The first thing I noticed in reading at CBS Oregon affiliate KEPR about the pol who received a piece of bigoted hate mail, apart from the venom expressed in the letter itself, was the grace and dignity with which Jonathan Lopez, the target, conducted himself. In a Facebook post, since deleted, Lopez wrote:
I hold no resentment for whom ever [sic] wrote this; I’m just simply heart broken [sic] for the lack of knowledge, education and respect missing. I pray for you and wish you prosperity in your life. God bless us all!
I mean, the letter, signed “Sincerely, America,” was pretty nasty. One line reads “Don’t waste your time trying to become anything in this county [sic] we will make sure you never win and your family suffers along with all the other f****** Mexicans in the area!”
But, alas, the author of the charitable Facebook post was also, it turns out, the author of the letter. KEPR notes in an update to the original article, which ran in June:
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
[Hermiston Police] Chief Jason Edmiston tells Action News that the criminal investigation for Intimidation in the Second Degree due to the racist, hate-filled letter received by Mr. Jonathan Lopez on 6/23/20, has been closed. The matter will be referred this week, to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office for Initiating a False Report. Initiating a False Report is a Class A misdemeanor in Oregon.
In simple language, it’s another race hoax. Lopez, moreover, is in big trouble inasmuch as filing a false police report wasn’t his only crime:
Additionally, the Hermiston Police are sending the Office of the District Attorney verifiable information of potential election fraud as it pertains to the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 and other false credentials presented by Mr. Lopez during his run for county commissioner. This in conjunction with a lengthy criminal history record may result in the filing of additional charges.
I assume the olive branch Lopez extended in his Facebook post was just more political opportunism — an attempt to garner the sympathy vote — which is a shame. If there’s anything in woefully short supply in the country right now it’s the capacity to turn the other cheek.
