The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Scott Bieber, Chief of Police for the City of Walla Walla.

This morning I attended one of the talks at the Power and Privilege Symposium entitled F*** the Police: The New Struggle for Abolition.  It was a very interesting perspective on law enforcement.  One of the great things about Whitman College is that it encourages free thought, the presentation of different ideas and opinions and the open discussion of those ideas.  What was equally impressive to me were the questions asked by students at the end of the presentation.  I found them to be soundly thought out, well articulated and were presented in a respectful manner, even if the question was in contrary to the speakers’ premise.

Thank you Whitman College and the students of Whitman College for considering and allowing a wide variety of discourse, whether you agree or disagree with the speaker.  I think the recently highlighted cordial relationship between the late Supreme Court Justice Scalia and his colleague on the Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg, despite their disagreement on many legal and social issues, points to the reality that we can disagree on issues and still maintain positive relationships.  After all, ultimately it’s about relationships.

Thank you for the opportunity to sit in on the session.

Scott Bieber

Chief of Police, City of Walla Walla