In a recent interview with Joel Kilpatrick, candidate for Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell boasted that he “turned terrorists into puffs of pink mist.” Such language from a would-be Ventura County leader is abhorrent.
As Dr. Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo, a psychology professor at University of Georgia, has pointed out, such dehumanizing language “has pernicious effects” and “has been associated with an increased willingness to perpetrate violence.”
Allow me to re-humanize the meaning of “puffs of pink mist” as “aerosolized blood exiting a human being after they were shot, usually in the head, including bone fragments and brain matter.” Boasting of such is heartless and doing so to sound tough and appeal to a particular base of voters is negligence, at best.
As a proud resident of Ventura County for more than 45 years, I know our neighborhoods face real challenges. We need real plans and solutions for a community that is inclusive, affordable, innovative, job building, family supporting and environmentally conscious. Gorell, however, vacillates between violent rhetoric and suggesting Ventura should be more like Orange County. Perhaps Mr. Gorell should consider relocating to Orange County, if he considers its neighborhoods superior.
We need a leader who loves Ventura County and can work to build coalitions and solve problems so we can grow and prosper. Thankfully, such a candidate is on the ballot this year. I urge my fellow readers to look up...
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