I am still a newcomer on the Island by the standards of many who have lived here for decades and whose families lived here decades before them. My Vashon experience has spanned the last 15 years and admittedly, only a third of it has been as a resident Islander. Even that time is divided into a four-year stay from 1998 to 2002 when I was a commuter and the last year and a half when I have lived and worked on-Island. Still I have a great appreciation for Vashon.
Over the last month or so, teen boys across the country have taken their own lives — all after being brutally bullied for being gay or perceived as gay. Tyler Clementi, 18, Seth Walsh, 13, Raymond Chase, 19, Asher Brown, 13, Billy Lucas, 15, and Justin Aaberg, 15, hanged, shot or drowned themselves because the pain was too great to continue living.
I want the parents of Vashon to give their children a gift. A gift that is priceless, doesn’t cost a thing and one that will last a lifetime. I want Vashon parents to give their children the gift of extended family. I want your children to know their aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins and as many other family members as possible.
