Gary Schiff is running for the City Council. He wants to return to the seat he gave up in 2013 when he ran for mayor. However, that seat is currently held by Alondra Cano, who happens to be a Latino woman. And of course, since Schiff is a white man, the simple fact that he dares to run against Cano must mean he's racist.
At least, that seems to be the logic behind this open letter, penned by a local community organizer/activist. She opens by claiming that this is a "love letter"
First, you might not know it, but this is a love letter, a letter of hope in the way that hope lives in the places where we hold each other accountable, ask the hard questions, and tell the truth about disappointment. So I am writing this letter to you, because I am disappointed.
The author doesn't appear to have any problem with any positions Schiff has taken. In fact, he hasn't really taken any yet. No, the issue is squarely centered on his race, and the fact that he's running against a Latino woman:
You are a white man running for elected office at a moment of intense division in this country, particularly around race and white supremacy. You are choosing to put yourself forward against a Latina, an immigrant. You will be looking for ways to counter Councilmember Cano’s work, while at the same time attempt to shield your actions from anything that might obviously refer to your racial differences. It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do to try and get around this. As a white man choosing to run at this moment, you have agreed to participate in this moment of deep racial pain and divide.
Read the whole letter. It's astonishing.