Amending our city’s charter with the more than 5300-word HDC proposal to enforce kindness is misguided. This text is over eight times longer than the longest U.S. constitutional amendment, making it more suitable for legislation than a charter amendment. The charter should define the structure of government, not micromanage social behaviors. Attempting to legislate something as inherently personal and subjective as kindness is a naive endeavor, likely to foster more division than unity. I am voting No on the Amendment. I am more than happy though to join like minded people in the Clarkston community to solve our challenges kindly.

Jim Markwalder
Clarkston