In the City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 21st, John Henshaw was selected as our new Vice Mayor. I congratulate John and think it he will do a fantastic job.
That said, I was surprised when at a little after 2pm, during “Council Comments,” he made a remark about being disappointed seeing so many people protesting on Periwinkle a few weeks back. He was referring, of course, to the national “No Kings” march on March 28th which had record numbers of protestors come out around the country, and on Sanibel.
Councilman Henshaw said that this is a Sanctuary Island and as such, when we come over the causeway, we should leave our politics behind. “It’s a Sanctuary living in harmony and it’s not just in nature, it’s living in harmony with our community, with our fellow residents.” I would remind Councilman Henshaw that for many years there have been several political organizations on Sanibel including the Republican Caucus and The Progressive Club of the Islands, but we still live in harmony with Sanibel as our common cause.
I understand what he is trying to say, but let’s not forget that Sanibel is still in America! And in America we enjoy “freedom of speech.” It is our right to protest peacefully. He said he agreed with that, but “…take it off island.” Why should we do that when we don’t live “off-island?” We should feel free to protest on our home soil, and for me that is Sanibel.
I am sorry Councilman Henshaw doesn’t agree, but when I see an administration that has stripped the laws and regulations away from our environmental gatekeepers, an administration that has haphazardly fired good men and women trying to continue to protect our environment, an administration that does not believe in clean energy & continues to promote fossil fuels, an administration that literally weakened regulations on toxic contaminants (including PFAS which was discussed at Council on Tuesday), and so many more rollbacks that are hurting our environment and our Sanctuary Island, then I think it is our right – and actually our duty – as gatekeepers of our Sanctuary Island, to protest ON our Sanctuary Island!
National politics is nothing to be ignored just because we live on a Sanctuary island. Constructive public discourse cannot be left on the other side of the causeway, especially when we don’t live there.
I would also like to thank Councilwoman DeBruce for following up with her comment that without impinging on safety concerns “…I do feel like in Sanibel as part of being a sanctuary island is protecting all of our rights, including, in my mind, most importantly, the freedom for all of us to speak our peace.”
Arlene Dillon
Sanibel Resident