet? Nazis gonna Nazi -- there is nothing to be gained by interacting with him.
3
You're unlikely to have a reasonable discourse with a guy wearing a Nazi arm band. At best your're going to have a yelling contest. At worst thinks might get physical. He's obviously wearing the thing trying to get a rise out of people. So just ignore the guy.
4
Maybe he was a member of the British royal family on the way to/back from a party?

In seriousness, I've been wondering what I (a white guy) would have done. I know I wouldn't have continued to snuggle with my wife right next to him, although it struck me--maybe they're all a family?

So I wondered what Gandhi would have done. "Sir, I noticed your armband--are you a Nazi? How'd that come about? Is it working for you?" I mean, how often do you meet an out and out Nazi?
5
"nonplussed"? Huh?
6
I would have certainly told him I am a Jew and he is a piece of shit. Bravo, 1, 2, & 3!
7
Are there any productions of The Sound of Music going on? Maybe he's playing Rolf.

Seriously, though, @2 I guess you leave him be, but ask security to be present and on the alert. You can be that certain other groups (protesters with signs going home, for example) would have drawn attention from security.
8
Was he hurting anyone? No? Then leave him alone, FFS.
Seriously, Ansel...
You'd think one would understand freedom of speech, writing for The Stranger...
9
Swastikas, Confederate flags...how many losing sides do people want to associate with?

Maybe I'll wear a Carthaginian helmet from the era of the Third Punic War...or how about anything that anyone ever wore to one the Crusades (all flops)?

10
I'm surprised 'ignore; is the common choice.

“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me– and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
11
I would've beat his ass, right there! #AntiFa
12
Probably the Senate Majority Leader anyway, he'd talk your ear off
13
We can't expect the FBI to do much, if anything, about white supremecist groups. Thanks to policy changes during the Bush administration and continuing under the Obama administration, the FBI is hard at work fighting "Terror."
14
@8 I think this xkcd sums up the freedom of speech argument pretty clearly.

http://xkcd.com/1357/
15
I am sure had someone challenged him on the issue, a rational, calm, and mutually beneficial conversation would have taken place, ushering in a new era of racial tolerance.

Everyone acted correctly in the situation (well, except for the complaining from the guy who said nothing about the other people who said nothing), you treat people who do stuff like that the same way you treat dog shit lying on the ground. Ignore it and move on. He just wants attention anyway. He is probably high-fiving his racist bros as we speak on account of the exposure you gave him.
16
So he calls out all the people on the ferry who didn't do or say anything. While he bravely...took a picture.
17
@11: Why doesn't he have a right to free speech? Do you support people beating your ass if they disagree with you? Sounds like something a fascist group might do.

Why is free speech such a hard concept to understand? It is there to protect the most vile of speech, not to ensure everyone agrees with you, or else there must be violence.
18
@8 OK Mr. I Did Nothing When I Saw The Next Mass Shooter Because Freedom Of Speech.

I would thank you for being a bitch and doing nothing about it. Hearty cheers all around!
20
@17 I'm very worried that you support the friends of the recent terrorist shooter who did nothing.
21
Ignore him?!?!? That guy is begging to be loudly and publicly mocked. THAT is freedom of speech.

LOL ... I'd probably start with his Heaven's Gate UFO suicide cult shoes and pretend like I didn't notice the armband.
22
I'd have called him on it and ridiculed him. Answering his free speech rights by exercising my own. But I'd be hoping to piss him off enough that he took a swing so that I could use my right to defend myself.
23
Should have just openly laughed at him.
24
Agree this is a non story and appropriate adult response is to do nothing (possibly quietly alert someone else to keep an eye on him). #10 - I think you inadvertently argued the opposite of what you intended with that quote. If #6 had actually called this guy a "piece of shit", or #11 had actually "beat his ass", *that* would have been the time to speak out. In other words, "First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out– because I was not a socialist; Then they came for the pathetic, trolling Nazi on the ferry, and I did not speak out– because I was not a Nazi; – and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
25
Should gave been openly mocked. That's about it. Free speech deserves more free speech.

@20 how dramaaaaaaaaatic.

@18 and what would you have done, tough guy?
26
@21, THANK YOU, the Heaven's Gate sneakers are pretty much the only thing i could see in that photo.
28
@24 No, that's how I meant it. How can you defend a Nazi's right to free speech while not defending the guy who would call him a piece of shit, exercising his own free speech? My point is ignoring problems never made them go away. "He who forgets is destined to remember."

No one is saying he can't do this. In fact, in reality, he is and did. He exercised his free speech. We have a perfectly reasonable right to do the same and let him know our point of view on the matter, which is and should be that hate and inequity will not be tolerated here or anywhere.
29
Taking the picture was the safe(est) and smart(est) way to confront the guy as it was the least provocative. Calling him out for the armband invites him to respond, to shift from being passive aggressive by wearing the arm band to aggressively confronting you, the person calling him out. At that point everyone else is afraid that things will escalate, possibly turning violent. Even if there is someone in authority there (a security guard, a police officer, a staff person from the ferry terminal) their options are limited. Their goal ought to be to defuse the situation, to prevent a confrontation from becoming physical. They cannot force the guy to take off the armband, and if they ejected him from the terminal they could face a lawsuit that would be expensive to win (if that was a possible outcome).

As one final observation, the Westboro Baptist Church gets most of it's funding by suing the people that get into conflicts with them. Westboro knows the legal limits of what they can do and what other people can do in response. As soon as someone crosses that line, Westboro sues them for as much money as they can extract from them.
30
Who is he? He should be ID'ed. He can be some kids' kindergarten teacher .
31
not "can be" but "may be"
32
The Heaven's Gate shoes are a perfect touch. ALDO, the strangest thing about all of this is that apparently the Heaven's Gate late '90s website is still active: heavensgate.com
33
People of my parent's generation - particularly the veterans, as Papa Vel-DuRay was - would certainly have had something to say to this miserable little man. But the children and grandchildren of the "greatest generation" don't have the personal connection that they did. The only people who feel that connection to the war at all are the losers like him.

I personally would have gotten up and walked away if he had sat down next to me, but that's it. I mean really, what can you do with that mess?
34
Best not to immediately put him on the defensive, I would think. So, a light entry point: "Excuse me. Is that H&M....or Hugo Boss?"
35
I sincerely wish all fascists wore their beliefs on their sleeve like this.
36
I'd avoid the guy, fearing he might be armed. Those Walther and Astra pistoles are easy to conceal.
37
Are you new to Seattle? Seattlites don't interact with strangers in public. And we certainly don't confront someone directly. We take pictures and write to The Stranger about it.
38
@16:

Well, at least he didn't pretend the Nazi-fuckwad was completely invisible either, which apparently is more than anyone else could manage.

Look people, this isn't about freedom of speech, or not engaging trolls, or attempting to have a reasonable discourse, or whatever vapid rationalization you want to use for not having the balls to step up and call this cretin out for what he is. Ignoring problems doesn't make them go away. Pretending something doesn't exist when it's literally staring at you from a few feet away is just an easy excuse for foisting the onus of dealing with it onto someone else. He's not going away, not until someone - or a bunch of someones - TELLS him it's time to move his sick, sorry National Socialist ass elsewhere. Tolerance =/= approval.

Sure, direct confrontation of evil is uncomfortable, and it definitely entails an element of risk But people like this derive much of their power from the assurance - certainly borne out here - that no one will have the guts to exhibit even the smallest expression of outrage and disapproval. He doesn't interpret your silence as standing up for the First Amendment or keeping the peace, he interprets it as fear; fear of himself, fear of what he represents, and fear of what he might do if challenged.

And he's absolutely right...
39
Free speech is not entirely free; there are limitations.
This man, from the context I read here, does not appear to have met any criteria which limits his right to free speech and expression.
41
The ability to ignore this man is an example of white privilege.
42
I'd have ignored him just like I ignore anyone who harasses me in public. Those people aren't worth the time it would take me to confront them.

And those saying they would beat the guy up are fucking insane. You don't escalate this type of situation that way, and if you do then you're part of the problem.
43
Or at least Goyim privilege.
44
42: It may be wrongheaded, but it's certainly not insane to want to beat up a Nazi. It's kind of the least anyone clinging to that ideology deserves. Would it be productive? No. Would it be compatible with the values of an open society? Probably not. Insane? Definitely not.
45
@8 trying to decide who is a bigger piece of shit, the nazi or you. White Supremacism kills people everyday. It killed 9 just two days ago.
46
@8 Let me get this straight. You yell at us because... "Freedom of speech!" er... something... for engaging in freedom of speech criticizing a pile of shit nazi. A Nazi, that if he had is way would institute a fascist dictatorship... where there is no freedom of speech. Yeah. Okay.

Maybe you want to think that shit over.
47
@42 In this case, against a fucking Nazi? You know. The dudes that murdered 15 million people? Gee... I'm okay with being part of the problem or viewed as insane.
48
Some people aren't worth arguing with. I'd rather go sit down and talk to a nonwhite person sitting across from him in the terminal, than confront this freak.
49
I know that guy. He is a mormon who welcomes people to church on Sundays. He never struck me as a fascist.
51
Sorry... I just couldn't get past the part where it said "professional photographer.... Extraordinary photo". If that's actually a true statement from the writer, then I am appalled at the state of what passes for "professional", and especially "extraordinary".
It's a poorly framed snapshot of some dude sitting there doing absolutely nothing. It wouldn't even cut it as "on the go street photography" as far as most the people I've learned from or admired or worked with.
But, then, this is the stranger. It doesn't take much for the vanguard of plastic culture to declare something "amazing" or "extraordinary". Or to be the quickest to find blame and reasons for division and discord. Good job at doing exactly what it is you've grown into, Stranger.
52
@44 -- Instigating physical violence in a scenario like this is insane and stupid, and insanely stupid, yes.

I've walked away from a random guy who threatened to kick in both my knees. I've walked away from a lot of strange men who have said similarly horrible things, like "I know where you live." You get good at walking away when stuff like this happens to you on a regular basis, and when your own safety is more important to you than finding out of the person is serious.
53
Fuck that guy. 420,000 Americans died in World War 2 to prevent the Nazis and their allies from taking over the world. Somebody should have reminded him of their sacrifice.
55
He was just being ironic. Hipsterdom isn't as easy as it used to
be.
56
Where's The Bear Jew when you need him?
57
I guess that would be freedom of speech or expressing that freedom. Then again my Yid 6'3,330 pound ex military 1%er biker last 35 years would express my freedom of speech shoving his rag down his throat.I'm pretty sure from reading other replies from the PC hide your head in the sand crowd that one or more will whine about my attitude. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
58
He has the right to walk around in public sporting his opinion, abhorrent though it may be, and you have the right to mock him. Neither of you has the right to engage in violence, make direct threats or exhort others to violence. See, freedom of speech isn't that hard.

Also, on a semi-related note, I've noticed the "Antifa" crowd are some of the biggest fascists around.
59
Frankly, in today's Seattle, I read "I would ignore" as being the equivalent of "I hate Jews." Though Nazism affected many groups, the rest of those groups are generally OK in the eyes of the modern Seattleite.
60
Good for him!
61
Has anyone considered that this whole thing was a set up (on the nazi's part)? He could have been waiting for someone to physically start something and have some other unmarked nazi confederates nearby to create a "justified" fracas. He could then claim the photographer started it. Then others of his ilk could use the incident to start more violence. Best leave him be but keep an eye on him; find out who he is.
62
Hate speak does not deserve to be free speak. History has been trying to teach us this since before our constitution was written. We need to stop being naive about this and call it out when we see it. How do we do that? Great topic for a conversation our lovely country is afraid to have.

I applaud the photographer/author for taking a step towards illuminating the hate within our society and instigating conversation about this important topic.
63
There are nutbars everywhere. One guy with an armband does not a legion of storm troopers make. He obviously has some issues, and maybe is intending to shock. I'm much less worried about this guy going nuts than I am about some of the large race based organizations such as AIPAC and La Raza. The latter do not face social shaming.
65
In 2003-2005, local nazi types tried to organize a presence at the anti-war demonstrations, spreading propaganda that the Iraq war was a 'war for Israel' in an attempt to spread antisemitism.
Local anti-fascists (mostly anarchist) organized in response. Whenever we would see such, we would spread the word and gather a crowd, much bigger than them. Then together we would taunt them until they gave up on spreading their message of hate.
Violence was not required. Just louder voices. They're not to be reasoned with. Fascists and racists should never feel that they are safe to express their hate. It's not something I would trust the force of government with, because if the government can silence any one view they can silence others (and they do). But it is a necessary act so that non-hateful members of society can be safe.

If we were really on the ball such a response should be in organized patrols in Capitol Hill to likewise intimidate the hate that doesn't wear arm bands.
66
It's so banal that #1, 2, and 3 (all who appear to be white males) all just recommended that the nazi-guy be ignored as a solution. Even though, the guy may desire to do harm in the near or distant future to people who don't have the same skin-tone. Privileged much?

67
no way could I have resisted calling him a piece of shit to his face
68
What were people supposed to do? Dude was peacocking and looking for a fight. Ansel - what would you have done? The couple next to him didnt have inches or pounds on the fucktard and probably didn't want to give him the satisfaction of leaving.
69
It took courage for the photographer take this and other pictures of this individual. This allowed many to bear witness to the event. It looks as if the overwhelming opinion is Nazis are not good in any way. That is reassuring and surely a victory over any gloating this hatemonger and his ilk are doing about the free publicity they have received. Score one, for the people. Score zip, for the Nazis.
70
People ask, "Wheat could you say anyway?" How about, "That armband offends me, man. It has always stood for terrible acts against other human beings. I know my words probably won't make you want to take it off. But it sure is ugly."
71
The couple next to him look very much in love.
72
You know,that symbol is good luck in Chinese culture...
73
Bros on the Internet be like:

14-year-old girl brutalized by police officer: "She shouldn't have been mouthing off!"

Dude Flaunting Symbols of hatred, opression, genocide and brutality: "We must defend his freedom of speech!"
74
I am curious did you get paid to write this cause if so I getting a camera and taking random pictures, then I am ganna write about how it made me feel. Cause this article is about nothing . You saw some one exercising his freedom of speech but never got permission to use his image for your gain.
75
Many of the comments here, "argh, don't feed the troll" are disturbing. Thankful for the commenters who understand that ignoring a person who wears a SWASTIKA (are you EFFING KIDDING ME?) is the "response" of cowards who have NO clue what the hell is going on in the world or what has happened in the world. At least making eye contact with this man or getting up and walking out of the room is SOMETHING. It says, "you are not welcome here. Your hatred is not welcome here." This passivity must have its limits. WTF. I adore this city, but WTF.
76
I'll go ahead and exercise my free speech. #74, you are a piece of shit.
77
As a fellow photographer, and a Jewish one at that, I'd have to admit that standing in front of that P.O.S. and taking his photo would stir emotions I don't want to feel. I can feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about it.

And while I concur with those who's advise it is to ignore it, it's also important for journalists to inform and remind the public that this type of hatred exists.

Its a paradox though. The hate monger gets the publicity it craves. We get to loath its presence, study it for a few moments, like a car wreck, and discuss it here. That's the power of photojournalism. That said, I think its a compelling image and story. I commend Jay and Ansel for having the chutzpah to shoot, write and publish this.
78
@75 He KNOWS he's not welcome. Do you see him chatting amicably with his seatmates? Beaming broadly? Manspreading? His posture, his visage, is the kind of nervous confrontational body language you'd get from a 13 year old telling off the vice principal -- he knows he's going to detention, he's just wondering if he's going to see a real meltdown. Now, if he were hanging out by a synagogue or yelling at an inter-racial couple, I would have to get involved (and have!), but on public transit, assuming no active threat to anybody, I'm not going to waste my time and energy stating the obvious.
79
If you look closely he appears to be somewhat diminutive, skinny and slightly built. The swastika stands out for all to see. He says nothing but his countenance seems to dare the viewer to do something. That's why I think this thing was a set up and I'm glad that calmer heads prevailed. If the photographer, who is admittedly larger, had attacked him the nazi would have feigned being hurt, then two associates standing nearby would have pounced. Something like this happened on the Geraldo show some years ago with skinheads. I can also believe that there would have some other nazi's in place video recording the event. While I don't think the photographer would go to jail he could find himself banished from the ferries for a while. The nazi's could claim he started it and while they are ugly there is no law against that. Like I said, watch him; maybe if he had been followed one could see if he linked up with others who were also in the terminal at the time.
80
@78 I would start something simply for the entertainment of others.
82
Many of you seem to equate confrontation with physicality. This is not the case. @70 & @75 get it. He's stating his opinion, he has that right. You also have the right to state YOUR opinion. Opinions are words, speech, not action. One can express an opinion without engaging in any kind of physical aggression - which is exactly what this piece-of-shite is doing - unless one cares to argue that his mere presence is a form of physical aggression. You don't have to threaten, you don't have to put up your dukes; all you have to do is look him in the eye and tell him exactly what you think of him and his swastika.
83
If this asshole wore that in NY he would have been thrown on the subway tracks and no one would have said a ficking thing.

SeattlitesSeattlities are fucking cowards, including this photographer.
87
Lots of hot air and posturing on this board and I wonder how many of you freely defend or join the "free Palestine" types who throw the swastika around at their silly, misguided rallies. It's not hard to find examples. The old leftist clown with the Che cap is my fav.

http://archive.adl.org/nr/exeres/b79cb3b…
91
You choose what offends you but is allowable under the law. I'm sure a picture of someone wearing a tshirt with a picture of a juicy steak would also trigger a 90-comment response of irrational ranting and blathering.

Wearing a shirt with a picture of a grilled steak on it would get my ass kicked, huh?
92
@86. he exercised free speech, and you committed assault by spitting.
Would you do the same thing as an adult?
94
Meth
97
Giving this Nazi an audience made his intention successful. I doubt he intended or was hoping to stick anybody. Taking his picture and making him a headline in the popular local paper is quite a big deal and possibly empowering for someone like him. Ignoring him will defeat him. Until he becomes an actual threat, he is offensive, but harmless.
98
Read Hans Fallada's "Every Man Dies Alone" and see if you can see this Nazi armband the same way...
100
I was in the ferry ride back to Bremerton with him, about 20 feet from him. Lots of people didn't notice him at first, but then everyone around began to realize what he was (initially he was just a face in the crowd on a late ferry). Soon, a couple people said something. Almost everyone who said something to him was white. Perhaps this says something about race and relations, but I won't discuss that on here. I will say though, I am a person of color and I married a white woman. It made me feel good that almost everyone who verbally questioned him and did not condone his behavior and views were white. On that day in particular, it helped remind me that there are white persons besides my wife and family that find these types of sentiments unequivocally abhorrent.
102
@100, that's good to hear.
111
This is the problem with Seattle and most other uber liberal cities. All talk and no action. He knew no one was going to say anything. Sometimes might does make right. He should have been called out and forced to remove that arm band under threat of having his head taken off. Violence is the answer sometimes. F all your marches and rallies. Do something when evil is right in your face.
112
Here now and in every moment forward, we should all take a second to breathe and consider the difference between what's fact and what's interpretation. With every second of life, our senses allow our brain to absorb and interpret information which can influence our reality to suit our own fears and prejudices and if not careful, easily become blind to truth.

This entire article serves as a perfect example, as it's 99.9% conjecture and projection.
As I said, remember to ask How To Separate FACT from INTERPRETATION. The author wrote the article around HIS INTERPRETATIONS and I ask everyone...
How many FACTS do you find in the article? I found about two FACTS: 1) A man had a swastika arm band on. 2) Someone took a picture of it and as for FACTS, that's it. The rest, the entire article is speculation, interpretation and conjecture. This man may very well be a hate monger, etc, then again, he may not be. There are ZERO facts to prove one way or other what/who this man is or why he's wearing the arm band (and, notice how quick you were to judge him). MOST people make "interpretations" and then turn them into facts and live from that (false) space. NOTICE, notice how the article tried to shape your ideas and opinions, and again, no facts!

PS - Hitler did not come up with the Swastika. The swastika has a 12,000 year old history and it MEANS, "good fortune" and "well being" in Sanskrit. POINT: We are "interpreting machines," going forward, ask yourself, "What is fact, what is interpretation?" When you do this, life becomes clear, and there is far less drama. Drama comes from interpretations, not facts!
113
I cant see what all the fuss is about , a bloke sat down minding his own business . Oh and he just happens to be wearing a nice colurfull nazi armband , whats wrong with that it looks cool !
The photographer sounds more or a bully here thinking about beating up the guy , what a dick !
115
it's a free country who cares he sucks but like let him do his thing articles like this and the ensuing comments make me very glad I don't live in this city anymore if ur socially conscious u go to heaven fyi so good job most of u r going to heaven doesn't that feel nice is seattle heaven there seems to be quite a few of u lil angels out there !!! ;0

if i had to pick one person i would probably say #41 pink_soda u would b the king of heaven!
116
The comments are more interesting than the article, it does show me the Seattle mentality. How many offensive shirts do people wear? Or bumper stickers? The guy was minding his own business, what about his childhood?

I laugh, would you have wrote this article if you saw a member of the black panthers? Or a crooked politician? The world is fucked up, but we need to look at ourselves to change it. Is it going to be a crime to be a Christian in the future because people dissagree with it?

I laugh when I think of someone willing to beat me, or throw me on the subway tracks because they disagree with me. I will shoot to kill!!! It's hard to believe that I sound more liberal than the masses here!
117
Agree that he was probably looking for attention/confrontation (yes, MY interpretation- given the symbol and modern meaning, why else would he be wearing it??). Personally, I would have left without a comment....not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much I hate that symbol. My great-great grandparents left Germany because of the Kaiser; 2 of my grandfather's brothers enlisted in the US Army to fight Hitler and his youngest brother was a priest (who spoke flawless German- it was their first language) who was assigned to a dairy farm in the Alps....where making cheese was secondary to smuggling Jews out of harm's way.

But this is the USA where First Amendment rights prevail. I don't have to like what he has to "say"...but I have no right to say he can't. I do have the right to walk away.....
118
Bad picture. Driveby snapshot. No need to confront him, but if you had talked to him, this might have been a compelling story. Where does this guy come from? What does he do with his pathetic little storm trooper outfit? I used to be a journalist and I've found that people like this want to talk about their lives, explain their extremism. I for one, am interested in their rationales.
119
They didn't exchange words? I'm really confused about the legality of this. Don't you need someone's permission to publish their photo? Why do we see people's faces blurred in crowds sometimes?
120
I'm amazed no one has responded to #49.

And @100, thanks for sharing that. Reaffirms faith.
121
I do wonder if all the people advocating for a verbal or physical confrontation in this situation, would equally endorse a Native American (or an Iraqi) confronting someone with an American flag on their clothing. P.S. Much like shouting fire in a crowded theater, "fighting words" are not protected by the 1st amendment.
122
#112: Wow that's deep.
123
Lots of people are confronting him here from behind the safety of their keyboards and phones. Curious as to how many of these heroes would throw down IRL.

124
In the words of Justice Brandeis (Whitney v. California, 1927) -

"If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence."

Like it or not, this man has a 1st Amendment right to free speech, as does every other person in this country. I wouldn't want to be the one that draws the line on what speech is protected and what is not. If you don't like what someone has to say, use your constitutional right to speak.

"More speech, not enforced silence."

126
Although I loathe everthing the swastika represents, and belive anyone who wears it to be a small-penised troglodyte, it's still his right as a semi-free American to wear one!
Why didn't Trinidad speak up himself? If he was so annoyed by others' complacency, why not take bold, in-your-face photos rather than with fear and trepidation? Why must it always be somebody else who speaks up?
Geez, grow some balls!
127
No one knows what "nonplussed" means anymore.
128
Honestly, I think perhaps the other people decided it was far too ridiculous to be serious, and that therefore he must be going to a costume party or part of a stage play or something, because he couldn't possibly really be a Nazi.
129
It’s amazing that how fast everyone is to judge. The subject’s name in the photograph is Ron. I agree what Ron was wearing is totally offensive. But, if Trinidad had interacted with Ron, he would have immediately known that Ron is Mentally Disabled. Ron’s the type of guy that would wear a Patriot’s football helmet to a Seahawks game and not even know that he was doing would to stir up negative emotions, considering how much he loves the Seahawks. Before retiring as a Police Officer with the City of Port Orchard, I would have occasional interactions with Ron. Most of them would end up with me being dispatched to a 911 call that there was a “Crazy” person causing a disturbance, which in most cases was not the fact. Normally, it turned out to be nothing more than Ron trying to have a conversation with the complainant. Sadly the last time I talked to Ron, I learned that his mother had a terminal illness. Ron would always tell me if it wasn’t for his mother, he would be living on the streets. Ron like so many other Ron’s in this country are overlooked, because there is very few of us willing to interact and help them. This is especially true of our State Government in Olympia. The only time we seem to notice the Ron’s in this world, is when we see them doing something unacceptable, violent or out of the norm. In closing, I notice that Trinidad had stated that he was “mentally preparing” to fight Ron. Shame on you. Sadly, we have as a society have begun taking photos or videos as fact that we see in the news, without taking the time of interviewing people in getting full story.

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