"Violet and I were planning to attend the UVillage event rather than the Westlake one, so we wouldn't have added numbers to your group even without the storm, but maybe I can help to clarify it for you.

I'm from southern California. I've been on the streets since before the election, and have attended every possible local event since then. Violet's joined me when she's been able to, and we were both really looking forward to standing vigil in Seattle.

However, it was, frankly, unwise for us to hit either location by the time LUTN was to start, given the snowfall that had already accumulated, the poor visibility, my limited experience driving on anything other than dust, and the rest of the night's forecast. Not only would we have been risking our own lives, but the lives of others on the roads who were willing or forced to risk theirs.

As a side note, we made reservations for the holidays at a place out of town several months ago, before the election, long before LUTN was announced. Our vacation was supposed to start on the 20th. We delayed our departure in order to attend the event. Because we delayed our departure, even though we were unable to make it to UVillage, we weren't able to take advantage of our pre-paid reservation until the 23rd.

Add to that Violet's compromised ability to regulate her body temperature (a side effect for her of chemotherapy a few years ago), and I do take exception to the implication that our failure to appear was a decision made lightly.

All the same, we can both understand and empathize with your frustration. We've been encountering some of the same sort of apathy in California, too, so I can see where you're coming from. I simply feel that in this case, on this night, perhaps more slack was warranted than you seem to be willing to grant."

"I think where my frustration comes from is that it wasn't just Seattle that had poor numbers. If we had large numbers all over except for places that major snow fell I would consider it a success. Instead, thousands of shoppers battled unpleasant weather and saw just a few people holding candles.


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