Mob mentality

Recently The Reporter published a rather lengthy piece (“City content to ignore lessons…” The Reporter, Nov. 27) about the trials and tribulations of the Sammamish Heritage Society.

What struck me more than the wailing of the two seemingly very nice ladies who notably volunteer to run that organization, was the attitude of an elected official on our city council.

That official, a presumably responsible councilwoman, Michelle Petitti, actually publicly incited the heritage society to get a truck and dump their records in the corridor at city hall.

I find that to be irresponsible in the extreme. It borders on mob action which I find to be deliciously ironic in her case.

It was not too long ago that the same councilwoman, Petitti, publicly and from the elevated seats of the city council labeled all the objectors to plans to move forward with the cosmetic alterations to East Lake Sammamish Parkway, and north of the the Inglewood Hill Road junction, as succumbing to a mob mentality.

The subject “mob” described by Petitti was as calm and reasoned a group of concerned citizens voicing their objections that one could find.

She was finally coerced into proffering a public apology, which turned out to be a non-apology.

As a proud member of that earlier “mob” I am singularly offended by this latest verbal sortie by Petitti, which by any measure is an incitement illegal mob violence.

Where is the justice?

Paul A. Oostmeyer

Sammamish