[OLYMPIA] – (MTN) Governor Jay Inslee has announced that the state will move all counties to Phase 3 on Tuesday, May 18, and will fully reopen on June 30, in a press conference today, essentially scraping the Safe Washington reopening plan implemented in March. The state mask mandate has also been lifted effective immediately for all vaccinated individuals both indoors and out, with the exception of hospitals, jails and prisons, public transportation, homeless shelters, and other areas where people congregate in tight quarters.
Gov. Inslee indicated that the state would get to a full reopening faster if more than 70% of residents over 16-years-old get at least their first COVID vaccine dose before June 30. The governor explained that the 70% requirement did not include 12 to 15-year-olds because the state opened up vaccination to the younger age group only yesterday.
The June 30 date has one exception. If statewide ICU utilization exceeds 90% and hospitals start canceling elective surgery due to the volume of COVID patients, the full reopening would be delayed, or if after June 30, the state could implement a pause in the plan. Currently, statewide ICU utilization is at 82%, while Pierce County was at 88.6% yesterday. One hospital in Bellingham was pausing elective surgery due to COVID and the unprecedented birth of 18 babies in 36 hours. Resources have been stretched thin at the facility, with officials saying last weekend was the busiest in its history.
The governor indicated that businesses could require proof of vaccination to gain entry, but that it is up to individual business owners. In a question asked to Gov. Inslee about creating an official vaccination passport, he stated that officials have no plans to implement an official document.
Lacy Fehrenbach said people can get a copy of their vaccine records by visiting MyIR and registering on the website. She added that the website requires registration and authentication, so it can’t be used as a tool to provide immediate access. Fehrenbach also suggested that have a photo of the card would be acceptable. Although not expressly stated, front and back would be ideal. Several attempts to visit the website after the press conference were thwarted due to traffic volume.
The governor also stated that local county health officials could move to a lower phase if they determine they need to keep stricter requirements starting on May 18. Pierce County continues to have some of the worst statistics in the state, and a low vaccination rate. Under the now-defunct Healthy Washington plan, Pierce County would be in Phase 1.
For those thinking about creating a fake vaccination card, the FBI issued a statement last week that doing so is a felony because the vaccination card has an official government seal on it. The penalty is a fine of up to $5000 for each violation and up to 5 years in prison.
[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Angelyiah Lim is graduating from Juanita High School next month, a future University of Washington Husky, and the 2020 recipient of the Lee Johnson Community Service Award presented by the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce. Since 2003, the Lee Johnson Community Service Award has been given to a Lake Washington School District high school student who has provided outstanding service to the eastside. Winners of the award receive a scholarship and a donation to a local non-profit, which this year went to the Lake Washington School Foundation.
Last year Lim, along with classmates Fiona Wang and Aleksandra Cholewinska started an organization called Awareness for Homelessness. What started as a clothing drive in the age of COVID blossomed into over $11,000 in received donations, and the distribution of over a thousand sanitary kits to homeless shelters and organizations serving the eastside and Seattle.
“We donated to 11 different homeless shelters, including pet shelters and orphanages,” explained Lim. “We had a clothing drive last year and one this year that our trainees for the next board also did. And we’ve raised over 1500 clothing items.”
The students training to take the reigns next year collected more than 800 articles of clothing in April that were distributed to Tent City 3 in Seattle and Tent City 4 in Bellevue. “In Seattle, we have the third-largest homeless population in terms of cities in the United States. That also extends to the eastside,” Lim continued. “There are a lot of people experiencing homelessness in this area. We might not see it all the time. There are many different definitions of homelessness and it does not just mean that you’re living on the streets.”
Awareness for Homelessness recently released a children’s book, to open up the discussion about the unhomed, and to raise awareness to a younger audience. The book, “Lending a Hand,” is being provided free by the organization.
Brett Johnson of Lee Johnson Auto Home Auto Group expressed pride in Lim’s accomplishments. “When the Kirkland Chamber created this award in our dad’s name, it was extremely important to our family that each year a Kirkland High School student that was selected was involved in extracurricular activities, and did their best to help their community. Without a doubt, [Angelyiah] has shown to be an outstanding recipient for this year.”
Lim will be attending the University of Washington in the fall, she said, “I recently committed to University of Washington and its interdisciplinary honors program.”
[SEATTLE] – (MTN) Yesterday scattered reports came in through the Puget Sound region of longer than normal lines at some gas stations as news spread of shortages in several southeastern states. Overnight the national average for the price of gasoline broke $3.00 a gallon for the first time in 7 years, while scenes of hoarding gasoline into tubs, trashcans, and in one case a plastic bag flooded the Internet. Anyone worried about gasoline shortages in the Pacific Northwest can relax, and so can almost all Americans.
The Colonial Pipeline feeds 45% of the gas, diesel, and aviation fuel used on the east coast from Texas to the northeastern states. The line was crippled by a Russian ransomware attack on Friday, and pipeline managers had to shut down operations to keep the attack from spreading to other systems. Over the weekend it appeared that operations would resume by Tuesday, but then officials said it may not be until May 15, or longer. That’s when the panic buying started.
On the east coast, Asheville, North Carolina was one of the first cities to report gasoline station closings, and spot closures spread through mostly southeastern states. According to TTAC, only 7% of the gas stations in the southeast were reporting they had run out of fuel. Like toilet paper just a year ago, buyers rushed to gas stations to buy every last drop, filling every container, including unsafe ones, with the fuel.
The issue spiraled from the comical to the dystopian with fights breaking out at gas stations. In North Carolina, 2 people were arrested after a fight described as, “wild,” erupted after a woman tried to cut into a queue for gas, and then rammed a car.
The Pacific Northwest is nearly a closed-loop for vehicle and aviation fuel. The Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains create natural boundaries that make it challenging to ship crude and refined products to our region.
For oil tankers, the trip from the Middle East is a long journey to our corner of the country. The Rocky Mountains prevent large pipelines from reaching our region, so almost all of the crude oil that is turned into fuel for the Pacific Northwest comes from Alaska and is refined in Washington state. Because refineries have to be calibrated to accept certain crude oil products based on the viscosity and how sour it is, using Canada tar sand oil isn’t a viable alternative.
Because Washington and Oregon, and parts of Idaho and California, are in this isolated region our supply is unique and isolated from disruptions east of the Rockies. However, our region is not isolated from national price fluctuations. The Pacific Northwest bears the brunt of market price increases when national averages increase, even when our supply chain isn’t disrupted. There is additional price pressure with the Memorial Day weekend, and the start of driving season, less than 3 weeks away.
Earlier today, officials from Colonial Pipeline announced that fuel was once again flowing, days ahead of schedule. It will take several days for the fuel supply to stabilize, but the best thing consumers can do is not panic buy.
The Russian hacker group DarkSide claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack, but stated they were only interested in making money, and not committing an act of aggression. Russian officials distanced themselves from the group, citing they had no involvement in the hack, and that it was not state-sanctioned.
Over a 9 month period in 2020, the Russian government committed a series of cyberattacks on multiple United States government agencies in what is called the worst breach of government data security in history. Known as the SolarWinds attack, Russian agents used software vulnerabilities within SolarWinds, VMware, and Microsoft. The scope of the attack was revealed in December 2020.
Updated 12:00 PM, May 12, 2021: Bellevue Police released additional information on the arrest that happened yesterday.
[BELLEVUE] – (MTN) Four different groups with differing agendas protested in Bellevue last night while the Billy Graham Evangelical Association hosted a police appreciation dinner with keynote speaker Franklin Graham.
The Hyatt in Bellevue closed off their driveway and indicated the parking garage was full, while private security walked the lobby and outside in high visibility vests. The parking garage closure appeared to be a security measure as Bellevue Place parking was open, and the Hyatt parking areas were nearly empty.
Later in the evening, concrete barricades appeared in front of the Wintergarden Entrance to the hotel. According to Bellevue Police PIO Meeghan Black, Franklin Graham’s team handled security at the Hyatt.
Outside at Bellevue Way and 8th, a group of 20 to 30 in support of the LGBTQ community protested Franklin Graham holding signs and flags while a news helicopter hovered overhead.
Around 6 p.m., counter-protesters aligned to right-wing causes and Back the Blue arrived. One person walking to join the group said to a middle-aged woman, “Get out of my way. My dog doesn’t like homos!” That person joined the group of pro-police protesters. One person tore down signs that had supportive messages for the LGBTQ community.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”47″ gal_title=”Bellevue Franklin Graham Protest”]
Inside the Hyatt, things were quiet, with attendees for dinner trickling in. Most were not wearing masks, and in one incident, a person was asked to wear a mask but refused and continued to the dinner location.
The corner of Bellevue Way and 8th had approximately a dozen people waving flags in support of the police. At least two individuals were flashing white power symbols, and one chanted, “back the yellow,” a rallying cry used by the Proud Boys on January 6 during the Washington D.C. insurrection.
About a dozen police officers on bicycles rallied at the Hyatt and then moved to Bellevue Place, watching the group. Bellevue Police drove by several times, taking pictures. Among the small group of right-wing protesters was Turning Point USA social media firebrand Katie Daviscourt and, arriving later in the evening, Tim Eyman.
At approximately 8:15 p.m., a group of 30 to 40 people dressed in black marched up Bellevue Way with a large group of police officers following them. They passed by the Hyatt and the right-wing protesters without incident and marched around the block, ultimately returning to the same intersection where the right-wing protesters had gathered.
Taunts between the two groups were exchanged, and the police moved a phalanx of bike officers between the protesters, closing the intersection. The group in black set a small American flag on fire at the edge of the street while Bellevue Police made multiple announcements through their LRAD system, including stating in one of them that “arson is not protected free speech.” The Bellevue Police Department Twitter feed shows a picture that appears to have been taken from a drone or office building.
At the same time, an officer took photographs of everyone present, including a growing group of bystanders watching the events unfold.
Around 9:10 p.m. Bellevue Police announced they were reopening the intersection to traffic. Shortly after the police retreated, the two groups converged and exchanged words. Bike officers moved back to separate the protesters.
By 9:45 p.m., the area was quiet again. Security had a high presence within the lobby of the Hyatt. The BGEA had planned initially for 2 police appreciation dinners, with the second on May 12, but it appears that has been canceled. According to the BGEA, Franklin Graham will be in North Carolina at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday to host a police appreciation breakfast.
Bellevue Police report there was an arrest of a 32-year old Lynnwood man for third-degree assault. The man was booked into King County Jail and police officials reported the arrest was not related to protest activity. [an earlier version of this story indicated that further information was pending] There were no other arrests last night.
[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) On May 4 Governor Jay Inslee announced a pause in Safe Washington reopening phases for all counties for 14 days as new cases for COVID plateaued, and while new cases have flatlined in some counties, the data hasn’t gotten much better. A new deadline is looming on May 16 for another evaluation and for Pierce County that could mean going back to Phase 1 without a change in the phase requirements.
In King County, new case numbers for COVID infections and acute care patients have drifted slightly lower to 242.9 per 100,000 and 6.0% of all acute care beds occupied caring for COVID patients. Both numbers are well above the requirements to remain in Phase 3 and ICU utilization, which isn’t a factor for the Safe Washington reopening, remains troubling high at 83.8%. King County would drop to Phase 2 based on today’s numbers.
Snohomish County is in better territory than a week ago. Although new cases have decreased slightly from a high of 238 per 100,000 to 225.0, the total number of acute care patients being treated for COVID has dropped to 4.1%. If Snohomish County can hold the line, they would stay in Phase 3.
Pierce County is the worst shape of the metropolitan area. Over 12% of acute care beds have COVID patients, and the rate of 364.1 new cases per 100,000 is almost unchanged from a week ago. Of greater concern, positivity continues to increase and is up to 13.3%. Positive test results this high indicate widespread community transmission and significant under testing. Additionally, ICU utilization has increased to 88% and 18.9% of all ICU patients are battling COVID.
It isn’t all bad news in Pierce County, where the number of people fully vaccinated has increased significantly to over 42%, essentially tied with Snohomish County.
But no Washington County can match Ferry County and the dramatic rise in vaccinations in the last 10 days. On April 30, when Ferry County voluntarily moved back to Phase 2 after a super spreader event tore through the county and the town of Republic, the rural county had the third-lowest vaccination rate in the state – less than 25%. Today, 47% of Ferry County residents are fully vaccinated. Although new COVID cases remain one of the highest in the country at 847 per 100,000, the positivity rate and ICU utilization numbers continue to improve.
No official announcement has been on the next Safe Washington evaluation, but it will likely be early next week.
Our live webcast from the former Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
The show from May 10, 2021, featured David Obelcz and our co-host Jennifer Smith. Patrons at the $5 and above level get access to our show notes and research documents.
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Colonial Pipeline shutdown committed by Russian hackers
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Franklin Graham coming to Bellevue and protests planned – controversy explained
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Jenny Durkan’s Textgate
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Angelyiah Lim wins the 2020 Lee Johnson Community Service Award
[TACOMA] – (MTN) COVID numbers in Pierce County continue to worsen with metrics for cases per 100,000 and hospitalizations indicating the county should move to Phase 1 under the Healthy Washington plan implemented on March 11. On May 4, to the surprise of the business community and health leaders, Washington Governor Jay Inslee suspended the Healthy Washington plan for 2 weeks, based on data from the Washington State Department of Health (DoH) that cases were reaching a plateau. The next evaluation will be on May 17.
In the latest data from the DoH, Pierce County has 367 cases per 100,000 and 12.1% of acute care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Although the case number has improved, the positivity rate has jumped to 12.3%, which indicates significant under testing and widespread community transmission. Only 35% of the population of Pierce County is vaccinated against coronavirus, the lowest among the most populated counties in the state.
Pierce County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021
Snohomish County has also seen cases per 100,000 drop slightly to 225.4 while the positivity rate has increased to 7.5%, which indicates under testing within the community. ICU utilization has increased significantly in the last week to 73%, and 19.1% of all ICU patients have COVID.
King County has seen cases per 100,000 drop to 249.1, which is still well over the number required to stay in Phase 2. The positivity rate has crept upward to 5.5%, which ICU utilization has fallen to 84.2%, which is considered high.
King County COVID Scorecard for May 8, 2021
Incentives are growing to increase vaccination numbers
COVID vaccine demand is declining significantly across the United States, leading many health officials to believe that the country will never achieve herd immunity. Locally, businesses and other organizations are working on promotions to encourage vaccination.
The Seattle Mariners announced that from May 6 to June 2, 5,000 additional seats will be made available for home games with discounted tickets priced at $10 or $20. Tickets are available in the outfield bleachers, the 300 section, and the 100 section.
Additional benefits include exclusive access to the T-Mobile Pen and Trident Deck, which has remained closed due to social distancing rules, a 20% discount on in-park food, a 20% discount at the team store, and special entrances to the park. Through May 19, vaccinated fans and their children can also receive a SEA Us Rise Mariners T-Shirt.
Social distancing is not required in the section, but mask wear is. Individuals over 16 years old must present a valid, signed CDC vaccination card and had their final dose 14 days or more before entry. Children from 2 to 15 don’t need to be vaccinated but are required to show proof of a negative COVID test no more than 72 hours before game time, and must be masked at all times. Tickets for the vaccinated section cannot be resold or gifted.
Additionally, private suites for 14 to 26 vaccinated fans are available. The Mariners indicated that any ticket holder for the designated vaccination sections who cannot provide proof of vaccination or a child who cannot provide a required negative COVID test will not be allowed entry into the park.
Numerous vaccination sites are also offering gift cards and certificates and other incentives to vaccination holdouts.
For those thinking they’ll print their own vaccination card or buy a fake one, be warned it comes with a stiff penalty. Because a valid vaccination card comes with a government seal on it, the production of a fake one is a federal felony. Penalties, if convicted, include fines up to $5,000 and up to 5 years in prison for each offense.
[BELLEVUE] – (MTN) Protests are planned as controversy continues to swirl around an upcoming dinner for Puget Sound area police officers, hosted by conservative religious organization Ministry of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, headed by Franklin Graham, at the Bellevue Hyatt on May 11.
In early April, an e-mail circulated within the Seattle Police Department of a free appreciation dinner hosted by Rev. Franklin Graham. On April 16, on the SPD Police Blotter, Acting Chief Adrian Diaz released a public statement, “Based on Graham’s history and affiliations, the email has raised concerns that the SPD may not be committed to the equity of our community’s LGBTQ members. I want to make clear the Department fully supports the equity and just treatment of all people. The SPD did not sponsor this event and is not connected in any way to its hosts. Today I sent a department-wide email to rescind the invitation because its hosts do not share the inclusive values of the SPD.”
After the statement from Chief Diaz, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) repositioned the event as an invitation to other law enforcement agencies. The Bellevue Police Department reports they never received a direct invitation from the Association, even though the event is being hosted at the Hyatt within their city.
An open invitation on Eventbrite for the dinner indicates that all free tickets have been claimed. The invite does not provide a waitlist, nor indicates how many total tickets were available.
“Come relax in this safe setting and enjoy a delightful meal, an uplifting message, encouraging and practical wisdom from God’s Word, live music, and fellowship with other law enforcement officers. This special time is our gift to you, and there is no charge.”
The controversy stems from Graham’s strong anti-LGBTQIA views. In 2017 he compared gay conversion therapy as “conversion to Christianity.” Through Twitter, Graham attacked former Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay man to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination for President. Graham was rebuked for his attack by both liberal and conservative entities. He has also openly praised Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin’s gay propaganda law.
In a written statement on April 16, Seattle City Council President and 2021 mayoral candidate Lorena Gonzalez stated that SPD’s inappropriate communication undermines LGBTQ community and public trust. ” By promoting this anti-LGBTQ and far-right religious group’s invitation, the Seattle Police Department is undermining Seattle’s LGBTQ community, alienating our own LGBTQ officers, and further eroding public trust and confidence in law enforcement to protect everyone regardless of their religion or identity. The Seattle Police Department’s sharing of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association event is absolutely a misuse of taxpayer resources. I’m calling on Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Interim Chief of Police Adrian Diaz to rescind this email immediately.”
BGEA responded, declaring they would continue to move forward with the event on May 11. “This dinner and event are a gift from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and from Christians all across this country who want these men and women to know they are appreciated. Even though the email from Interim Seattle Police Chief Diaz announcing the event has been rescinded, our invitation and the dates still stand.”
The BGEA held a police appreciation dinner for Portland, Oregon police on May 7 at Goldie’s BBQ in Vancouver, Washington.
Franklin Graham is the son of American evangelist Billy Graham and was ordained in 1982. He leads BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse, a charity organization. He has been a lightning rod of controversy since the start of the century.
In the weeks, months, and years, after the 9/11 attacks, Graham made increasingly hostile comments about the Muslim religion. In 2010, the Pentagon rescinded his invitation from the Christian conservative National Day of Prayer Task Force to speak at a Pentagon National Day of Prayer event.
Graham was one of the leading figures to perpetuate the false claim that former President Barack Obama was a Muslim. On CNN in 2010 he stated, “I think the president’s problem is that he was born a Muslim; his father was a Muslim. The seed of Islam is passed through the father like the seed of Judaism is passed through the mother. He was born a Muslim, his father gave him an Islamic name.” Graham continued, “Now it’s obvious that the president has renounced the prophet Mohammed, and he has renounced Islam, and he has accepted Jesus Christ. That’s what he says he has done. I cannot say that he hasn’t. So I just have to believe that the president is what he has said.”
Graham later apologized in an open letter for calling President Obama’s faith into question. Shortly thereafter, he once again attacked the former President questioning his faith, resulting in an open letter condemning his actions and using religion as a political weapon.
In contrast, when Utah Senator Mitt Romney was running for President as the Republican nominee in 2012, Graham had the BGEA remove language from their website calling those who follow the Mormon faith members of “a cult,” stating, ” we do not wish to participate in a theological debate about something that has become politicized during this campaign.”
The first major personal controversy to face Graham was a 2009 revelation, due to changes in IRS tax law, that he was drawing two salaries from BGEA and Samaritan’s Purse. He agreed to stop drawing a salary from BGEA stating this his ministry was, “never based on compensation,” in a Charlotte Observer article. In 2015 it was revealed that he was once again drawing salaries from both organizations, and at a significantly higher level than the $1.2 million reported in 2009.
In 2017 Franklin Graham gave the prayer at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In 2019 suggested that any opposition to then-President Trump was the work of a “demonic power.” Graham also supports the debunked claims that Donald Trump is the victim of a coup and the deep state.
The Seattle Police Department has 6 officers under investigation by the OPA for potential involvement in the January 6 insurrection in Washington D.C. Two officers remain suspended while 4 others voluntarily came forward. Seattle has the largest contingent of off-duty police officers under investigation in the country after the failed attempt to disrupt certification of the 2020 election results.
Protests are planned for May 11 by several area LGBTQIA+ organizations. According to the Eventbrite invitation, the dinner will start at 6 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m. The Hyatt did not return our call for comment.
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[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Terren Cason is angry, and his wife rattled after a man accosted her at their business over a Black Lives Matter sign and stole coffee without paying. They opened their business MMMJavalicious at 124th and 116th in Kirkland during the height of COVID and have built a following of loyal coffee drinking customers.
Opening a hospitality business during that period was a significant gamble. In 2020, 40% of all Black-owned small businesses failed, according to the Small Business Administration.
The Casons, both military veterans, work together and share parenting duties with their recently born son. It was while Terren was tending to his child, the incident happened.
A man arrived to order a drink, and at first, everything seemed normal to his wife. As the man reached over to provide his credit card to pay he stopped, and asked, “Is that your sign?” At first, Cason’s wife wasn’t sure what sign he was talking about, but the man clarified he was asking about a Black Lives Matter sign in a flower pot – one that Terren Cason’s cousin had made.
When she confirmed, the man screamed, “I think you need to find out who Antonio Junior. Go look him up and fuck off!”
He sped off, taking his coffee with him. Their business does have security cameras, but they are not angled to catch license plates of vehicles.
Who was “Antonio Junior”
Antonio Mays Jr., 16, died on June 29, 2020, at 3 AM, less than 48 hours before multiple police departments and Seattle City Parks swept CHOP. On that night, Mays and an unnamed 14-year-old teen stole a white Jeep, crashed through street barricades erected by the city of Seattle, and slammed the Jeep into concrete barriers outside the East Precinct police station at 12th and Pine.
A gun battle erupted. When it was over, Mays was dead, and the 14-year-old with him was critically injured.
Tension was already high among the few people remaining in CHOP that night. Another person had driven through the ball fields at Cal Anderson Park earlier in the evening, and the city’s deadline for a sweep on June 28 had come and gone.
There have been no arrests made in the shooting of Antonio Mays Jr., nor has there been any definitive connection to Mays and Black Lives Matter or any other organization. It has never been officially established why they drove through city street closure barricades, struck the wall outside the East Precinct, or started shooting.
The legacy of segregation creating race on race crime
Many numbers are tossed around in social media memes to build political narratives. A common misconception is Black on Black crime versus other races. According to the most up-to-date numbers available by the FBI, when violent crime is broken down along racial lines, white on white and Black on Black crime is almost at parity. Declaring, “Black on Black crime is an issue,” while ignoring nearly identical numbers along white identifying racial lines creates a red herring.
These numbers shouldn’t be surprising given the United States history of slavery, segregation, and redlining carrying over into modern zoning laws. Many neighborhoods in America remain racially homogenous. In Seattle, segregation and redlining created the Central District and the International District. Foundationally, Seattle zoning laws created in the 1920s remain the bedrock of housing and commerce decisions today. If you live in a racially homogenous neighborhood, victims of crime in that neighborhood will likely be homogenous.
The legacy of exclusion and zoning laws has impacted 2021 Kirkland, where neighborhoods such as Juanita-Firs and Kirkland Heights had whites-only covenants. Sixty years later, Kirkland is 1.4% Black in a state that is only 4.4% Black, even though the United States population is 13.4% Black. Before Oregon became a state in 1859 and Washington became a state in 1889, the Oregon Territory was declared whites only in 1844 when the provisional government voted to exclude Black settlers. During that era, modern Washington state was part of the Oregon Territory. These legacy decisions directly impact current racial distribution.
Terren and his wife live in the area. “The vestiges are still active with racism,” he said. “They try to change the faces of it. All the vestiges are still there.”
For the Casons, more than a cup of coffee
Terren Cason’s desire for social justice goes beyond his military service – it is built in his DNA. His grandmother is Leah Royster, a civil rights advocate who worked for equality in Uptown Manhattan.
MMMJavalicious in Kirkland has three Black Lives Matter signs on their business
“I feel my wife was targeted because she is a woman, versus if I was in the stand,” Cason said. “Why did he need to express his views so combatively and then steal from a business? What sense is there in ‘I don’t like his views, so I’m going to steal from him?'”
Cason continued, “You can oppose Black Lives Matter, but why then steal from a business. She didn’t even understand the point. She was appalled and surprised but didn’t understand what that has to do with [him] having a coffee.”
This challenge isn’t unique to the Kirkland Black-owned coffee stand. In Shoreline, Black Coffee Northwest had to close for two days in March to add additional cameras and more secure windows for the drive-thru after a series of similar incidents.
As for the Black Lives Matter signs, including the one hand-made by Terren’s cousin in the flower pot, they will remain.
“Some people think about placing their views and their money over people’s lives.”
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