Bahai Convention

On September 30th seventy Baha’i’s from the Olympic Peninsula gathered in Port Ludlow under colorful banners, international flags, with jazz musicians and African group songs, to elect a delegate to the Baha’i United States

National Spiritual Assembly (NSA). Baha’i’s come from virtually every ethnic, racial, and tribal background, and the delegates elected to the USA NSA reflect the diversity seen in 176 NSAs worldwide.

Each year, the Baha’i community elects a representative who possesses the necessary qualities of selfless devotion, a well-trained mind, recognized ability and mature experience. These voluntary elections are held without any campaigning. At a time when trust in government is eroding worldwide, and when the electoral process in many nations has become discredited due to corruption, this new model of governance can serve as an antidote to apathy, alienation, and despair.

In addition to the sacred task of casting ballots, the Convention was held as a “Festival of Music, Art, and Love,” a spiritual conference with consultation, music, and art. A collaborative art project titled “#Our Story is One,” commemorating the 40-year anniversary of 10 Iranian Baha’i women martyred for refusing to renounce their faith also honors the memory of Mahsa Amini, who was killed in Iran on September 16, 2022, for wearing her headscarf incorrectly. Despite protests, and the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to an imprisoned Iranian woman, Iran has increased penalties for incorrect attire.

This art project featured a sculpture representing the flowering of hope, rising above imprisonment and death, embodying all women unified in suffering and resilience. The group activity of signing handprints in red on a gold silk sari signified commitment and dedication to women’s equality and freedom all around the world. Such a diverse and welcoming election gathering serves as an example of how we can work together towards unity, with love.

Teren MacLeod

Port Townsend

Website Classifieds

Dear Leader,

Your website classifieds have been inaccurate and not correctly updated over the past month and it was disappointing to buy a paper and see how many things I missed from depending on the website to provide the classifieds to me.

I understand that the office is likely atruggling as it has in the past, but the classifieds are one of The Leader’s greatest sections, in my opinion, and you should make it a priority. The ability to find out about jobs, rentals, and sales through The Leader has been an indispensable help to me throughout the years. It keeps me educated on both the housing and job markets. I am not a subscriber but do indulge in a paper every couple weeks and want to remain a support to The Leader. I have unfortunate and reliable intel about the working conditions, pay, and inability to keep employees at The Leader. This is a call for The Leader to do better. Treat your people better. Ask what they need and then listen. The Leader is such an import facet in the Port Townsend community and its reliability and accuracy depends on you and your employees.

Shannon Black

Chimacum

Let’s Fact Check

Although the general election is still over a year away, it is certainly not too early to start fact checking candidates and their supporters.

Gary Price (10/11/23 Leader Letters) states as fact that Obama, Holder and Biden ran guns to terrorist drug cartels. That is not factual. Nor is his statement that they armed The Taliban with military style weapons. Next he implies that the very real pandemic was somehow orchestrated by Dr. Fauci. Also not correct. Health professionals are able to predict health threats as diseases manifest in certain ways. It’s been happening for decades and those predictions have saved thousands of lives.

Next he seems to absolve Trump of responsibility for the 1/6 insurrection. While that case currently resides in a court of law, the facts point to Trump as the inciter of violence on that day. But let’s wait to see what the rule of law says on that one. As for Hunter Biden, the jury is still out. Jim Jordan is certainly investigating all things Hunter Biden but as yet has found no damning evidence so, again, let’s wait for the evidence before assigning guilt.

The virulent hatred spewed by those who are caught up in the fringe right wing conspiracy laden ‘news’ is tearing America down. America was great before Trump and now it is teetering on the edge of authoritarianism. I feel pretty confident that even his supporters will regret living in an authoritarian regime. Civil discourse in a democratic society is the only answer. Accepting conspiracy theories as fact only serves to diminish long held American values and discourse. Let’s reject them.

Betsy Coddington

Port Townsend