WHEREAS the people of Rohnert Park, like all citizens in Sonoma County, deserve good, representative government and a living environment free from violence, harassment, hate speech and unwarranted personal attacks; and

WHEREAS individuals in Rohnert Park in recent months have made threatening, racist attacks on members of their city council who happen to be people of color; and

WHEREAS individuals in Rohnert Park recently set a fire in one council member’s garbage can, clearly intended to terrorize and intimidate, while others have posted threats of violence against council members on social media; and

WHEREAS these and similar events have triggered law enforcement investigations and created an atmosphere of terror in Rohnert Park; and

WHEREAS racism, threats of violence and actual violence are never appropriate means of civic engagement or of expressing political opinions, no matter how strong feelings may be; now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Sonoma County Democratic Party expresses its outrage, disappointment and concern about threats, and racist and personal attacks in the City of Rohnert Park, and urges citizens to desist from expressing themselves in violent, discriminatory or ad hominem ways, but instead to engage in civil debate on the issues before them.

Resolution adopted by the Sonoma County Democratic Party on July 13, 2021