I am writing you an open letter that pertains to correspondence you sent Clyda Joy Brenner on 10/23/18. In it you asserted that Joy wrote a letter referencing “brown shirts.”
I wrote that letter, not Joy Brenner. I did not intend to offend any individual or group, but simply point out the dangers of blind allegiance and how it can have devastating repercussions.
I understand how you thought it was written by Joy since I included her name at the bottom of the page, but I regret that you did not verify the source. I believe that is rule #1 for anyone in a position such as yours. Verify. A simple phone call or email to Joy would have alerted you to the fact that she did not write it, I did.
She chose not to use any of my words, or even comment on them, but dismissed the attachment because it did not reflect her views.
I am sorry that you chose to use my words in a way that could damage a friend as well as our city. You asked her to drop out of a council race when she should be commended for having the courage to challenge the incumbent and the machine that backs him. Had she heeded you, Newport Beach residents would be the ones to suffer. Now more than ever I support her effort to serve the city in a transparent and equitable manner.
Now the choice is yours. I hope you have the courage, guided by a moral compass, to send an open letter to Joy asking her to remain in the race. This is a non-partisan office and injecting partisan politics into it is simply wrong.
Lorian K. Petry
Newport Beach
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