Yakima Councilwoman Holly Cousens On Supporting Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter.  NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

The national Black Lives Movement, well that's another story.

The former is a reasonable expression of love and concern for our fellow Americans, black men and women who are seeking an honest effort to generate review and adjustment of those policies and portions of society that negatively impact the lives of people of color.  It is a fair and worthy endeavor.

The latter is national organization with expressed anti-American views and goals, inspired by Marxist ideology, seeking to defund police, destroy the American family,  rewrite our history and rebuild the Country in an image they desire.  You can read some of their vision for America's future for yourself here. 

Monday on KIT radio's Morning News, Selah City Administrator Don Wayman called in to the show to address our conversation about an article in the Yakima Herald Republic (YHR)  This past weekend a group of protesters picketed King's Row, the drive-in restaurant of Selah Mayor Sherry Raymond, because the Mayor supports Mr.Wayman and the protesters didn't like comments Wayman made during a Black Lives Matter protest march in Selah back on June 6th which they read about and heard about in the news and on social media.

The YHR reported, "The controversy began when, during a June 6 Black Lives Matter protest by the Selah Civic Center, Wayman told Yakima City Councilwoman Holly Cousens that the protesters’ chants were “communist indoctrination,” and said Selah didn’t have the problems Yakima did because many residents carried concealed firearms, Cousens recounted in a Facebook post.....While Wayman denied he patted the side of his jacket when he mentioned concealed weapons to Cousens, he stood by his comments about communism and labeled Black Lives Matter a “neo-Marxist organization.”

So, some in Selah want the administrator fired.  The administrator stands by his comments on Black Lives Matter.  The Mayor backs the administrator and the Mayor's businesses have been targeted for protest.  That showdown will play out in some fashion in the days to come. We'll keep you posted

In the meantime KIT News Director Lance Tormey asked Yakima City Councilwoman Holly Cousens to call the show and give her response to the weekend protest since she was involved in the original conversation with Wayman that ultimately lead to the protest.

That discussion got a little sidetracked when the June 6th initial incident itself became the focus of the conversation.  Ms. Cousens restated she has a life-long concern for social justice and was in Selah to support "Black Lives Matter."

So I asked her what exactly she was supporting.

Here is the interview in which we were unfortunately cut off by the network news at 9 am.  The conversation didn't have a journalistically complete or graceful ending so Councilwoman Cousens has agreed to come back on the show at 8:15 this Wednesday 7/1/20.   We hope you'll join us.