The Roundup: The Op-Ed That Caused an Uproar
From the Editor
What's up, South End?
Last week was a doozy…
We published an op-ed from columnist Glenn Nelson about his opposition to Bicycle Weekends and all hell broke loose online.
I must admit, I had no idea this would get y'all so charged up.
My bad.
For me, this actually feels like a non-issue. I mean, Bicycle Weekends are not up for debate. There is no vote. This is a thing that is happening. In fact, some version of this has been happening on Lake Washington since the 1960s.
Which means Glenn's op-ed that left some people in such a tizzy was just a reflection from one longtime South End resident responding to something happening in his neighborhood. Nothing he said was going to take the car-free weekends away.
But you would never know that if you only witnessed the social media uproar the column caused. Or some of the emails we received. It got ugly.
One email, from a reader who moved to Rainier Beach post-COVID, opened with, "What an absolutely idiotic opinion piece to publish."
I expected people to disagree. We also published an op-ed on the other side.
Overall, what surprised me wasn't the disagreement itself. It was how quickly some people jumped from disagreeing with Glenn's opinion to arguing that his opinion should never have been published at all.
Despite our difference in opinions, I just don't like how we talk to each other. And more than that, I don't like who gets the most smoke.
This response was eerily similar to when I wrote about nostalgia for Seafair… Or when Matt Chan wrote in support of Tanya Woo…
We publish opinions for a living, so we can handle criticism. But people didn't just disagree with our opinions, they demanded the Emerald refuse to publish our thoughts. The three of us are non-white, lifelong residents of the South End and award-winning journalists. If we can't speak about our communities, who can?
When we are told our views are harmful to the community, that's a statement that ignores the fact that we are the community.
So, I'm not upset about the discourse or disagreement. I'm upset about the people who sent me emails, or posted online, saying that the Emerald should never have published Glenn's op-ed in the first place. These comments seem to come from people who are so fervent in their own beliefs that they think opposing voices shouldn't be heard.
That's a troubling instinct, particularly in a place as diverse as South Seattle. We're one of the most racially, culturally, and economically diverse parts of the city. We are supposed to encounter different viewpoints here. That's part of the deal. That's what community actually is.
We're living through a time period where we're faced with issues every day that are life and death. Issues that do not allow room for "both sides" because one side believes the other side shouldn't exist.
Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington Boulevard is not one of those issues.
I mean, what are we really talking about here? Lane closures on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day — that's like 33 days.
Meanwhile, we have young people being killed. Families being displaced. Seniors struggling to stay housed. Small businesses fighting to survive. Trans youth wondering whether they'll be safe tomorrow. Those are the issues where we desperately need this level of energy.
I originally came here thinking I would give my take on the bike issue. But I won't.
Instead, I'll simply thank y'all for reading.
And leave you with a gentle reminder that even if we don't always agree, we should be able to discuss. Community isn't agreement. Community is engagement.
When was the last time you sat down and had a conversation with someone in this community who saw things differently than you?
I listened to Glenn Nelson, Brett Hamil, and Marcus Harrison Green discuss this very issue on City Cast, and what struck me wasn't that they agreed — because they didn't.
My big takeaway was that they listened to each other. They challenged each other. They disagreed respectfully. And somehow everyone survived.
At some point, we have to remember that being neighbors means sharing space — in person!
And doing so with people who don't always share our opinions. And if you've found yourself in the place of asking for a voice like Glenn's, or my own, to be silenced when we speak on something you don't agree with — ask yourself why you feel our voices don't deserve to be heard.
To all my South End neighbors, have a good weekend.
The Roundup Rundown
It only feels right that we switch it up a little this week.
I recognize that not everyone may be as chronically online as I am, and you may have missed the spirited debates surrounding our stretch of Lake Washington.
So, allow me to catch you up. Below you'll find opinion articles (and a cartoon) about Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington.
I encourage you to dive into an article that may be opposite of how you already feel.
And In Other News
In a sit-down interview with the Emerald, Wilson addresses transit, homelessness, public safety, and other issues shaping South Seattle neighborhoods.
In a unanimous vote, Sound Transit plans to pay for the station, in part with a federal grant and a $30 million commitment from the City of Seattle.
Sign Up for More!
This is an abbreviated version of The Roundup newsletter. To get the entire newsletter, including a weekly list of events to check out and my shout-out to South End Gems, subscribe here. See you next week!
Mike Davis is the newsletter editor and Voices editor at the South Seattle Emerald. Born and raised in Seattle's South End, Mike is a longtime journalist who's covered everything from arts and culture to sports to politics.
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