Dear Temecula City Council

Temecula City Councilmember Zak Schwank owes an apology to the Community of Fallbrook, California. During the Aug. 24 meeting, Councilmember Schwank made a lame attempt to condemn a recent (alleged) incident of racism at Temecula Valley High School. He resurrected and regurgitated an unfortunate statistic concerning a notorious white supremacist who once resided in Fallbrook.

(www.villagenews.com/story/2020/11/12/news/tom-metzger-white-supremacist-who-lived-in-fallbrook-for-4-decades-dies-at-82/64132.html)

Councilmember Scwank's own words were ... "It wasn't that long ago that Fallbrook was synonymous with the KKK."

No jurisdiction has control over who chooses to reside within its boundaries, good or bad. As Americans, each and every one of us has the absolute right of free movement throughout our country.

For Schwank to regurgitate this guilt by association towards the Community of Fallbrook is a cheap shot. It should be noted that the white supremacist Schwank obliquely referenced was a registered Democrat who won the primary for the 43rd Congressional District in 1980 and also ran for California Governor as a registered Democrat in 1982. Perhaps an entirely different association should be drawn between this dead racist and a certain political party.

Schwank shouldn't throw stones in glass houses.

Temecula has a very recent history of its own disreputable residents, including Hell's Angels members, Peckerwoods Motorcycle Club members, and other unfortunate and unsavory types. (https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-temecula-sentencing-hells-angel-2013jan29-story.html) (https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/former-peckerwoods-motorcyle-club-president-sentenced-15-years-prison-methaphetamine)

I grew up in Los Angeles County, the tragic locale of numerous infamous crimes throughout recent history including the Black Dahlia murder, (https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/the-black-dahlia), the Tate-Labianca Murders (http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1937349_1937350_1937412,00.html) by the Charles Manson Cult Family, (https://www.biography.com/news/manson-family-members), the Hillside Strangler serial killer (https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/the-hillside-strangler/), the Night Stalker serial killer (https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/richard-ramirez-night-stalker-murders/), and sadly lots more. Yet Los Angeles and the surrounding greater LA area are known for so much more than these notorious and tragic crimes.

To me Fallbrook is synonymous with Avocado Festivals (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org/events-v2/avocado-festival.html&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1631837197695000&usg=AOvVaw1NwAXHDOF4jusHdf-oQXww) and scenic drives. Fallbrook is so much more than the petty and dead white supremacist vaguely referenced to by the councilmember.

I do not know what goes on in the thinking of Councilmember Schwank's head, but to reach for such a slanderous association with our neighboring Fallbrook is indeed a political cheap shot in yet another lame attempt of virtue signaling and moral preening.

Please note: I am forwarding this comment to numerous Fallbrook community leaders including their Chamber of Commerce members and media contacts too.

Councilmember Schwank, you need to apologize to our friends in Fallbrook. The sooner the better.

Rick Reiss