Editor,

I’m writing to express dismay at the Whidbey News-Times’s distasteful claim that Angie Homola is brittle and thus less suited for office than Greg Gilday.

This label borders on gender-specific belittlement — how often do you hear men called brittle? That is all too familiar to women seeking positions of power and tells us nothing of her policy positions and immense qualifications.

Remember “nasty” Hilary and “crazy” Nancy, two of Trump’s favorite put-downs?

I think a more elevated conversation is in order.

Last night, Angie Homola, Dave Paul and Helen Price Johnson held a community meeting with people in the land use, environmental and agricultural communities on conservation issues.

Angie held court and left us all wowed by her breadth of knowledge on issues from protecting Whidbey’s open spaces, shorelines and environmental services, to proper fish barrier removal strategies for salmon restoration, to how to shut down coal plants and create just jobs in renewable energy, and on and on.

Homola has a masters in environmental law and policy, was an Island County Commissioner, a small business owner and architect. She’s had prominent roles on dozens of county, state and non-governmental boards such as the Board of Health, the Salmon Recovery Board, the Regional Transportation Board and the Northwest Clean Energy Agency.

I urge everyone to explore Angie’s achievements and policy proposals and then try to claim that a more visionary, qualified or capable candidate exists for our district.

After last night’s call, it was evident Angie is exactly the person who should hold public office, and I felt great comfort and hope picturing her in Olympia standing up for the welfare of our community.

Annie Jesperson

Freeland

Editor’s note: The editorial did not contain the term “brittle.”