I came into possession of a letter to Steve Pierce, ostensibly from Penny Schreiber, wife of the Ypsilanti mayoral candidate. If the letter were actually written by Ms. Schreiber, the irrational hatred it contains would explain a lot about the negativity of Paul's recent primary campaign.
This afternoon I called Penny, introduced myself, and asked her if she wrote the letter.
"Yes, I wrote it. Why would I sign it if I didn't write it?" Penny said.
"Well, I didn't know whether
you signed it even though your name is on it. That's why I'm calling," I explained.
"Why
wouldn't I sign it? Of course I wrote it."
"Thank you."
In our conversation, which lasted maybe two minutes, Ms. Schreiber seemed furious that anyone would question her opinion.
"Are you one of those
bloggers?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I am," I said.
"Well, let me tell you, I'm a
journalist and I think that bloggers are
idiots."
"I see."
"Yes.
All of them."
Ms. Schreiber believes that people (she, and others in the Schreiber campaign) are being attacked merely for expressing their opinions. I told her that she can express any opinion she wants, but she can expect to defend it.
"No I don't," she said. "I don't have to defend it."
"Well, sure you do," I said.
"No I don't."
She said good-bye, as did I, and our conversation was over.
Some of you will think me a lout for publishing Ms. Schreiber's letter. It is my opinion, however (and I imagine I'll have to defend it) that the irrational hatred of Steve Pierce amply demonstrated by Paul's campaign has hurt this city. Worse, these fanatics feel morally justified in dividing Ypsilanti, as Karl Rove does in dividing the nation. Schreiber's campaign rarely challenged Steve's ideas. When they did so, it was to attack Steve's
character (see the ridiculously divisive anti-Township flyers for one example) because he proposed more cooperation between the city and the township.
So, Ms. Schreiber writes to Steve saying that he must have a thin skin if he thinks the campaign was negative. In the process, she shows just how venal and hateful the campaign truly was. Thanks for making my point, Penny.
In short, the irrational hatred and ends-justifying-means spirit that helped Paul Schrieber win the primary must be aired out. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Moreover, Paul Schreiber owes Steve Pierce a public apology. He
must take responsibility for the hate that was spewed in his name, perhaps in a letter to the editor of the Courier, or some similar venue. Without an apology -- and a commitment to keep his supporters quiet -- Paul has
no chance of getting the cooperation that Ypsilanti needs to move forward. Not before 2020, anyway.
Is Paul Schreiber a uniter or a divider? I hope he's a uniter.
Without further ado, I offer
Penny Schreiber's letter to Steve Pierce.
Perhaps I'll have deconstruction of the letter in a future post.
