HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/21/2024 Item Public Comment, Skinner
robert skinner <
To:Stewart, Erica A; Pease, Andy; Michelle Shoresman (External); Francis, Emily; Marx, Jan;
E-mail Council Website
Subject:Cease Fire Resolution intorduced during Public Comment on May 21 meeting
This message is from an External Source. Use caution when deciding to open attachments, click links, or respond.
To: Ericka A. Stewart, Mayor San Luis Obispo, CA
Members of , San Luis Obispo City Council
Date: May 20, 2024
Re: May 21 Meeting /Public comment
The purpose of this email :
1.To inform you that several members of the community will be formally presenting the SLOCC with a Cease
Resolution during public comment at the May 21 meeting.
2. To update and inform you about the various acts of civic engagement which have occurred between May
7 and May 18.
3. To formally introduce myself.
My name is Robert Skinner, I am a retired High School History/Civics teacher. For more than a quarter of a
century I had the honor and responsibility of teaching young people about their rights and responsibilities to
petition their local, state and national government . Likewise , I taught about the rights and responsibilities of
our elected leaders to advocate for and console those who are afflicted by government policies.
Two weeks of Civic Engagement
May 7
During the Public comment portion of the San Luis Obispo City Council meeting , a woman who
identified herself as being a Jew advocated for a Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza. No doubt if she had more
time she could have shared her lifetime experiences with antisemitism as well as her family history of the
Holocaust.
You may recall I followed her comments with a reminder that we already submitted a cease fire resolution to
the SLOCC in November I also asked :
How many more Palestinians are going to suffer before our elected leaders take responsibility for
ending what the International Court of Justice has ruled as a "Plausible and Ongoing Genocide"?
I followed my question with the following
1. According to House Resolution 786: “Between October 7 and October 16, 2023, armed violence
has claimed the lives of over 2,700 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis….”
2. According to a May 6 report by the United Nations as of April 29 more than 100,000
Palestinians have been maimed, murdered , or are missing and presumed dead.
3. According to United Nations World Food Program Director, Cindy McCain , The Northern Region
of Gaza is in a “ full blown famine “ and more than 1.7 million Palestinians are subsisting in a
state of “food insecurity”
1
I was aware of Mayor Stewart’s comment that it is not formal protocol for members of the SLOCC to
respond to questions during public comment. However , I noticed from your body language that
everyone of you heard my question. And that you did not dispute or disagree with the facts I
presented. Likewise I assume all of you are aware there is a small contingency of Palestinians who live
in San Luis Obispo and they have family members and friends who have been maimed , murdered, or
are at risk of starvation . And that it is your primary responsibility to advocate for and to help, and
console your constituents and their families
May 15
There was a gathering in Mitchell Park to commemorate the Nakba. In my estimation two to three
hundred people assembled. Local Palestinians and Jews spoke about the history of the Nakba..
Poetry was recited .
May 18
There was a rally and march in downtown San Luis Obispo . Local Palestinians and Jews shared updates
from family members living in Gaza and the West Bank. Likewise there was an update of recent incidents
of antisemitism .
I announced there will be a formal a presentation of a Ceasefire Resolution during Public Comment on
May 21 .
In Conclusion
It is within the purview and protocol for the SLOCC to take immediate action on behalf of the security,
safety , and well being of their constituents. There is no longer a need to discuss or debate the merit or
necessity of a Ceasefire Resolution. There is not longer a need to debate, discuss, or investigate the
amount of suffering that is happening in Gaza.
Opinion polls state that 80% of the public supports an immediate Ceasefire. There will not be any fiscal
impact or cost to the city of San Luis Obispo to enact a Cease Fire Resolution This is not a political crisis.
This is a humanitarian crisis.
Our Federal Government has the authority and diplomatic leverage to enact an immediate and
permanent ceasefire fire. The only thing that appears to be lacking at the moment is the political will . I
am hoping the contents of this letter and our presence at Tuesday's meeting will convey the message
that you have public support to do the right thing and demand that Representatives Carbajal and
Panetta take immediate action .
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you during public comment.
Robert Skinner
(805) 423-0404
2