The Dec. 8 letter to the editor accusing our elected officials of displaying “cowardly silence, inaction and negligence” is ridiculous and way out of line.

I agree with the letter writer that the Trump administration’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is unnecessarily targeting productive, hardworking people in our community, and anything that our local leaders can legally do to impede ICE’s activities needs to be considered. And from what I’ve read in the news, that’s what they are doing. The Flock Safety contracts are being terminated, local law enforcement is not aiding ICE and some local officials are studying other ways to aid and protect ICE-targeted communities. Springfield City Councilor Kori Rodley was being honest and realistic when stating she “cannot promise that I can keep every one of you safe or protect everyone from what is happening.” No one can.

Our local elected officials often put in many hours of hard work serving our community. They are charged with making decisions that involve complex legal and financial issues, and must deal with limited budgets in doing so. It’s not a question of them being above criticism, but that can be done in a respectful and constructive manner. Unwarranted derisive language like that used in the letter solves nothing. It just leads to further political polarization and negativity. And God knows there is already enough of that in our politics.

Ben Bonner
Eugene