In response to Jeff Schnelz’s letter, “No more refugees should come to Vashon,” I have three thoughts.

1. We all know we are living in a post-fact world. Facts did not prevent a man who boasts of sexual abuse from becoming president; they did not prevent a man who denies climate change from taking over the EPA, and I seriously doubt that they are going to change Mr. Schnelz’s confusingly bizarre takes on immigration and liberalism. Shame on The Beachcomber for publishing hate speech, but don’t think for a minute that any of us are going to logic Mr. Schnelz to enlightenment here. That is not the path forward.

2. Let this serve as a wake-up call to we proud Vashonites, Bernie Sanders’ stickers still solemnly affixed to our rear bumpers, so sure of ourselves in our progressive bubble. Mr. Schnelz is our neighbor, and doubtless to some of our neighbors, a friend. All the real work begins at home, and clearly we have a lot of work to do.

3. To Mr. Schnelz specifically: I hope that someday you find yourself in the grocery store or the post office, and I hope you look across the way and see a young girl glancing back at you. A girl who lost her home to bombs but whose smile still brightens up a room. And I hope she looks at you and smiles and that when she does, your heart cracks open and lets some tiny bit of the world in.

I have no idea how you got to this point, but we can only begin from where we are, and we are never too old — and it is never too late — to change.

— Paul Dixon