Speech to the Waukegan City Council, Regarding Sanitation, Traffic, and City Council Business (August 18th, 2025)

      The following speech was written on August 17th, 2025, and will be read aloud during the public comments period at the upcoming regular meeting of the city council of Waukegan, Illinois, on August 18th.

     This speech is addressed to the city's nine aldermen (including Alderman Juan Martinez, mentioned by name), as well as the mayor, the treasurer, the city's corporation lawyer, and the secretary.

     The time limit for public comments is three minutes per person. This speech will likely take just over three minutes to read aloud.

     The city council usually meets at 7:00 P.M., on the first and third Monday of each month.

     I hope that you will find the following suggestions constructive.

     First off: Several months ago, Alderman Martinez reminded Waukegan residents to empty-out  our bags of recyclable goods directly into recycling receptacles, instead of placing sealed bags of recyclables into the bins.

     I’m happy to comply with this request; in fact, this advice saves us all money on trash bags. But I do have one concern: If the receptacle tips over on windy days, then the recyclables are more likely to fall out, and blow all over the place, if they are not bagged, than if they are bagged.

     So I’d like to ask – the next time you have a chance to renew the contract with the company providing the recycling receptacles – that you please ask that contractor to provide residents with receptacles that don't lock, but can snap securely closed, and can still fling open easily when the receptacle is flipped upside-down.

     This will help keep the areas around the trash bins clean, while getting the recycling taken out efficiently and with minimal waste.

     Second: Drivers heading north on Green Bay Road, and turning right onto Washington Street, are not sufficiently informed that they will have to make two complete stops before turning.

     This intersection is monitored by camera, and people are being ticketed for failing to stop twice. So if the city is going to profit off people who fail to stop – and if people are going to be honked at by drivers who don’t know what the rule is at that intersection – then the city should install signage which is sufficient to get the point across (that drivers need to stop twice).
     Therefore I propose installing – at the southeast corner of Green Bay and Washington – either: 1) an additional stop sign; 2) a second white stop line, painted onto the street; 3) a sign which reads “inch out and stop again before turning”; or all of the above.

     Third: Some of these meetings last way too long. No sane person wants to still be in a government building at 10:00 P.M. (including, I think, you, yourselves).

     I hope that any and all aldermen who agree with me on this, will propose an amendment to the city council’s by-laws, which would shorten meetings from three hours to one-and-a-half hours (by meeting four times per month instead of two), or else an amendment which would shorten meetings from three hours to two (by meeting three times per month).
     A rule to dismiss at 9:30 P.M., automatically, would also solve this problem.

     Fourth: Several months ago, there was some concern expressed, regarding the duration of aldermen’s speaking time.

     Therefore, I ask whomever is interested, to propose a three-minute limit upon the total duration of each alderman’s general comments (which, unless I’m mistaken, are currently unlimited). This proposal would afford each resident – and each alderman – the same amount of speaking time.

     Fifth: It has been more than four months since a video from the regular meetings of the Waukegan City Council has been posted to the WaukeganTV channel on YouTube.

     Please ask someone to update your channel; the public needs to see what’s happening here, from home, so that they don’t have to endure these long meetings.


     Thank you.

Written and published on August 17th, 2025.

Delivered, with edits, on August 18th, 2025.

Edited on this blog on August 19th, 2025.

Eulogy for Ethan August Winnett (1985 - 2023)

Author's Note

     The following was written as a eulogy for my dear friend, Ethan August Winnett, who passed from this life on October 19th, 2023.

     This eulogy was written with the intent that it be delivered at his funeral. However, I was unable to resolve to deliver the speech out-loud at the service; in part, because I was anxious about whether submitting the speech for the approval of Ethan's surviving family might risk causing emotional turmoil which could have compounded the difficulty which they experienced in seeing him pass.

 

     I am publishing the eulogy here, for several reasons. Among them;

     1) it is better late to do so than never.

     Additionally, while the staff at the Fort Sheridan National Military Cemetery did manage to make their speech and service "short and sweet", which suited the cold temperatures of that day, and spared Ethan's friends and family from having to endure a lengthy service, which likely would have added to the sorrow they experienced that day;

     2) I - and, I can only assume, others who were present that day, as well - did not find the military's services entirely satisfactory (for reasons into which I will not go here, aside from the fact that I feel that Ethan deserved a more personal eulogy from the one he got, and a eulogy from someone who knew him better than the military chaplain who spoke)

     Also,

     3) I hope that publishing this, will help all those who read it, to process deaths and other hardships in their own lives, in a psychologically healthy and practical manner, so that they may face reality, and face tragedies, without falling into despair. I also hope that this will provide Ethan's friends and family with better closure than what they got from the service.

     It is additionally worth noting that Stoic philosophy influenced my writing of this eulogy, and influenced my approach to grieving Ethan; in particular, the quotation by Marcus Aurelius: "To love only what happens, what was destined. No greater harmony."
     I will admit that this quotation is not only clumsily phrased, but also that it would come-off sounding indifferent, when applied in the context of lamenting the death of such a dear friend. So I choose to remember this quote, instead, as "Resolve to love, no matter what happens."

     Ethan August Winnett was buried, with full military honors, at the Fort Sheridan National Military Cemetery - in Fort Sheridan, Illinois - on Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023 (which fell on the day prior to Thanksgiving, and coincidentally happened to occur on the sixtieth anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy).

     Rest In Power, Ethan.

 

 

Eulogy for Ethan August Winnett

     What can be said at a time like this? What could I say that could help comfort a family as they say goodbye to their son, at a young age, after such a sudden loss; and to help a group of friends make sense of such a senseless and sad event? 

“There’s nothing about what happened that’s OK. But in the long run, things are going to be OK… because we’re going to make things OK.

“And we’re going to do that by coming together, to give each other the same love and support that we gave to Ethan, and that would have given him from this point forward… and we’re going to live our lives in a way that would make him proud to call us his friends.”

 

     Ethan was resilient and determined, in a way that was inspiring. He lived in a way that showed he was always trying to have fun, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

     We should let Ethan’s determination, inspire us to find any little positive thing that does manage to come – not from Ethan’s passing – but from the gathering of people who have come together today, to fondly remember and lovingly celebrate his life, and his contributions to ours.

 

     We’re going to make things OK, by learning as much as we can from what happened; by making our homes safer, and the Earth cleaner; in a way that helps us protect each other’s lives more effectively, and love each other more, and love life more, in the process.

     And we will help Ethan’s legacy live on; by telling our other friends about his impact on the way we lived; guiding us to live more simply, more matter-of-fact, and hopeful, resilient, and driven, and curious.

 

     And he was funny. He was always making jokes, coming up with songs, telling us about bands… He would speak bits of poetry, free-style…

     Some of us may be wondering why Ethan wasn’t on much sleep when he passed. Ethan lived life with an intense joy, curiosity, and wonder; so much so that he didn’t want to miss a single moment of life, to the point of losing sleep. He did “not go gentle into that goodnight”, but raged “against the dying of the light”.

 

     Ethan didn’t live a long life, but he lived every moment with passion and enthusiasm – and what Socrates would have called an examined life, owing to that intense curiosity - and those are the marks of a life well-lived.

     We should let Ethan’s passion inspire us to move forward and soldier-on - with passion and hope, and curious awe – in our own lives, in fond remembrance and gratitude of Ethan’s contributions to them.

 

     Ethan was the best friend of everyone he ever met. He was the first person to call me brother and comrade. His passionate righteous indignation, towards abuse of power, was an inspiration to me, and the way he greeted me was a constant reminder that he believed in me.

     Ethan made the personal political, and made the political personal. He inspired us to learn more, to listen more, and to care more. He made it cool to care more, and to want to know more.

     He was someone who could talk to anybody, no matter their level of education, and fit right in, wherever he was. He was always ready to delve into any topic; from psychology to anthropology; from astronomy to the beyond. And above all, he was a good listener, which was because of how much he cared.

     Ethan was selfless beyond measure; dropping whatever he was doing to help his friends. He inspired us to care more; about the world, about him, and about ourselves… by showing more interest in helping us with our problems, than we thought we even deserved.

 

 

     It’s hard to contemplate the passing of such a young man, but we must remember, “It’s not the years in your life; it’s the life in your years.”

     Ethan didn’t live a long time, but he lived a lot, and he lived it up. He served in the military. He got to experience another culture; that of Korea, which he admired fondly. He helped clean-up Waukegan like it was his job. He served his community as a teacher. A few times, he even found love. Maybe not true love, maybe not enough love, but who among us can say that we’ve had enough of love?

     That’s why I don’t want anyone leaving here today wanting for affection. Let’s not go and take our eyes off each other; not today, nor tomorrow, nor any other day. Let us be Ethan’s extended family, in support of Lana and Elanna, as they go through this difficult time.

     We will honor Ethan’s memory by loving and supporting each other; by giving each other the care and support that we need, to get through this, and then move forward with our lives, with the same determination and love of life with which Ethan lived; thankful that we’d had a chance to know him, and living in a way that will show gratitude to him, for his contribution to our lives.

 

     Some of us will attempt to continue his legacy - as advocates for peace, and veterans, and the homeless and hungry, and the Earth - as Ethan was. Others will reflect fondly upon having known him, in a more personal way. Some of us will do both.

     Many of us will be grateful for the help he provided us; and many will wish that they had collaborated with him, or celebrated with him, more.

     But we can all be thankful that we were on good terms with him when he passed. He was too peaceful a person – and too at-peace with others - to hold a grudge against anybody.

 

     None of us could have predicted what, exactly, would be the problem that took our friend away from us.

     Still, some of us might wonder what more they could have done to help Ethan, or to have prevented the accident… but perhaps just as many of us are wondering whether they helped Ethan too much, or helped him the wrong way, or at the wrong time. At times, it wasn’t clear to him, who he should trust; at other times, he wasn’t sure he deserved help. But other times, it was just that he preferred to rely on himself for the time being.

     Ethan’s trust in us never subsided, nor did his willingness to accept help. And he gave back, of himself, every bit as much as we gave him, and he was happy to do so. It was evident in the way he always made sure we were fed, and that we were welcome in his presence.

     As sad as Ethan’s passing is, Ethan would want us to move forward, and proceed with the same love of life with which he lived at every moment… and to be glad that we knew him, happy to be chosen as his friends, and as the people he trusted.

 

     We’re also here today to honor the life of Ethan’s personal hero and father, Buddy Winnett; a jockey, a rodeo entertainer, and long-distance runner, whom Ethan was so proud of… and whose frankness and grit continue to serve as a source of inspiration, strength, and resilience to his daughter Elanna and his wife Lana, who steadfastly cared for him in sickness and in health during his last years.

     I’ve learned that Buddy was just as much of a “larger-than-life” person as his son was, that each of them lived life like they were multiple amazing people wrapped together in one.

     And that’s why the passing of Ethan and Buddy are so difficult. Ethan was a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, a teacher, an activist, a local hero for the hungry and homeless, and for nature. Ethan - and his father - were both so many different people to us in our lives.

     But we can all say – to Lana and Elanna – that we are so sorry for your loss, that anything we can do to help is yours; and that Buddy and Ethan loved you, and would be proud of you.

 

     There’s not much positive that we can glean from this sad event. Our friend has been taken away, and we will never see him again.

     But we must take whatever comfort we can in knowing that Ethan was not burned, did not suffer long, did not suffer much, and that his suffering is no more.

     While Ethan is lost, we must take solace in the fact that Ethan’s neighbors – as well as our beloved friends Elanna, Carol, Philip, and Robbie, who sometimes stayed over – were not among those we lost that day. We love them dearly, and are so grateful for their presence in our lives, and we must all remind each other of this every day (especially tomorrow, Thanksgiving).

     But it’s not just about what can be salvaged, from this event, that will help us to move on. It’s what we can build together, going forward - as a community - to rebound from this loss.

 

     It is difficult for men to tell their friends that they love them. I’m glad to have had the fortune of telling Ethan this before he passed (and he knew that all of you, here today, loved him). But as difficult as it is to say “I love you”, it’s even more difficult to say “I’m worried about you.”

     We will honor Ethan by making it cool to care, just as he did. By making it cool to want to be informed, and to help others, and cool to take care of yourself and the planet. And by building a world where nobody is ashamed to ask for help, or accept help.

 

     It may help, to bring us some comfort, to name the things that didn’t take our friend away; the enemies he was too strong to be defeated by.

     Homelessness and poverty? Not dangerous enough to take him. Depression? Not strong enough to take him; he loved life too much. Industrial pollution, or disease? Not strong enough to harm him. Those who make war for corrupt purposes?… Not strong enough to take him.

     Ethan never stopped trying. And neither should we. We will remember and honor Ethan every day, by never giving up; and by never being discouraged; and by loving, whatever happens.

 

     And so, in tribute to Ethan’s life well-lived, and of his overcoming all discouragement, we resolve not to succumb to sadness, but to let Ethan’s life inspire us to live with the same joy with which he lived.

     And to mourn him, and to be sad when we need to be sad; but also to be strong and confident, and take Ethan’s passing in stride – and to be appreciative to him, and to take pride in having known him, and to have enriched one-another’s lives – and in knowing that we were the ones he loved back. That was an honor, and the love and care and trust that he showed to us, was his gift to us, and nothing can ever take that away.

     We will miss him dearly, while cherishing and taking solace in the fact that we knew him, in fond remembrance of the time we got to spend with him; beloved son of Buddy and Lana, and of this community; brother of Elanna and Buddy Jr. and others - giving of himself beyond measure, inspiring and awe-inspired at every turn – our dear Ethan August Winnett.

 

      May we live a way that would make Ethan proud of us – and help us to remain worthy to have had his friendship – by showing each other the same care that he gave us, and that we gave him.

     May we remember that many of the same things we loved about Ethan, are things we love about each other, and about ourselves. And all the kindnesses we would have shown Ethan from this point forward, let us share them with one another, and be kind to ourselves as well.

     Let us spend tomorrow being thankful, and grateful that we were the ones who Ethan loved back, and let us show our gratitude to Ethan – for honoring us with his love and friendship; not by feeling bad that Ethan isn’t around to enjoy life with us, but by loving and enjoying life twice as much; for ourselves and for him.

 

     We now return Ethan to nature, and to the Earth; and bid farewell to our fair Ethan August Winnett; cherished son, brother, friend, and comrade; our brave warrior for eternal peace.

     No one is gone who is remembered.

     Goodbye, Ethan; may you live always, through never being forgotten; may comfort and peace be upon your family; and may hostility lay its last weapon at your feet.

 

 

End Note

     I have previously written and published two memoriams about Ethan, which can be read at the following links:

     1. "In Memoriam: Green Party of Lake Cunty, Illinois Announces Passing of Chairman Ethan Winnett", published on October 20th, 2023:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/10/green-party-of-lake-county-illinois.html

      2. "In Memoriam: General-Purpose Obituary for Ethan August Winnett (for Release and Publication)", published on November 3rd, 2023:
     http://aquarianagrarian.blogspot.com/2023/11/in-memoriam-general-purpose-obituary.html

 

 

Author's Note and End Note written on December 28th, 2023

Eulogy written between mid-November and November 22nd, 2023

Published on December 28th, 2023

Speech to Public Officials in Lake Forest, Illinois, Regarding Child-Molesting Teachers and Other Corrupt Professionals in Lake County

            Thank you, Mr. Mayor,… esteemed members of the City Council.

            My name is Joseph Kopsick. I currently live in Waukegan, but for most of the first eighteen years of my life, I lived in Lake Bluff. I attended Lake Forest High School, graduating in 2005.

            My father is an attorney, a former member of the District 65 school board (in the 1990s), and served as president of the Lake County Bar Association for one year in the 2000s. In 1993, he defended a child molester in court for attempted rape of a 19-year-old. And in 1995 and 1996 – when I was eight and nine – my father molested and raped me multiple times.

            My father has a friend – an attorney based in Lake Forest – who grabbed my behind, and the behinds of other children, at his pool parties in the 1990s. He did this openly, while talking loudly about what he was doing – in full view of the other adults present – who did nothing about it, besides laugh, and continue drinking.

            But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.

            I rise, this evening, to bring your attention to a problem in this community which has gone unresolved for some time now. That problem is Dave Miller.

            You might have heard - within the last three years - that former L.F.H.S. theater director David Miller, was accused of sending inappropriate text messages to several teenage boys.

            Now, some of you might be thinking, “A child-molesting teacher? In my town? That can’t be; or else I would have heard something about it.” And why is that? Because you’ve heard of everything that has ever happened? Or because people enjoy talking about bad news?

            This is the “culture of silence” that allows child abuse to happen undetected and without consequences. If a problem is not pleasant to talk about, then we ignore it. And it festers.

            That’s why it should be no surprise to you, to discover that David Miller has been abusing teenage boys on and off since 1976. He has been allowed to sexually humiliate this community’s children for forty-seven years – more than two generations – without a single trial, and (evidently) without a single criminal charge, an arrest, or even one moment in jail.

            Not only did Miller admit that the texts he sent were inappropriate, but several boys were intimidated into saying that they were not; by an L.F.H.S. official whom I’d be glad to name (Jay Hoffmann).

            In 2019, Judge Joseph Salvi prevented those boys’ lawsuit from going forward, correctly applying Illinois’s Statute of Limitations on reporting child abuse after a certain amount of time (a statute which, of course, does not apply to litigants whom already got trials and lost them).

            But the story doesn’t end there.
            That’s because, in 2020 – thanks to a new law signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker – those statutory limitations were curtailed. The effects of that new law – House Bill 2135 – included a provision that the Statute of Limitations on reporting criminal sexual assault does not begin running during a period when the victim is subject to intimidation.

            Now, Governor Pritzker can pat himself on the back all he wants; for testing a few of those rape kits that had built-up in police evidence lockers, and for partially repealing that Statute of Limitations. But the odds that he would ever sign a complete repeal of those statutes, are probably very low. That’s because his cousin, Tom Pritzker… was friends with Jeffrey Epstein. (Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Business).

            To the public officials in the audience: How many of you knew that there is no longer any limitation on bringing abuse lawsuits, for victims who were intimidated? Raise your hands.

            To the educators in the audience: How many of you knew that?

            Well, how are children supposed to learn that, if you didn’t know that?

            Now, you might say, “That’s too difficult or controversial a subject for our children to learn.” To which I say, “No, it’s not. Not for the juniors and seniors who are studying pre-law at L.F.H.S.. Not if you want your kids to be able to defend themselves against child molesters legally as well as physically.”

            And besides, Dave Miller is not the only teacher in this community who has been accused of attempting to molest children.

            There’s Cynthia Martin, an L.F.H.S. coach and driving instructor who abused girls in the 1980s. She employed the same methods that Miller did; seeking-out students who were vulnerable because they had lost friends or family members, and then plying them with alcohol and marijuana, and gradually introducing physical touch. Martin’s case was decided in February 2022, but information on it is difficult to find. It’s not clear that she was ever punished.

            Next, there’s Lake Bluff Junior High math teacher and soccer coach Charles Ritz III. He abused kids in the 1970s and 1980s, claiming at least five male victims, who alleged that school officials helped cover-up for Ritz, in the same way that school officials did for Dave Miller. In 2017, Ritz pled guilty. He received no jail time, and just two years’ probation. That junior high later changed its name to Lake Bluff Middle School.

            There’s also Diane M. Ross, a mother from Lake Bluff who taught English literature at Lake Forest College. She submitted to arrest in 2000 after police determined that she had shared images of child abuse on an online web forum. She pled guilty to solicitation of child pornography, but the charges of disseminating child pornography were dropped. She received no jail time… two years of probation… - are you noticing a pattern? - … and community service.

            So that’s four teachers – in just two adjacent towns – who were discovered to be pedophiles, within a span of thirty years.

            But that’s not all.

            Jonathan Dick, the owner of Sweet’s ice cream shop in downtown Lake Forest, was accused of molestation and rape by his own nephew, back in the early 2000s. Now, if that’s not true, then why is there an entire book about it?

            The victim’s mother – Jonathan Dick’s sister-in-law – became a psychologist, published a book written by herself and her son, and then fled the state, due to fear and frustration over never getting a trial. She’s worried that Jonathan Dick has a lawyer on retainer, for in case he ever gets accused of molesting a child again.

            Mr. Mayor, these crimes – and this culture of silence – cannot stand. Child rapists don’t deserve fines and community service and probation; they deserve to be in prison; for a long, long time.

            You all might be saying to yourselves, “Well, I had nothing to do with this.” … That’s the problem.

            If you haven’t heard about these crimes by now, then you are incompetent, because you at least heard about Dave Miller, and you decided not to look into whether any other teachers were hurting kids.

            And if you did know about these crimes, then you are complicit in those crimes, because you said and did nothing, when you should have, at least, spoken up.

            Ladies and gentlemen, I have a list, in my possession, of over one hundred professionals, in this county, who have either molested children, made awkward advances against children, covered-up for child-molesting teachers, stood in the way of children attempting to bring charges against their abusers, or may be using their profession as a way to get near vulnerable children.

            And I’m sure that all of you would like to do something about this. But there’s only one way to be sure.

            That is why - as a precautionary measure – I have placed each and every one of your nine names, onto that list… temporarily… as pedophile enablers…. because you knew about some of these crimes, and yet you did and said nothing.

            The only way to get your names off of that list will be for each of you to… personally, and individually… do something that will lead to arrests, or charges being filed, against the people I have named.

            Don’t worry about what’s legally possible right now; don’t worry about Double Jeopardy, or ex post facto laws. The laws can be changed. We don’t need the law on our side to fight back against child abuse; all we have to do is provide an open forum through which abuse claimants can network with each other, free from censorship. That way, we can compare notes, and figure out which victims of these five people are still eligible to file charges.

            I made a promise, to a mother in this town, that I would attend these city council meetings every month until something is done about this problem. So that's what I'll do.

            If you continue to allow me to speak, at these forums, then I’ll tell you which of this county’s military bases was the scene of a gang-rape of a 12- or 13-year-old girl, back in 2005. I’ll tell you which former L.F.H.S. teacher covertly hit on a student while committing academic dishonesty. I’ll tell you which professional football player had a sexual relationship with an L.F.H.S. student while she was possibly underage.

            And just to prove to you that I’m not bluffing… those names are Great Lakes Naval Station, Laura Flangel, and Dan Roethlisberger.

            But if you don’t allow me to speak, then anyone and everyone who attempts to prevent me from speaking, at these forums, will be added to that list, as an enabler of child sexual abuse. And then, there won’t be one pair of hands, one square inch of sidewalk, or one gutter, in this town, that won’t be clogged with copies of that list, complete with photographs and addresses.

            If you nine elected officials continue to refuse to do anything which will lead to the imprisonment of David Miller, Cynthia Martin, Charles Ritz, Diane Ross, and Jonathan Dick, then every sin of this community – no matter how minor – will be exposed, until there isn’t a single adult in this county who doesn’t know either a racist police officer, or someone who’s been accused of attempting to molest or traffic a child.

            Since the majority of you have been derelict in your duty to educate your children about the specifics of these dangers, I will not rest until every child in this town can name these five people by heart.

            I do not make empty promises. You are looking at someone who has nothing to lose.

            You have twenty-eight days to do something about this. If no arrests are made by September 4^th – the day before the next city council meeting - then the nine of you will no longer be welcome in this town.

            The clock is ticking. Good day, gentlemen.

            [First Author's Note:

            This speech was originally intended to be delivered at the August 7th, 2023 meeting of the Lake Forest City Council.

            I decided not to deliver this speech at that meeting, because: 1) this speech would take about ten minutes to deliver, while the Council stipulates a three-minute speaking limit (as does the District 115 Board of Education for its meetings); and 2) when I called the office of the Lake Forest City Council, the operator informed me that the city council "doesn't have control over the schools", and instructed me to call the District 115 Board of Education.

            I consider that statement to have been an attempt to deflect responsibility away from the people who run Lake Forest (i.e., the mayor and the eight city council members). In my opinion, this is unacceptable, because there are accused child molesters in Lake Forest whom have nothing to do with the schools (most notably, Jonathan Dick), and are therefore not under the so-called "control" of the District 115 Board of Education.

            Therefore, Lake Forest Mayor Stanford R. "Randy" Tack, the eight current members of the Lake Forest City Council, the woman who answers the phones at the office of the Lake Forest City Council, and the seven current members of the District 115 Board of Education, will all be added to my list of corrupt officials and people who turned blind eyes toward child abuse, until further notice.]

     [Second Author's Note:

     If you would like to watch the speech I delivered to the District 115 Board of Education on August 8th, 2023, please click the link below:

            http://rumble.com/v35xk6k-exposing-child-molesting-teachers-at-the-district-115-school-board-in-lake-.html]

Main body of text written on August 1st, 2023.

Edited and expanded on August 7th through 9th, 2023.

First Author's Note written and added on August 7th, 2023.

Second Author's Note written and added on August 9th, 2023.

Originally published on August 1st, 2023 under the title

"Speech to the Lake Forest City Council on Child-Molesting Teachers (August 7th, 2023)"

Handed-out to Lake Forest residents in print form, but not delivered verbally,

at the August 7th, 2023 meeting of the City Council of Lake Forest, Illinois.

Also handed-out in print form,

and delivered, in part, verbally (in a form modified to suit the circumstances),

at the August 8th, 2023 meeting of the District 115 School Board.

On When Speech Becomes Threatening and Incites Violence

     Maybe the Berkeley riots and fires of 2017 – called “leftists destroying their own communities”, even though only a small area was burned - were in response to people who are known to routinely dox people, demanding the right to surreptitiously out vulnerable people to mobs of angry xenophobia-trendies.

     Milo Yiannopoulos's speech was blockaded by anti-Alt-Right and anti-fascist protesters because Yiannopoulos had become infamous for speaking ill of transgender people, undocumented immigrants, and others. In late 2016 in Milwaukee, Yiannopoulos publicly named a transgender individual, and publicly mocked that person for filing a Title IX complaint about discriminatory bathroom access rules at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. According to The Independent (UK), protesters at Berkeley argued that Yiannopoulos had threatened to out undocumented immigrants.

     Yiannopoulos denied those claims. But whether that accusation is true or not, outing transgender people or undocumented immigrants, and spreading personal information about them, does potentially threaten their safety, especially if done in a mocking way. This behavior not only hints that such people should be targeted; it creates every element of a realistic, credible, and possibly even imminent risk of violence, by giving potential attackers virtually all of the information they will need to successfully target the vulnerable person who has been outed.

     I am not totally convinced of ideas like "fighting words", "suicide by cop", nor even necessarily "hate speech". But I do firmly believe that only speech which does not advocate harm against others should be protected.

     And telling a crowd of people the location and previous name of a transgender person, or telling a crowd of students that an undocumented immigrant attends their school and giving out their name and address, would look like deliberate attempts to provoke and incite people to commit acts of violence to me.

     While Yiannopoulos, Richard Spencer, and others in the Alt-Right have not exactly done that, they have helped to create an environment in which speech that incites violence is being increasingly accepted, and arguably even normalized, and thought of as part of our freedom of speech, and thus deserving of protection by the authorities.

     All of this demonstrates the purposes of the 4^th and 9^th Amendments to the Constitution perfectly; that we are supposed to remain secure in our persons, houses, papers, and effects; that our rights do not come from a piece of paper; that we have the right to live without constantly having to show our papers to the authorities; and that we ought not have the obligation to reveal things about our identity which could endanger us. Especially when we are just trying to use the restroom.


Post-Script:
     Please click the link below to watch Milo Yiannopoulos dox a transgender student in late 2016 in Milwaukee:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CulQgP8JZKs&feature=youtu.be
    Click this link to read about reactions:
   http://www.thecut.com/2016/12/milo-yiannopoulos-harassed-a-trans-student-at-uw-milwaukee.html
    Click this link to watch the full video (the relevant part of the video begins at the 49:52 mark):
     http://youtu.be/-t1ufzttyUM

Originally Written on August 24th, 2018

Edited, and Post-Script Added, on February 15th, 2019