Statement

Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive

May 31, 2020

“I stand against the horrors that were inflicted on George Floyd and many other African-Americans before him, and I stand in solidarity with those peacefully protesting acts of racism and violence. I also stand against the gratuitous violence and looting we are seeing in Seattle and other cities. We have to end the hate, or we will be consumed by it. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.” A long time ago a priest told me to always ask myself if my thoughts and actions were life-giving or death-dealing. We all must ask this and choose light over darkness. It is the only way we can make progress and build lasting justice.”