The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

I think the discussion of courthouse security could benefit from extended treatment by the citizens and employees. I did not get to the meeting in time to hear the comments, so the basis of my letter is from your newspaper report and my personal experience with courthouse staffs here and elsewhere.

I am 84-years old and retired from a lifetime of working with and serving county and state people in many places.

The greatest security you can have is to treat people generously, fairly, caringly, and with love, dignity, and respect; there is no substitute, and for the most part this is done in our courthouse by most of the staff. It only takes a few to screw it up for everybody, and that we also have. These are the ones that complain about “suspicious looking citizens.” If you don’t have the good qualities, you should not be working in government with people. If you don’t like doing that, get a different kind of job. No one will fault you.

Your greatest protection is service with a good attitude and your greatest threat is poor service and a bad attitude.

I get very concerned when I hear (or read) that the sheriff needs to increase security of the courthouse (or any place) because “We have suspicious looking people walking around.” I am probably one of them; maybe the only one. Maybe I will get shot because I am ugly looking.

I know the logic (or ill-logic) behind the “everyone carry” philosophy and you know, I am not opposed to it, but that will not protect you personally from the person you have mistreated, i.e., the persons you have unfairly treated or abused, etc., etc., etc.

Again—your best protection is to treat citizens, who need your help, with genuine concern, dignity, and the spirit of helpfulness. Been there, done that; it really works well and at the end of the day it feels good.

At the beginning of each day I have two pledges, “Today I will make the world a better place to live.” Some days the only thing I have to offer might just be a smile and kindness and the second thing is not easy for you to understand but if someone around me is threatened, I will step in front of them and take the bullet. That decision has to be made beforehand because in the heat of battle there is no opportunity to weigh logical options. “No greater love hath any man than he lay down his life for a friend.”

One day I wore black pants, a black shirt, and a black cap. Somebody asked me to sing them a song! They had mistaken me for Johnny Cash!

Boone Mora

Skamokawa