A recent letter to the editor in another newspaper caught my eye. The writer claimed to be deeply offended and outraged by a published proposal of those he called radicals to place ads on the sides of regional buses alleging that U.S. dollars were being used by Israel to lob bombs on the Palestinians in Gaza. But what upset him even more was a public indifference to the proposal, and he went on heatedly to wonder how much restraint Seattle citizens would exhibit if (and I quote directly from his letter), “radicals on Mercer Island were firing deadly rockets each day across Lake Washington” into their city.

That imagery is critically flawed, perhaps inspired by the big grey ventilator tubes jutting above Lid Park, which he has mistaken for missile silos. And furthermore, even if they were, a true Island radical (if such there still be) would argue they are intentionally aimed eastward toward upstart Bellevue.

But alas, our radicals seem to have abandoned our Island, taking with them the vigor of spirited dispute that once stirred and enriched our civic energies. As a result, disagreements hereabouts on public matters are now murmurous at best, aimed at little else than avoiding any political noise that would frighten the children.

If, however, there is still in our midst a stubborn radical or two of the old school, it’s not too late for them to try to rescue us from the commonplace — though they’ll have to shout if they are to be heard. Even at the risk of frightening the children, that would be worthwhile if it bestirred drowsy community politics.

Larry Rose