EDITOR:

Good afternoon City Council of Escanaba and The Daily Press,

My name is Sebastian Savard and I am a resident of Escanaba, Mich. I watched Ralph Blasier make the following statement live, to the public, with a grin on his face:

“Any person throwing objects at police, shooting at anyone, looting and setting fires will be shot in both legs and left lying there till dawn, and at dawn, each person will need to crawl to the hospital.”

I can not begin to describe the disgust I felt at these remarks. Not only did Ralph mock a movement dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system and protecting the people of color in our communities, Ralph has openly advocated for violence against the people he is supposed to represent. Ralph claims he made this statement unaware of any protest occurring in the city of Escanaba, but that is irrelevant. I wonder if the protests that have occurred in Baraga, Houghton/Hancock, Marquette or the Sault would have turned out differently had they been graced with Ralph’s leadership. Advocating for violence against your own townspeople makes me question if he is indeed fit to represent anyone.

Myself and many other residents of Escanaba are appalled at Ralph’s statement, and we expect a swift resignation. Mocking people of color demanding justice and advocating for violence against your own neighbors are decidedly un-American, and we will not tolerate this kind of behavior from our elected officials.

I hope the Press and fellow Councilpersons will join the people of Escanaba in calling for the resignation of Ralph Blasier from the Escanaba City Council. His words are not representative of the town, and allowing him to remain in his position will be an endorsement of Ralph’s careless and violent words.

Sebastian Savard

Escanaba