Editor:

I want to join with Tim Beppler in calling for Dave Bennett to resign from the Uinta County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees.

In my previous submission to the Herald titled “Gasoline on the Fire” I wanted to make sure the community was aware of the things the speaker (Douglas Frank) was claiming about Uinta County and Wyoming elections. I certainly didn’t intend it as a personal attack on Dave Bennett.

I simply thought that maybe a gentle public rebuke might embarass Dave a little and help him realize that public comments like “get a rope” are not acceptable. I obviously underestimated how much hatred he has for those with whom he disagrees politically. When I read that he had doubled down on the idea at the Harriet Hageman townhall meeting, I felt like I had to speak up again.

Dave, this is directed straight at you: if you truly feel that lynching is an acceptable method of dealing with political opponents, you should not be on the school board — and you should seek help.

If you don’t really believe that, then you need to stop saying it and make a public apology. To the rest of my fellow citizens of Evanston and patrons of UCSD No. 1, please let your voice be heard and make it clear that hate speech is not acceptable in Evanston, especially from leaders of our education community.

In this time of school shootings, political division, hatred and violence, we have to take a stand for cooperation, love and kindness. Don’t forget the quote attributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Vern Hopkin

Evanston